What, then, was the purpose of the Law? It was added in order to show what wrongdoing is, and it was meant to last until the coming of Abraham's descendant, to whom the promise was made. The Law was handed down by angels, with a man acting as a go-between.

And so the Law was in charge of us until Christ came, in order that we might then be put right with God through faith.

Now that the time for faith is here, the Law is no longer in charge of us.

But now that you know God---or, I should say, now that God knows you---how is it that you want to turn back to those weak and pitiful ruling spirits? Why do you want to become their slaves all over again?

Hagar, who stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, is a figure of the present city of Jerusalem, in slavery with all its people.

So then, my friends, we are not the children of a slave woman but of a free woman.

although some wanted it done. Pretending to be believers, these men slipped into our group as spies, in order to find out about the freedom we have through our union with Christ Jesus. They wanted to make slaves of us,

But before the time for faith came, the Law kept us all locked up as prisoners until this coming faith should be revealed.

Freedom is what we have---Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again.

"Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.

So Jesus said to those who believed in him, "If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples;

So then, why do you now want to put God to the test by laying a load on the backs of the believers which neither our ancestors nor we ourselves were able to carry?

For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, "Father! my Father!"

But now that you know God---or, I should say, now that God knows you---how is it that you want to turn back to those weak and pitiful ruling spirits? Why do you want to become their slaves all over again?

See to it, then, that no one enslaves you by means of the worthless deceit of human wisdom, which comes from the teachings handed down by human beings and from the ruling spirits of the universe, and not from Christ.

You have died with Christ and are set free from the ruling spirits of the universe. Why, then, do you live as though you belonged to this world? Why do you obey such rules as

He was made a priest, not by human rules and regulations, but through the power of a life which has no end.