Galatians 3–4

O foolish ^aGalatians, who hath bewitched you, ^bthat you should not obey ^bcthe truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ ^dhath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? ²This only would I learn of you, ^eReceived ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or ^fby the hearing of ^efaith? ³Are ye so foolish? having ^gbegun in the Spirit, are ye now ^ghmade perfect by the flesh? ⁴ⁱHave ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. ⁵He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and ^kworketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? ⁶Even as ^lAbraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. ⁷Know ye therefore that ^mthey which are of faith, ⁿthe same are the children of Abraham. ⁸And ^othe scripture, foreseeing that God ^pwould justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, ^qIn thee shall all nations be blessed. ⁹So then ^mthey which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. ¹⁰For as many as are of the works of the law ^rare under the curse: for it is written, ^sCursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. ¹¹But ^tthat no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, ^uThe just shall live by faith. ¹²And the law is not of faith: but, ^wThe man that doeth them shall live in them. ^13xChrist hath ^yredeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, ^zCursed is every one that ^ahangeth on a tree: ¹⁴that the blessing of Abraham ^bmight come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might ^creceive ^dthe promise of the Spirit through faith. ¹⁵Brethren, I speak ^eafter the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s ^fcovenant, yet if it be ^gconfirmed, no man ^hdisannulleth, or added thereto. ¹⁶Now ^hhto Abraham and his seed were ⁱthe promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but ^jas of one, ^kAnd to thy seed, which is Christ. ¹⁷And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, ^lwhich was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot ^mdisannul, that it should ^nomake the promise of none effect. ¹⁸For if ^othe inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

¹⁹Wherefore then serveth the law? ^pIt was added because of transgressions, till ^kthe seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ^qordained by angels ^rin the hand of a mediator. ²⁰Now a ^smediator is not a mediator of one, but ^tGod is one. ²¹Is the law then against the promises of God? ^uGod forbid: ^wfor if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. ²²But ^xthe scripture hath ^yconcluded all under sin, ^zthat the promise by ^afaith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. ²³But ^bbefore faith came, we were ^ckept under the law, ^yshut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. ²⁴Wherefore ^dthe law was our ^eschoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, ^fthat we might be justified by faith. ²⁵But ^bafter that faith is come, we are no longer under a ^eschoolmaster. ²⁶For ^gye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷For ^has many of you as have been baptized into Christ ⁱhave put on Christ. ²⁸There is ^kneither Jew nor Greek, there is ^lneither bond nor free, there is ^mneither male nor female: for ⁿye are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And if ^oye be Christ’s, ^pthen are ye Abraham’s seed, and ^qheirs according to the promise.

IV.Now I say, That ^athe heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; ²but is under ^btutors and ^cgovernors until the time appointed of the father. ³Even so we, when we were children, ^dwere in bondage under ^ethe elements of the world: ⁴but ^fwhen the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, ^gmade ^hof a woman, ^gmade ⁱunder the law, ^5kto redeem them that were under the law, that ^lwe might receive the adoption of sons. ⁶And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth ^mthe Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, ⁿAbba, Father. ⁷Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and ^oif a son, then an heir of God through Christ. ⁸Howbeit then, ^pwhen ye knew not God, ^qye did service unto them which ^rby nature are no gods. ⁹But now, after that ye have known God, or rather ^sare known of God, ^thow turn ye again to the ^uweak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again ^dto be in bondage? ¹⁰Ye observe ^wdays, and ^xymonths, and ^ytimes, and ^zyears. ¹¹I am afraid of you, ^alest I have ^bbestowed upon you labour ^cin vain.

¹²Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ^dye have not injured me at all. ¹³Ye know how ^ethrough infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you ^fat the first. ¹⁴And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me ^gas an angel of God, even ^has Christ Jesus. ¹⁵Where is then the ⁱblessedness you spake of? for I bear you record, that ^jif it had been possible, ye would have ^kplucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. ¹⁶Am I therefore become your enemy, ^lbecause I tell you the truth? ¹⁷They ^mzealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that you might ^maffect them. ¹⁸But it is good ^mto be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. ¹⁹ⁿMy little children, of whom I travail in birth again until ^oChrist be ^pformed ^oin you, ^20qI desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I ^rstand in doubt of you.

²¹Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? ²²For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, ^sthe one by a bondmaid, ^tthe other by a freewoman. ²³But ^uhe who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; ^twbut he of the freewoman was by promise. ²⁴Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; ^xthe one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth ^yto bondage, which is Agar. ²⁵For this Agar is mount Sinai in ^zArabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and ^yis in bondage with her children. ²⁶But ^aJerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. ²⁷For it is written, ^bRejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many moe children than she which hath a husband. ²⁸Now we, ^cbrethren, as Isaac was, are ^cthe children of promise. ²⁹But as then ^dhe that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, ^eeven so it is now. ³⁰Nevertheless what saith ^fthe scripture? ^gCast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. ³¹So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, ^hbut of the free.

V.