Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Parallel translations
- WEB So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
- BSB So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.
- NKJV Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
- NASB Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
- NLT Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
You are no longer a slave but a son, and therefore an heir of God through Christ. Paul drives home the staggering privilege of the gospel: full inheritance in God Himself.
Overview
Paul concludes the adoption argument by addressing the reader directly and personally ('you'). The movement from slavery to sonship to heirship traces the believer's transformed standing. To be an 'heir of God through Christ' means sharing in all the riches of salvation, a status entirely received by grace and never to be exchanged for the bondage of law-keeping.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Rom 8:16–17The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
- Gal 3:29And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
- Gal 3:26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Cor 3:21–23Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
- Gal 4:5–6To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
- Gal 4:31So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
- Ps 73:26My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
- 2 Cor 6:16–18And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
- Lam 3:24The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
- Rev 21:7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
- Gen 17:7–8And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
- Jer 10:16The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name.
- Gen 15:1After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
- Ps 16:5The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
- Jer 31:33But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
- Jer 32:38–41And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ became a curse for us to redeem us from the law's curse, that we might receive the Spirit and be sons — justified by faith in him, not by works.
How Galatians 4:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.