Galatians 3

1 O senseless Galatians, who has so fascinated you that you would not obey the truth, even though Jesus Christ has been presented before your eyes, crucified among you?

You foolish Galatians! Whose sophistry has bewitched you--you to whom Jesus Christ has been vividly portrayed as on the Cross?

2 I wish to know only this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Answer me this one question, "Is it on the ground of your obedience to the Law that you received the Spirit, or is it because, when you heard, you believed?"

3 Are you so foolish that, though you began with the Spirit, you would now end with the flesh?

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now going to reach perfection through what is external?

4 Have you been suffering so much without a reason? If so, then it is in vain.

Have you endured such sufferings to no purpose--if indeed it has been to no purpose?

5 Therefore, does he who distributes the Spirit to you, and who works miracles among you, act by the works of the law, or by the hearing of the faith?

He who gives you His Spirit and works miracles among you--does He do so on the ground of your obedience to the Law, or is it the result of your having heard and believed:

6 It is just as it was written: “Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.”

even as Abraham believed God, and his faith was placed to his account as righteousness?

7 Therefore, know that those who are of faith, these are the sons of Abraham.

Notice therefore that those who possess faith are true sons of Abraham.

8 Thus Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold to Abraham: “All nations shall be blessed in you.”

And the Scripture, foreseeing that in consequence of faith God would declare the nations to be free from guilt, sent beforehand the Good News to Abraham, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed."

9 And so, those who are of faith shall be blessed with faithful Abraham.

So we see that it is those who possess faith that are blessed with believing Abraham.

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it has been written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things that have been written in the book of the Law, so as to do them.”

All who are depending upon their own obedience to the Law are under a curse, for it is written, "Cursed is every one who does not remain faithful to all the precepts of the Law, and practise them."

11 And, since in the law no one is justified with God, this is manifest: “For the just man lives by faith.”

It is evident, too, that no one can find acceptance with God simply by obeying the Law, because "the righteous shall live by faith,"

12 But the law is not of faith; instead, “he who does these things shall live by them.”

and the Law has nothing to do with faith. It teaches that "he who does these things shall live by doing them."

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, since he became a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is anyone who hangs from a tree.”

Christ has purchased our freedom from the curse of the Law by becoming accursed for us--because "Cursed is every one who is hanged upon a tree."

14 This was so that the blessing of Abraham might reach the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, in order that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Our freedom has been thus purchased in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing belonging to Abraham may come upon the nations, so that through faith we may receive the promised Spirit.

15 Brothers (I speak according to man), if a man’s testament has been confirmed, no one would reject it or add to it.

Brethren, even a covenant made by a man--to borrow an illustration from daily life--when once formally sanctioned is not liable to be set aside or added to.

16 The promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. He did not say, “and to descendents,” as if to many, but instead, as if to one, he said, “and to your offspring,” who is Christ.

(Now the promises were given to Abraham and to his seed. God did not say "and to seeds," as if speaking of many, but "and to your seed," since He spoke of only one--and this is Christ.)

17 But I say this: the testament confirmed by God, which, after four hundred and thirty years became the Law, does not nullify, so as to make the promise empty.

I mean that the Covenant which God had already formally made is not abrogated by the Law which was given four hundred and thirty years later--so as to annul the promise.

18 For if the inheritance is of the law, then it is no longer of the promise. But God bestowed it to Abraham through the promise.

For if the inheritance comes through obedience to Law, it no longer comes because of a promise. But, as a matter of fact, God has granted it to Abraham in fulfilment of a promise.

19 Why, then, was there a law? It was established because of transgressions, until the offspring would arrive, to whom he made the promise, ordained by Angels through the hand of a mediator.

Why then was the Law given? It was imposed later on for the sake of defining sin, until the seed should come to whom God had made the promise; and its details were laid down by a mediator with the help of angels.

20 Now a mediator is not of one, yet God is one.

But there cannot be a mediator where only one individual is concerned.

21 So then, was the law contrary to the promises of God? Let it not be so! For if a law had been given, which was able to give life, truly justice would be of the law.

God, however, is only one. Is the Law then opposed to the promises of God? No, indeed; for if a Law had been given which could have conferred Life, righteousness would certainly have come by the Law.

22 But Scripture has enclosed everything under sin, so that the promise, by the faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

But Scripture has shown that all mankind are the prisoners of sin, in order that the promised blessing, which depends on faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who believe.

23 But before the faith arrived, we were preserved by being enclosed under the law, unto that faith which was to be revealed.

Before this faith came, we Jews were perpetual prisoners under the Law, living under restraints and limitations in preparation for the faith which was soon to be revealed.

24 And so the law was our guardian in Christ, in order that we might be justified by faith.

So that the Law has acted the part of a tutor-slave to lead us to Christ, in order that through faith we may be declared to be free from guilt.

25 But now that faith has arrived, we are no longer under a guardian.

But now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor-slave.

26 For you are all sons of God, through the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus;

27 For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have become clothed with Christ.

for all of you who have been baptized into Christ, have clothed yourselves with Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither servant nor free; there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

In Him the distinctions between Jew and Gentile, slave and free man, male and female, disappear; you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if you are Christ’s, then are you the offspring of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.

And if you belong to Christ, then you are indeed true descendants of Abraham, and are heirs in fulfilment of the promise.