8:15a

For: Here this word introduces an explanation of 8:14.

you did not receive a spirit of slavery: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spirit :

(1) It refers to an attitude or mindset of slavery. As believers in our new life, we do not have the feeling of being oppressed, of having no say about our own life, of being required to do things that we may not want to do, and other things of the life of a slave. For example:

you did not receive a spirit of slavery (New American Bible, Revised Edition)

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, New Living Translation (2004), New American Bible, Revised Edition, English Standard Version, King James Version, God’s Word, NET Bible)

(2) It refers to the Holy Spirit. For example:

The Spirit we received does not make us slaves (New Century Version)

(New International Version (2011), Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because it seems unlikely that the Holy Spirit would be connected to slavery with the connection of of.

you did not receive: In English, receive indicates that someone gave, but the word “take” does not. In some languages there is only one word that means both receive and “take.” If your word here would indicate that God did not give the Holy Spirit but that the believers just took him, translate in a way that indicates that God gave the Spirit. For example:

⌊God⌋ did not give to you

that returns you to fear: This phrase refers to the result of being made slaves or having the attitude of a slave.

These words in the Greek are literally “again to fear.” The Holy Spirit does not cause us to be fearful. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

so that you live in fear again (New International Version (2011))
-or-
and cause you to be afraid again

8:15b

but you received: As in 8:15a, God gave the Holy Spirit.

the Spirit of sonship: Here the word of indicates that the Holy Spirit causes believers to be adopted as God’s children. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship (New International Version (2011))
-or-
the Spirit made you God’s children

sonship: The word sonship refers to taking someone who is not your child and making them legally your child. Here it refers to the Holy Spirit making a believer God’s adopted child when he or she becomes a believer. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

adopted as God’s children
-or-
caused you to become God’s adopted children

General Comment on 8:15a–b

What the Holy does do (8:15b) comes after what the Holy Spirit does not do (8:15a). In some languages it is more natural to have 8:15b first. For example:

For you received the Spirit and he made you God’s adopted children. This Spirit does not give to you the attitude/mindset of slaves/slavery to live again in fear.

8:15c

by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”: The words by whom indicate that the Holy Spirit makes us able to call out to God as a son calls out to his father. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

and with his strength we can cry/shout ⌊to God⌋, “Abba! Father!”

we cry: Here the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cry refers to speaking with strong emotion. It could be just about any emotion, including being sad, desperate, happy, enthusiastic, or afraid of something. In many languages a literal translation would wrongly refer only to being in pain with tears in the eyes, or wailing. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

we call out (God’s Word)
-or-
say strongly

Abba! Father: Abba is the word in the Aramaic language that means “father.” At that time it was used by both children and adults for their fathers. Here it would remind readers that Jesus used it when praying to God. So it would imply a similar relationship for believers to God.

In some languages people will not know what Abba means. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain its meaning in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:

The word “Abba” means “father” in Aramaic. Jesus used this word (Mark 14:36).

Some languages must indicate whose father this is. For example:

Abba, my-father!

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