Justification by Faith

3 O 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? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, aor by the hearing of faith?—3 Are you so foolish? bHaving begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by cthe flesh? 4 dHave you suffered so 3many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

5 Therefore 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? 6 just as Abraham e“believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only fthose who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And 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.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

The Law Brings a Curse

10 For 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.” 11 But that no one is 4justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for j“the just shall live by faith.” 12 Yet kthe law is not of faith, but l“the man who does them shall live by them.”

13 mChrist 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”), 14 othat 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

15 Brethren, 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. 16 Now 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. 17 And 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. 18 For 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

19 What 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. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, dbut God is one.

21 Is 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. 22 But the Scripture has confined eall under sin, fthat the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, 6kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore gthe law was our 7tutor to bring us to Christ, hthat we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Sons and Heirs

26 For you iare all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For jas many of you as were baptized into Christ khave put on Christ. 28 lThere 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. 29 And oif you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s pseed, and qheirs according to the promise.

4 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, awere in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But bwhen the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, cborn 1 dof a woman, eborn under the law, 5 fto redeem those who were under the law, gthat we might receive the adoption as sons.

6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth hthe Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 2“Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, iand if a son, then an heir 3of God 4through Christ.

Fears for the Church

8 But then, indeed, jwhen you did not know God, kyou served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now lafter you have known God, or rather are known by God, mhow is it that you turn again to nthe weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 oYou observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, plest I have labored for you in vain.

12 Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. qYou have not injured me at all. 13 You know that rbecause of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me sas an 5angel of God, teven as Christ Jesus. 15 6What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

17 They uzealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. 18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. 19 vMy little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, 20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

Two Covenants

21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: wthe one by a bondwoman, xthe other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman ywas born according to the flesh, zand he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are 7the two covenants: the one from Mount aSinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—26 but the bJerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written:

c“Rejoice, O barren,

You who do not bear!

Break forth and shout,

You who are not in labor!

For the desolate has many more children

Than she who has a husband.”

28 Now dwe, brethren, as Isaac was, are echildren of promise. 29 But, as fhe who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, geven so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does hthe Scripture say? i“Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for jthe son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.