Galatians 3:28

3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave ¹  nor free, there is neither male nor female ²  – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 4:22-23

4:22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the ³  slave woman and the other by the free woman. 4:23 But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, ⁴  while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise.

Galatians 5:1

Freedom of the Believer

5:1 For freedom ⁵  Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke ⁶  of slavery.

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¹ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 1:10.

² tn Grk “male and female.”

³ tn Paul’s use of the Greek article here and before the phrase “free woman” presumes that both these characters are well known to the recipients of his letter. This verse is given as an example of the category called “well-known (‘celebrity’ or ‘familiar’) article” by ExSyn 225.

⁴ tn Grk “born according to the flesh”; BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 4 has “Of natural descent τὰ τέκνα τῆς σαρκός children by natural descent Ro 9:8 (opp. τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας). ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης κατὰ σάρκα γεγέννηται Gal 4:23; cp. vs. 29.”

⁵ tn Translating the dative as “For freedom” shows the purpose for Christ setting us free; however, it is also possible to take the phrase in the sense of means or instrument (“with [or by] freedom”), referring to the freedom mentioned in 4:31 and implied throughout the letter.

⁶ sn Here the yoke figuratively represents the burdensome nature of slavery.