Galatians 3–5

Law or Faith

³You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!^{* 2}The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard?^{* 3}Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?^{* 4}Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing.^{* 5}Well then, does God^k supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard?

⁶Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,”^{* 7}so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. ⁸And the scripture, foreseeing that God would reckon as righteous the gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the gentiles shall be blessed in you.”^{* 9}For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.

¹⁰For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.”^{* 11}Now it is evident that no one is reckoned as righteous before God by the law, for “the one who is righteous will live by faith.”^{l* 12}But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, “Whoever does the works of the law^m will live by them.”^{* 13}Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”^*—¹⁴in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.^*

The Promise to Abraham

¹⁵Brothers and sisters, I give an example from daily life: once a person’s willⁿ has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it.^{* 16}Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring;^o it does not say, “And to offsprings,”^p as of many, but it says, “And to your offspring,”^q that is, to one person, who is Christ.^{* 17}My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.^{* 18}For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise, but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.^*

The Purpose of the Law

¹⁹Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring^r would come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ordained through angels by a mediator.^{* 20}Now a mediator involves more than one party, but God is one.^*

²¹Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. ²²But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through the faith of Jesus Christ^s might be given to those who believe.^*

²³Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. ²⁴Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be reckoned as righteous^t by faith.^{* 25}But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, ²⁶for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.^{* 27}As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.^{* 28}There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.^{* 29}And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,^u heirs according to the promise.^*

⁴My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than those who are enslaved, though they are the owners of all the property, ²but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. ³So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental principles^v of the world.^{* 4}But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,^{* 5}in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.^{* 6}And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our^w hearts, crying, “Abba!^x Father!”^{* 7}So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir through God.^y

Paul Reproves the Galatians

⁸Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods.^{* 9}Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental principles?^z How can you want to be enslaved to them again?^{* 10}You are observing special days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹I am afraid that my work for you may have been wasted.

¹²Brothers and sisters, I beg you: become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong. ¹³You know that it was because of a physical infirmity that I first announced the gospel to you; ¹⁴though my condition put you to the test, you did not scorn or despise me but welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵What has become of the goodwill you felt? For I testify that, had it been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? ¹⁷They make much of you but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you may make much of them. ¹⁸It is good to be made much of for a good purpose at all times and not only when I am present with you. ¹⁹My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,^{* 20}I wish I were present with you now and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

The Allegory of Hagar and Sarah

²¹Tell me, you who desire to be subject to the law, will you not listen to the law? ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by an enslaved woman and the other by a free woman.^{* 23}One, the child of the enslaved woman, was born according to the flesh; the other, the child of the free woman, was born through the promise.^{* 24}Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One woman, in fact, is Hagar, from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery. ²⁵Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia^a and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶But the other woman corresponds to the Jerusalem above; she is free, and she is our mother.^{* 27}For it is written,

“Rejoice, you childless one, you who bear no children,

burst into song and shout, you who endure no birth pangs,

for the children of the desolate woman are more numerous

than the children of the one who is married.”^*

²⁸Now you,^b my brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, like Isaac. ²⁹But just as at that time the child who was born according to the flesh persecuted the child who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.^{* 30}But what does the scripture say? “Drive out the enslaved woman and her child, for the child of the enslaved woman will not share the inheritance with the child of the free woman.”^{* 31}So then, brothers and sisters, we are children, not of an enslaved woman but of the free woman.

⁵For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.^*

The Nature of Christian Freedom

²Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that, if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. ⁴You who want to be reckoned as righteous^c by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.^{* 5}For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.^{* 6}For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working^d through love.^*

⁷You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth?^{* 8}Such persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. ¹⁰I am confident about you in the Lord that you will not think otherwise. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty.^{* 11}But my brothers and sisters, why am I still being persecuted if I am still preaching circumcision? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹²I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!

¹³For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence,^e but through love become enslaved to one another.^{* 14}For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”^{* 15}If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

The Works of the Flesh

¹⁶Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.^{* 17}For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want.^{* 18}But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.^{* 19}Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery,^{* 20}idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, ²¹envy,^f drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.^*

The Fruit of the Spirit

²²By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,^{* 23}gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ^g have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.^{* 25}If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, competing…