Galatians 3

1 Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed among you as crucified?

Foolish Galatians! Who has been enchanting you – you before whose eyes Jesus Christ was depicted on the cross?

2 I just want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?

Here is the one thing that I want to find out from you – Did you receive the Spirit as the result of obedience to Law, or of your having listened with faith?

3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh?

Can you be so foolish? After beginning with what is spiritual, do you now end with what is external?

4 Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain?

Did you go through so much to no purpose? – if indeed it really was to no purpose!

5 He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you and does miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?

He who supplies you abundantly with his Spirit and endows you with such powers – does he do this as the result of obedience to Law? Or as the result of your having listened with faith?

6 Even so, Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.”

It is just as it was with Abraham – he had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.

7 Know therefore that those who are of faith are children of Abraham.

You see, then, that those whose lives are based on faith are the sons of Abraham.

8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed.”

And scripture, foreseeing that God would pronounce the Gentiles righteous as the result of faith, foretold the good news to Abraham in the words – ‘Through you all the Gentiles will be blessed.’

9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.

And, therefore, those whose lives are based on faith share the blessings bestowed on the faith of Abraham.

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

All who rely on obedience to Law are under a curse, for scripture says – ‘Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all that is written in the book of the Law, and do it.’

11 Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, “The righteous will live by faith.”

Again, it is evident that no one is pronounced righteous before God through Law, for we read – ‘Through faith the righteous will find life.’

12 The law is not of faith, but, “The man who does them will live by them.”

But the Law is not based on faith; no, its words are – ‘Those who practice these precepts will find life through them.’

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,”

Christ ransomed us from the curse pronounced in the Law, by taking the curse on himself for us, for scripture says – ‘Cursed is anyone who is hanged on a tree.’

14 that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

And this he did that the blessing given to Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through their union with Jesus Christ; that so, through our faith, we also might receive the promised gift of the Spirit.

15 Brothers, speaking of human terms, though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void or adds to it.

To take an illustration, friends, from daily life – No one sets aside even an agreement between two people, when once it has been confirmed, nor do they add conditions to it.

16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. He doesn’t say, “To descendants”, as of many, but as of one, “To your offspring”, which is Christ.

Now it was to Abraham that the promises were made, ‘and to his offspring.’ It was not said ‘to his offsprings,’ as if many persons were meant, but the words were ‘to your offspring,’ showing that one person was meant – and that was Christ.

17 Now I say this: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ, the law, which came four hundred thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect.

My point is this – An agreement already confirmed by God cannot be canceled by the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, so as to cause the promise to be set aside.

18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise.

If our heritage is the result of Law, then it has ceased to be the result of a promise. Yet God conferred it on Abraham by a promise.

19 Then why is there the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

What, then, you ask, was the use of the Law? It was a later addition, to make people conscious of their wrongdoings, and intended to last only until the coming of that offspring to whom the promise had been made; and it was delivered through angels by a mediator.

20 Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one.

Now mediation implies more than one person, but God is one only.

21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law.

Does that set the Law in opposition to God’s promises? Heaven forbid! For, if a Law had been given capable of bestowing life, then righteousness would have actually owed its existence to Law.

22 But the Scripture imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

But the words of scripture represent the whole world as being in bondage to sin, so that the promised blessing, dependent, as it is, on faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who have faith in him.

23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

Before the coming of faith, we were kept under the guard of the Law, in bondage, awaiting the faith that was destined to be revealed.

24 So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Thus the Law has proved a guide to lead us to Christ, in order that we may be pronounced righteous as the result of faith.

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

But now that faith has come we no longer need a guide.

26 For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus.

For you are all sons of God, through your faith in Christ Jesus.

27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

For all of you who were baptized into union with Christ clothed yourselves with Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

All distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, have vanished; for in union with Christ Jesus you are all one.

29 If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.

And, since you belong to Christ, it follows that you are Abraham’s offspring and, under the promise, sharers in the inheritance.