Galatians 3

Faith and Beliefⓘ

Foolish Galatians, who bewitched you?¹O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. ²I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

³Are you so foolish? After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh? ⁴Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing? ⁵Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe?

Abraham's faith and the blessing for all nations⁶✦So also, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^{a 7}✦Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸✦The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”^{b 9}✦So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Christ Has Redeemed Usⓘ

Christ redeems us from the curse of the law¹⁰✦All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”^{c 11}✦Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”^{d 12}✦The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”^e

¹³✦Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”^{f 14}He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham^g would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

The Purpose of the Lawⓘ

The promise cannot be annulled by the law¹⁵Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended. ¹⁶✦The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,”^h meaning One, who is Christ.

¹⁷What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to nullify the promise. ¹⁸For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise.

Why then the law?¹⁹Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator. ²⁰A mediator is unnecessary, however, for only 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 impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law. ²²But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.

²³Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. ²⁴So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Sons through Faith in Christⓘ

All one in Christ Jesus²⁶You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abrahamʼs seed and heirs according to the promise.