Galatians 3
Law and Faithfulness (3:1–5)
1 O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you? Before your eyes, Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as having been crucified! 2 I want only to inquire this of you: Did you receive the Spirit from the works of the law or from hearing produced by faith? 3 Hence, are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being made whole through the flesh? 4 Did you experience so many things in vain? If, indeed, it were in vain. 5 Is he, therefore, who is supplying you the Spirit and working miracles among you doing so through the deeds of the law or from the hearing produced by faith?
The Lesson from Abraham (3:6–14)
6 Just as Abraham trusted in God, it also was accounted to him as righteousness. 7 Know then that the faithful ones, these are sons of Abraham. 8 Now the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faithfulness, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham—namely, “All the nations will be blessed by you” [Gen. 22:18]— 9 so that the faithful ones would be blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For all who are partisans of the works of the law are under a curse; for it has been written that “everyone is cursed who does not continue doing all that has been written in the scroll of the law” [Deut. 27:26] 11 because it is clear that no one is just in the sight of God through the law because “the just shall live through faithfulness” [Hab. 2:4]. 12 But the law is not derived from faithfulness. Rather, “the one doing these deeds will live by them” [Lev. 18:5].
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become cursed on our behalf as it has been written, “Cursed is every one hanging on a tree” [Deut. 21:23], 14 so that the blessing of Abraham may come to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ and so that we may receive the promise of the Spirit through faithfulness.
The Law and the Promise (3:15–18)
15 Brothers and sisters, I speak in a human manner. Similarly, a human will, once having been ratified, no one annuls or adds to it. 16 Now, the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendants, and he did not say “to the descendants,” as of many, but instead, as if regarding one individual, “and to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 But this I say: The covenant was previously ratified by God. The Mosaic law, having come into existence after four hundred thirty years, does not void the promise [such] that it should be invalid. 18 For if the inheritance originated with the Mosaic law, it is not from the promise; but God generously gave the promise to Abraham.
Freedom from the Constraining Tutor (3:19–25)
19 Why, then, the law? It was added for the sake of the transgressions until the descendant, to whom it had been promised, should come, having been set in order through angels at the hand of a mediator. 20 Now, a mediator does not work for one party alone, but God is one. 21 So is the law opposed to the promises of God? Let it not be so! For if a law had been given that was able to bring life, certainly righteousness would come through law. 22 But the scripture imprisoned everything under the power of sin so that the promise from the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to those who are faithful. 23 Now, before the faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being imprisoned in regard to the faith soon to be revealed. 24 And so the law has been our tutor until Christ so that we might become righteous through faithfulness, 25 but now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
The Dispensation of Faith (3:26–29)
26 For you are all the sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 Because as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, you have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female because you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are in Christ, then you are the seed of Abraham and heirs by promise.
