Galatians 3:14–29

¹⁴so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might ^vcome to the Gentiles, so that ^wwe might receive ^xthe promised Spirit⁵ through faith.

The Law and the Promise

^15yTo give a human example, brothers:^{6 z}even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. ¹⁶Now ^athe promises were made ^bto Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, ^c“And to your offspring,” who is Christ. ¹⁷This is what I mean: the law, which came ^d430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as ^eto make the promise void. ¹⁸For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but ^fGod gave it to Abraham by a promise.

¹⁹Why then the law? ^gIt was added because of transgressions, ^huntil the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ⁱput in place through angels ^jby an intermediary. ²⁰Now ^kan intermediary implies more than one, but ^lGod is one.

²¹Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For ^mif a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. ²²But the Scripture ⁿimprisoned everything under sin, so that ^othe promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given ^pto those who believe.

²³Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, ^qimprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴So then, ^rthe law was our ^sguardian until Christ came, ^tin order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶for in Christ Jesus ^uyou are all sons of God, through faith. ²⁷For as many of you as ^vwere baptized ^winto Christ have ^xput on Christ. ^28yThere is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave⁷ nor free, ^zthere is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And ^aif you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, ^bheirs according to promise.