Galatians 3

1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the trueth, to whome Iesus Christ before was described in your sight, and among you crucified?

Foolish Galatians! Who has been enchanting you – you before whose eyes Jesus Christ was depicted on the cross?

2 This only would I learne of you, Receiued ye the Spirit by the workes of the Lawe, or by the hearing of faith preached?

Here is the one thing that I want to find out from you – Did you receive the Spirit as the result of obedience to Law, or of your having listened with faith?

3 Are ye so foolish, that after ye haue begun in the Spirit, ye would now be made perfect by the flesh?

Can you be so foolish? After beginning with what is spiritual, do you now end with what is external?

4 Haue ye suffered so many things in vaine? if so be it be euen in vaine.

Did you go through so much to no purpose? – if indeed it really was to no purpose!

5 He therefore that ministreth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it through the workes of the Law, or by the hearing of faith preached?

He who supplies you abundantly with his Spirit and endows you with such powers – does he do this as the result of obedience to Law? Or as the result of your having listened with faith?

6 Yea rather as Abraham beleeued God, and it was imputed to him for righteousnes.

It is just as it was with Abraham – he had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.

7 Knowe ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

You see, then, that those whose lives are based on faith are the sons of Abraham.

8 For the Scripture foreseeing, that God would iustifie the Gentiles through faith, preached before the Gospel vnto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the Gentiles be blessed.

And scripture, foreseeing that God would pronounce the Gentiles righteous as the result of faith, foretold the good news to Abraham in the words – “Through you all the Gentiles will be blessed.”

9 So then they which be of faith, are blessed with faithfull Abraham.

And, therefore, those whose lives are based on faith share the blessings bestowed on the faith of Abraham.

10 For as many as are of the workes of the Lawe, are vnder the curse: for it is written, Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things, which are written in the booke of the Law, to doe them.

All who rely on obedience to Law are under a curse, for scripture says – “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all that is written in the book of the Law, and do it.”

11 And that no man is iustified by the Law in the sight of God, it is euident: for the iust shall liue by faith.

Again, it is evident that no one is pronounced righteous before God through Law, for we read – “Through faith the righteous will find life.”

12 And the Lawe is not of faith: but the man that shall doe those things, shall liue in them.

But the Law is not based on faith; no, its words are – “Those who practice these precepts will find life through them.”

13 Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Lawe, made a curse for vs, (for it is written, Cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree)

Christ ransomed us from the curse pronounced in the Law, by taking the curse on himself for us, for scripture says – “Cursed is anyone who is hanged on a tree.”

14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Iesus, that wee might receiue the promise of the Spirite through faith.

And this he did that the blessing given to Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through their union with Jesus Christ; that so, through our faith, we also might receive the promised gift of the Spirit.

15 Brethren, I speake as men do: though it be but a mans couenant, when it is confirmed, yet no man doeth abrogate it, or addeth any thing thereto.

To take an illustration, friends, from daily life – No one sets aside even an agreement between two people, when once it has been confirmed, nor do they add conditions to it.

16 Nowe to Abraham and his seede were the promises made. Hee saith not, And to the seedes, as speaking of many: but, And to thy seede, as of one, which is Christ.

Now it was to Abraham that the promises were made, “and to his offspring.” It was not said “to his offsprings,” as if many persons were meant, but the words were “to your offspring,” showing that one person was meant – and that was Christ.

17 And this I say, that the couenant that was confirmed afore of God in respect of Christ, the Lawe which was foure hundreth and thirtie yeeres after, can not disanull, that it shoulde make the promise of none effect.

My point is this – An agreement already confirmed by God cannot be canceled by the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, so as to cause the promise to be set aside.

18 For if the inheritance be of the Lawe, it is no more by the promise, but God gaue it freely vnto Abraham by promise.

If our heritage is the result of Law, then it has ceased to be the result of a promise. Yet God conferred it on Abraham by a promise.

19 Wherefore then serueth the Law? It was added because of the transgressions, til the seed came, vnto the which the promise was made: and it was ordeined by Angels in the hande of a Mediatour.

What, then, you ask, was the use of the Law? It was a later addition, to make people conscious of their wrongdoings, and intended to last only until the coming of that offspring to whom the promise had been made; and it was delivered through angels by a mediator.

20 Nowe a Mediatour is not a Mediatour of one: but God is one.

Now mediation implies more than one person, but God is one only.

21 Is the Lawe then against the promises of God? God forbid: For if there had bene a Lawe giuen which coulde haue giuen life, surely righteousnes should haue bene by the Lawe.

Does that set the Law in opposition to God’s promises? Heaven forbid! For, if a Law had been given capable of bestowing life, then righteousness would have actually owed its existence to Law.

22 But the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne, that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue.

But the words of scripture represent the whole world as being in bondage to sin, so that the promised blessing, dependent, as it is, on faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who have faith in him.

23 But before faith came, we were kept vnder the Law, as vnder a garison, and shut vp vnto that faith, which should afterward be reueiled.

Before the coming of faith, we were kept under the guard of the Law, in bondage, awaiting the faith that was destined to be revealed.

24 Wherefore the Lawe was our scholemaster to bring vs to Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith.

Thus the Law has proved a guide to lead us to Christ, in order that we may be pronounced righteous as the result of faith.

25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer vnder a scholemaster.

But now that faith has come we no longer need a guide.

26 For ye are al the sonnes of God by faith, in Christ Iesus.

For you are all sons of God, through your faith in Christ Jesus.

27 For all ye that are baptized into Christ, haue put on Christ.

For all of you who were baptized into union with Christ clothed yourselves with Christ.

28 There is neither Iewe nor Grecian: there is neither bonde nor free: there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Iesus.

All distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, have vanished; for in union with Christ Jesus you are all one.

29 And if ye be Christes, then are ye Abrahams seede, and heires by promise.

And, since you belong to Christ, it follows that you are Abraham’s offspring and, under the promise, sharers in the inheritance.