Roma 8:15

8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, ¹  but you received the Spirit of adoption, ²  by whom ³  we cry, “Abba, Father.”

Roma 8:21

8:21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.

Galatia 4:21

An Appeal from Allegory

4:21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand the law? ⁴ 

Galatia 4:2

4:2 But he is under guardians ⁵  and managers until the date set by his ⁶  father.

Titus 1:7

1:7 For the overseer ⁷  must be blameless as one entrusted with God’s work, ⁸  not arrogant, not prone to anger, not a drunkard, not violent, not greedy for gain.

[8:15]  ¹ tn Grk “slavery again to fear.”

[8:15]  ² tn The Greek term υἱοθεσία (Juioqesia) was originally a legal technical term for adoption as a son with full rights of inheritance. BDAG 1024 s.v. notes, “a legal t.t. of ‘adoption’ of children, in our lit., i.e. in Paul, only in a transferred sense of a transcendent filial relationship between God and humans (with the legal aspect, not gender specificity, as major semantic component).”

[8:15]  ³ tn Or “in that.”

[4:21]  ⁴ tn Or “will you not hear what the law says?” The Greek verb ἀκούω (akouw) means “hear, listen to,” but by figurative extension it can also mean “obey.” It can also refer to the process of comprehension that follows hearing, and that sense fits the context well here.

[4:2]  ⁵ tn The Greek term translated “guardians” here is ἐπίτροπος (epitropo"), whose semantic domain overlaps with that of παιδαγωγός (paidagwgo") according to L&N 36.5.

[4:2]  ⁶ tn Grk “the,” but the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[1:7]  ⁷ sn The overseer is another term for the same official position of leadership as the “elder.” This is seen in the interchange of the two terms in this passage and in Acts 20:17, 28, as well as in the parallels between these verses and 1 Tim 3:1-7.

[1:7]  ⁸ tn Grk “as God’s steward.”