Galatians 3

1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

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

2 This only would I learn from you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

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? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now 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 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if [it is] yet in vain.

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

5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, [doeth he this] by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

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 God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

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

7 Know ye therefore, that they who 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 And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel to Abraham, [saying], In thee shall all nations 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 who are of faith are blessed with faithful 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 works of the law, are under the curse: for it is written, Accursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do 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 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [is] evident: for, The just shall live 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 law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live by 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 from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Accursed [is] every one that hangeth on 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 anyone who is hanged on a tree.”

14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit 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 speak after the manner of men; Though it is but a man's covenant, yet [if it is] confirmed, no man disannulleth or addeth to it.

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 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to 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 your offspring,” showing that one person was meant – and that was Christ.

17 And this I say, [that] the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of no 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 [is] by the law, [it is] no more by promise: but God gave [it] to 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 What purpose then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

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 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? By no means: for if there had been a law given which could give life, verily righteousness would have been by the law.

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 under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

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 under the law, shut up to 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 Wherefore the law was our school-master [to bring us] to Christ, that we might be justified 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 faith is come, we are no longer under a school-master.

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

26 For ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

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

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.

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

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

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 [are] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

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