Galatians 3–4

Chapter 3

¹O senseless Galatians, who has bewitched you; to whom, as before your very eyes, Jesus Christ has been portrayed, crucified among you? ²This only I wish to learn of you, Have ye received the Spirit on the principle of works of law, or of the report of faith? ³Are ye so senseless? having begun in Spirit, are ye going to be made perfect in flesh? ⁴Have ye suffered so many things in vain, if indeed also in vain? ⁵He therefore who ministers to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you, is it on the principle of works of law, or of the report of faith?

⁶Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. ⁷Know then that they that are on the principle of faith, these are Abraham’s sons; ⁸and the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations on the principle of faith, announced beforehand the glad tidings to Abraham: In thee all the nations shall be blessed. ⁹So that they who are on the principle of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. ¹⁰For as many as are on the principle of works of law are under curse. For it is written, Cursed is every one who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them; ¹¹but that by law no one is justified with God is evident, because The just shall live on the principle of faith; ¹²but the law is not on the principle of faith; but, He that shall have done these things shall live by them. ¹³Christ has redeemed us out of the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, (for it is written, Cursed is every one hanged upon a tree,) ¹⁴that the blessing of Abraham might come to the nations in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. ¹⁵Brethren, (I speak according to man,) even man’s confirmed covenant no one sets aside, or adds other dispositions to. ¹⁶But to Abraham were the promises addressed, and to his seed: he does not say, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed; which is Christ. ¹⁷Now I say this, A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which took place four hundred and thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸For if the inheritance be on the principle of law, it is no longer on the principle of promise; but God gave it in grace to Abraham by promise.

¹⁹Why then the law? It was added for the sake of transgressions, until the seed came to whom the promise was made, ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator. ²⁰But a mediator is not of one, but God is one. ²¹Is then the law against the promises of God? Far be the thought. For if a law had been given able to quicken, then indeed righteousness were on the principle of law; ²²but the scripture has shut up all things under sin, that the promise, on the principle of faith of Jesus Christ, should be given to those that believe. ²³But before faith came, we were guarded under law, shut up to faith which was about to be revealed. ²⁴So that the law has been our tutor up to Christ, that we might be justified on the principle of faith. ²⁵But, faith having come, we are no longer under a tutor; ²⁶for ye are all God’s sons by faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷For ye, as many as have been baptised unto Christ, have put on Christ. ²⁸There is no Jew nor Greek; there is no bondman nor freeman; there is no male and female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus: ²⁹but if ye are of Christ, then ye are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.

Chapter 4

¹Now I say, As long as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a bondman, though he be lord of all; ²but he is under guardians and stewards until the period fixed by the father. ³So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the principles of the world; ⁴but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, come of woman, come under law, ⁵that he might redeem those under law, that we might receive sonship. ⁶But because ye are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. ⁷So thou art no longer bondman, but son; but if son, heir also through God.

⁸But then indeed, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods; ⁹but now, knowing God, but rather being known by God, how do ye turn again to the weak and beggarly principles to which ye desire to be again anew in bondage? ¹⁰Ye observe days and months and times and years. ¹¹I am afraid of you, lest indeed I have laboured in vain as to you.

¹²Be as I am, for I also am as ye, brethren, I beseech you: ye have not at all wronged me. ¹³But ye know that in weakness of the flesh I announced the glad tidings to you at the first; ¹⁴and my temptation, which was in my flesh, ye did not slight nor reject with contempt; but ye received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵What then was your blessedness? for I bear you witness that, if possible, plucking out your own eyes ye would have given them to me. ¹⁶So I have become your enemy in speaking the truth to you?

¹⁷They are not rightly zealous after you, but desire to shut you out from us, that ye may be zealous after them. ¹⁸But it is right to be zealous at all times in what is right, and not only when I am present with you—

¹⁹my children, of whom I again travail in birth until Christ shall have been formed in you: ²⁰and I should wish to be present with you now, and change my voice, for I am perplexed as to you.

²¹Tell me, ye who are desirous of being under law, do ye not listen to the law? ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons; one of the maid servant, and one of the free woman. ²³But he that was of the maid servant was born according to flesh, and he that was of the free woman through the promise. ²⁴Which things have an allegorical sense; for these are two covenants: one from mount Sinai, gendering to bondage, which is Hagar. ²⁵For Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which is now, for she is in bondage with her children; ²⁶but the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother. ²⁷For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break out and cry, thou that travailest not; because the children of the desolate are more numerous than those of her that has a husband. ²⁸But ye, brethren, after the pattern of Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹But as then he that was born according to flesh persecuted him that was born according to Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰But what says the scripture? Cast out the maid servant and her son; for the son of the maid servant shall not inherit with the son of the free woman. ³¹So then, brethren, we are not maid servant’s children, but children of the free woman.