Galatians 3:1–5:1

JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH

3You foolish^aa Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you,^C before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed^D as crucified?^{ab 2}I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard? ³Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh? ⁴Did you experience^Fac so much for nothing—if in fact it was for nothing? ⁵So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles^ad among you by your doing the works of the law? Or is it by believing what you heard—⁶just like Abraham who believed God,^ae and it was credited to him for righteousness?^Gaf

⁷You know, then, that those who have faith, these are Abraham’s sons.^{ag 8}Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and proclaimed the gospel ahead of time to Abraham,^ah saying, All the nations^H will be blessed through you.^{Iai 9}Consequently, those who have faith are blessed with Abraham,^aj who had faith.^J

LAW AND PROMISE

¹⁰For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse,^ak because it is written,^al Everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed.^{Kam 11}Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live^an by faith.^{Lao 12}But the law is not based on faith; instead, the one who does these things will live by them.^{Map 13}Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us,^aq because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.^{Nar 14}The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.^as

¹⁵Brothers and sisters, I’m using a human illustration. No one sets aside or makes additions to a validated human will.^{O 16}Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed,^Pat who is Christ. ¹⁷My point is this: The law, which came 430 years later,^au does not invalidate a covenant previously established by God^Q and thus cancel the promise. ¹⁸For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise; but God has graciously given it to Abraham through the promise.

THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW

¹⁹Why, then, was the law given?^a It was added for the sake of transgressions^A until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels^b by means of a mediator.^{c 20}Now a mediator is not just for one person alone, but God is one.^{d 21}Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if the law had been granted with the ability to give life, then righteousness would certainly be on the basis of the law. ²²But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin’s power,^Be so that the promise might be given on the basis of faith^f in Jesus Christ to those who believe.^{g 23}Before this faith^h came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed.^{i 24}The law, then, was our guardian until Christ,^j so that we could be justified by faith. ²⁵But since that faith^k has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶for through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus.

SONS AND HEIRS

²⁷For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.^{l 28}There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free,^m male and female;ⁿ since you are all one^o in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs^p according to the promise.^q 4Now I say that as long as the heir^r is a child, he differs in no way from a slave, though he is the owner^s of everything. ²Instead, he is under guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. ³In the same way we also, when we were children, were in slavery under the elements^C of the world.^{t 4}When the time came to completion, God sent his Son,^u born of a woman,^v born under the law, ⁵to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.^{w 6}And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son^x into our^D hearts, crying, “Abba,^E Father!”^{y 7}So you are no longer a slave^z but a son,^aa and if a son, then God has made you an heir.^ab

PAUL’S CONCERN FOR THE GALATIANS

⁸But in the past, since you didn’t know God,^ac you were enslaved to things^F that by nature are not gods. ⁹But now, since you know God,^ad or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless^ae elements?^af Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? ¹⁰You are observing special days, months, seasons, and years.^{ag 11}I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted.

¹²I beg you, brothers and sisters: Become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have not wronged me; ¹³you know that previously I preached the gospel to you because of a weakness of the flesh. ¹⁴You did not despise or reject me though my physical condition was a trial for you.^A On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus himself.

¹⁵Where, then, is your blessing? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶So then, have I become your enemy because I told you the truth?^{ah 17}They court you eagerly, but not for good. They want to exclude you from me, so that you would pursue them. ¹⁸But it is always good to be pursued^B in a good manner—and not just when I am with you. ¹⁹My children,^ai I am again suffering labor pains^aj for you until Christ is formed in you. ²⁰I would like to be with you right now and change my tone of voice, because I don’t know what to do about you.

SARAH AND HAGAR: TWO COVENANTS

²¹Tell me, you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law? ²²For it is written that Abraham^ak had two sons, one by a slave^al and the other by a free woman. ²³But the one by the slave was born as a result of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴These things are being taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai^am and bears children into slavery—this is Hagar.^{an 25}Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia^ao and corresponds to the present Jerusalem,^ap for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶But the Jerusalem above^aq is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷For it is written,^ar

Rejoice, childless woman,^as

unable to give birth.

Burst into song and shout,

you who are not in labor,

for the children of the desolate woman will be many,

more numerous than those

of the woman who has a husband.^Ca

²⁸Now you too, brothers and sisters, like Isaac,^b are children of promise.^{c 29}But just as then the child born as a result of the flesh persecuted the one born as a result of the Spirit,^d so also now.^{e 30}But what does the Scripture say? “Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a coheir with the son of the free woman.”^{Df 31}Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave but of the free woman.^g

FREEDOM OF THE CHRISTIAN

5For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm^h, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.ⁱ