Galatians 3

1 O thoughtless Galatians! who hath bewitched you, —before whose very eyes, Jesus Christ, was openly set forth as a crucified one?

Foolish Galatians! Who has been fascinating you — you before whose very eyes Jesus Christ was depicted upon the cross?

2 This only, am I wishing to learn from you: —by works of law, received ye, the Spirit? or by a believed report?

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 So thoughtless, are ye? Having made a beginning in Spirit, are ye, now, in flesh, to be made complete?

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

4 Such things, suffered ye, in vain, —if at least [it is] even in vain?

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

5 He then who was supplying unto you the Spirit, and energising mighty works among you, by works of law, or by a believed report [did he it]?

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 Even as Abraham—believed in God, and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness.

It is just as it was with Abraham — ‘He had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.’

7 Be taking note, therefore—that, they who are of faith, the same, are, sons, of Abraham;

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

8 And, the scripture, foreseeing, that, by faith, God would declare the nations righteous, fore-announced the good news unto Abraham, saying, All the nations shall be blessed in thee.

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 thee all the Gentiles shall be blessed.’

9 So then, they who are of faith, are blessed with believing Abraham;

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

10 For, as many as are of works of law, are, under a curse, —for it is written—Accursed, is everyone that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them.

All who rely upon obedience to Law are under a curse, for Scripture says — ‘Cursed is every one who does not abide by all that is written in the Book of the Law, and do it.’

11 Moreover, that, in law, no one, is declared righteous with God, [is] evident, —because, The righteous one, by faith, shall live;

Again, it is evident that no one is pronounced righteous before God through Law, for we read — ‘Through faith the righteous man shall find Life.’

12 And, the law, is not of faith, but—he that hath done them, shall live 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, us, out of the curse of the law, having become, in our behalf, a curse; —because it is written—Cursed, is every one that hangeth upon a tree; —

Christ ransomed us from the curse pronounced in the Law, by taking the curse on himself for us, for Scripture says — ‘Cursed is any one who is hanged on a tree.’

14 In order that, unto the nations, the blessing of Abraham, might come about in Jesus Christ, —in order that, the promise of the Spirit, we might receive through means of the 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! in human fashion, am I speaking: yet still, a man’s confirmed covenant, no one setteth aside or addeth unto:

To take an illustration, Brothers, from daily life — No one sets aside even an agreement between two men, when once it has been confirmed, nor does he add conditions to it.

16 Now, unto Abraham, were spoken the promises—and unto his seed; —He saith not—and unto thy seeds, as of many, but, as of one—and unto thy seed, 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 thy offspring,’ showing that one person was meant — and that was Christ.

17 And, this, I say—a covenant previously confirmed by God, the law which, after four hundred and thirty years, hath been brought into being, doth not annul, so as to do away with the promise.

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, by law, is the inheritance, it is, no longer, by promise; but, unto Abraham, through promise, hath God favoured it.

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 Why, then, the law? Because of the transgressions, it was added, until such time as the seed should come, unto whom the promise had been made, and was given in charge through messengers, at the hand of a mediator;

What, then, you ask, was the use of the Law? It was a later addition, to make men conscious of their wrong-doings, and intended to last only till the coming of that ‘offspring’ to whom the promise had been made; and it was delivered through angels by a mediator.

20 Now, a mediator, is not [a mediator] of one, but, God, is, one.

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

21 Is, the law, then, against the promises [of God]? Far be it! For, if a law had been given, which had been able to give life, verily, in law, would have been our righteousness;

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, did shut up, all things, under sin, that, the promise by faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to them who have faith,

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

23 Before the coming of the faith, however, under law, were we being kept in ward, being shut up unto the faith which should afterwards, be revealed.

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 So that, the law, hath proved, our tutor, training us, for Christ, in order that, by faith, we might be declared righteous;

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, the faith having come, no longer, are we, under a tutor; —

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

26 For ye, all, are, sons of God, through the faith in Christ Jesus;

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

27 For ye, as many as, into Christ, have been immersed, have put Christ, on:

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

28 There cannot be Jew or Greek, there cannot be bond or free, there cannot be male and female, for, all ye, are one, in Christ Jesus:

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

29 Now, if, ye, are of Christ, by consequence ye are, Abraham’s seed, according to promise, heirs.

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