King James Bible
"Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;"
Paul introduces an analogy from Roman inheritance law where minor children, despite being legal heirs, remained under guardians' authority. This sets up his argument about believers' former state under the law before Christ came. Though possessing future inheritance rights, the child-heir experiences the same restrictions and lack of freedom as household slaves. This emphasizes the practical powerlessness despite theoretical ownership. The paradox reaches its peak: the heir legally owns everything yet cannot exercise any authority until maturity. Paul uses this tension to illustrate how the law kept God's people in a state of spiritual childhood before faith in Christ brought full sonship.