Galatians 2–3

Defending the Gospel

2Then after fourteen years ^aI went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. ²And I went up ¹by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but ^bprivately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means ^cI might run, or had run, in vain. ³Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. ⁴And this occurred because of ^dfalse brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our ^eliberty which we have in Christ Jesus, ^fthat they might bring us into bondage), ⁵to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that ^gthe truth of the gospel might continue with you.

⁶But from those ^hwho seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; ⁱGod ²shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something ^jadded nothing to me. ⁷But on the contrary, ^kwhen they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised ^lhad been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter ⁸(for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the ^mcircumcised ⁿalso ^oworked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), ⁹and when James, ³Cephas, and John, who seemed to be ^ppillars, perceived ^qthe grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, ^rthat we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰They desired only that we should remember the poor, ^sthe very thing which I also was eager to do.

No Return to the Law

^11tNow when ⁴Peter had come to Antioch, I ⁵withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; ¹²for before certain men came from James, ^uhe would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing ⁶those who were of the circumcision. ¹³And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

¹⁴But when I saw that they were not straightforward about ^vthe truth of the gospel, I said to Peter ^wbefore them all, ^x“If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, ⁷why do you compel Gentiles to live as ⁸Jews? ^15yWe who are Jews by nature, and not ^zsinners of the Gentiles, ^16aknowing that a man is not ⁹justified by the works of the law but ^bby faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not ^cby the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

¹⁷“But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found ^dsinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! ¹⁸For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. ¹⁹For I ^ethrough the law ^fdied to the law that I might ^glive to God. ²⁰I have been ^hcrucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh ⁱI live by faith in the Son of God, ^jwho loved me and gave Himself for me. ²¹I do not set aside the grace of God; for ^kif righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died ¹in vain.”

Justification by Faith

3O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you ¹that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed ²among you as crucified? ²This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, ^aor by the hearing of faith?—³Are you so foolish? ^bHaving begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by ^cthe flesh? ^4dHave you suffered so ³many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

⁵Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? ⁶just as Abraham ^e“believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” ⁷Therefore know that only ^fthose who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸And ^gthe Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ^h“In you all the nations shall be blessed.” ⁹So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

The Law Brings a Curse

¹⁰For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ⁱ“Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” ¹¹But that no one is ⁴justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ^j“the just shall live by faith.” ¹²Yet ^kthe law is not of faith, but ^l“the man who does them shall live by them.”

^13mChrist has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ⁿ“Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), ^14othat the blessing of Abraham might come upon the ^pGentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive ^qthe promise of the Spirit through faith.

The Changeless Promise

¹⁵Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: ^rThough it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. ¹⁶Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of ^sone, ^t“And to your Seed,” who is ^uChrist. ¹⁷And this I say, that the law, ^vwhich was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God ⁵in Christ, ^wthat it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸For if ^xthe inheritance is of the law, ^yit is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Purpose of the Law

¹⁹What purpose then does the law serve? ^zIt was added because of transgressions, till the ^aSeed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ^bappointed through angels by the hand ^cof a mediator. ²⁰Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, ^dbut God is one.

²¹Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. ²²But the Scripture has confined ^eall under sin, ^fthat the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. ²³But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, ⁶kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. ²⁴Therefore ^gthe law was our ⁷tutor to bring us to Christ, ^hthat we might be justified by faith. ²⁵But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Sons and Heirs

²⁶For you ⁱare all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷For ^jas many of you as were baptized into Christ ^khave put on Christ. ^28lThere is neither Jew nor Greek, ^mthere is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all ⁿone in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And ^oif you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s ^pseed, and ^qheirs according to the promise.