Galatians 3:1–4:7

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.

4Now 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, ²but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. ³Even so we, when we were children, ^awere in bondage under the elements of the world. ⁴But ^bwhen the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, ^cborn ^1dof a woman, ^eborn under the law, ^5fto redeem those who were under the law, ^gthat we might receive the adoption as sons.

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