Galatians 3:13–29

¹³Christ paid the price to free us from the curse that the laws in Moses’ Teachings bring by becoming cursed instead of us. Scripture says, “Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed.” ¹⁴⸤Christ paid the price⸥ so that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to all the people of the world through Jesus Christ and we would receive the promised Spirit through faith. 

The Relationship between Law and Promise

¹⁵Brothers and sisters, let me use an example from everyday life. No one can cancel a person’s will or add conditions to it once that will is put into effect. ¹⁶The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture doesn’t say, “descendants,” referring to many, but “your descendant,” referring to one. That descendant is Christ. ¹⁷This is what I mean: The laws ⸤given to Moses⸥ 430 years after God had already put his promise ⸤to Abraham⸥ into effect didn’t cancel the promise ⸤to Abraham⸥. ¹⁸If we have to gain the inheritance by following those laws, then it no longer comes to us because of the promise. However, God freely gave the inheritance to Abraham through a promise. 

¹⁹What, then, is the purpose of the laws given to Moses? They were added to identify what wrongdoing is. Moses’ laws did this until the descendant to whom the promise was given came.^aIt was put into effect through angels, using a mediator. ²⁰A mediator is not used when there is only one person involved, and God has acted on his own. 

²¹Does this mean, then, that the laws given to Moses contradict God’s promises? That’s unthinkable! If those laws could give us life, then certainly we would receive God’s approval because we obeyed them. ²²But Scripture states that the whole world is controlled by the power of sin. Therefore, a promise based on faith in Jesus Christ could be given to those who believe. 

²³We were kept under control by Moses’ laws until this faith came. We were under their control until this faith which was about to come would be revealed. 

²⁴Before Christ came, Moses’ laws served as our guardian. Christ came so that we could receive God’s approval by faith. ²⁵But now that this faith has come, we are no longer under the control of a guardian. ²⁶You are all God’s children by believing in Christ Jesus. ²⁷Clearly, all of you who were baptized in Christ’s name have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸There are neither Jews nor Greeks, slaves nor free people, males nor females. You are all the same in Christ Jesus. ²⁹If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants and heirs, as God promised.