Προς Γαλατας 3
1 ω ανοητοι γαλαται τις υμας εβασκανεν τη αληθεια μη πειθεσθαι οις κατ οφθαλμους ιησους χριστος προεγραφη εν υμιν εσταυρωμενος
Foolish Galatians! Who has been fascinating you — you before whose very eyes Jesus Christ was depicted upon the cross?
2 τουτο μονον θελω μαθειν αφ υμων εξ εργων νομου το πνευμα ελαβετε η εξ ακοης πιστεως
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 ουτως ανοητοι εστε εναρξαμενοι πνευματι νυν σαρκι επιτελεισθε
Can you be so foolish? After beginning with what is spiritual, do you now end with what is external?
4 τοσαυτα επαθετε εικη ειγε και εικη
Did you go through so much to no purpose? — if indeed it really was to no purpose!
5 ο ουν επιχορηγων υμιν το πνευμα και ενεργων δυναμεις εν υμιν εξ εργων νομου η εξ ακοης πιστεως
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 καθως αβρααμ επιστευσεν τω θεω και ελογισθη αυτω εις δικαιοσυνην
It is just as it was with Abraham — ‘He had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.’
7 γινωσκετε αρα οτι οι εκ πιστεως ουτοι εισιν υιοι αβρααμ
You see, then, that those whose lives are based on faith are the Sons of Abraham.
8 προιδουσα δε η γραφη οτι εκ πιστεως δικαιοι τα εθνη ο θεος προευηγγελισατο τω αβρααμ οτι ενευλογηθησονται εν σοι παντα τα εθνη
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 ωστε οι εκ πιστεως ευλογουνται συν τω πιστω αβρααμ
And, therefore, those whose lives are based on faith share the blessings bestowed upon the faith of Abraham.
10 οσοι γαρ εξ εργων νομου εισιν υπο καταραν εισιν γεγραπται γαρ επικαταρατος πας ος ουκ εμμενει εν πασιν τοις γεγραμμενοις εν τω βιβλιω του νομου του ποιησαι αυτα
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 οτι δε εν νομω ουδεις δικαιουται παρα τω θεω δηλον οτι ο δικαιος εκ πιστεως ζησεται
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 ο δε νομος ουκ εστιν εκ πιστεως αλλ ο ποιησας αυτα ανθρωπος ζησεται εν αυτοις
But the Law is not based on faith; no, its words are — ‘Those who practice these precepts will find Life through them.’
13 χριστος ημας εξηγορασεν εκ της καταρας του νομου γενομενος υπερ ημων καταρα γεγραπται γαρ επικαταρατος πας ο κρεμαμενος επι ξυλου
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 ινα εις τα εθνη η ευλογια του αβρααμ γενηται εν χριστω ιησου ινα την επαγγελιαν του πνευματος λαβωμεν δια της πιστεως
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 αδελφοι κατα ανθρωπον λεγω ομως ανθρωπου κεκυρωμενην διαθηκην ουδεις αθετει η επιδιατασσεται
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 τω δε αβρααμ ερρηθησαν αι επαγγελιαι και τω σπερματι αυτου ου λεγει και τοις σπερμασιν ως επι πολλων αλλ ως εφ ενος και τω σπερματι σου ος εστιν χριστος
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 τουτο δε λεγω διαθηκην προκεκυρωμενην υπο του θεου εις χριστον ο μετα ετη τετρακοσια και τριακοντα γεγονως νομος ουκ ακυροι εις το καταργησαι την επαγγελιαν
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 ει γαρ εκ νομου η κληρονομια ουκετι εξ επαγγελιας τω δε αβρααμ δι επαγγελιας κεχαρισται ο θεος
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 τι ουν ο νομος των παραβασεων χαριν προσετεθη αχρις ου ελθη το σπερμα ω επηγγελται διαταγεις δι αγγελων εν χειρι μεσιτου
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 ο δε μεσιτης ενος ουκ εστιν ο δε θεος εις εστιν
Now mediation implies more than one person, but God is one only.
21 ο ουν νομος κατα των επαγγελιων του θεου μη γενοιτο ει γαρ εδοθη νομος ο δυναμενος ζωοποιησαι οντως αν εκ νομου ην η δικαιοσυνη
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 αλλα συνεκλεισεν η γραφη τα παντα υπο αμαρτιαν ινα η επαγγελια εκ πιστεως ιησου χριστου δοθη τοις πιστευουσιν
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 προ του δε ελθειν την πιστιν υπο νομον εφρουρουμεθα συγκεκλεισμενοι εις την μελλουσαν πιστιν αποκαλυφθηναι
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 ωστε ο νομος παιδαγωγος ημων γεγονεν εις χριστον ινα εκ πιστεως δικαιωθωμεν
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 ελθουσης δε της πιστεως ουκετι υπο παιδαγωγον εσμεν
But now that faith has come we no longer need a guide.
26 παντες γαρ υιοι θεου εστε δια της πιστεως εν χριστω ιησου
For you are all Sons of God, through your faith in Christ Jesus.
27 οσοι γαρ εις χριστον εβαπτισθητε χριστον ενεδυσασθε
For all of you who were baptized into union with Christ clothed yourselves with Christ.
28 ουκ ενι ιουδαιος ουδε ελλην ουκ ενι δουλος ουδε ελευθερος ουκ ενι αρσεν και θηλυ παντες γαρ υμεις εις εστε εν χριστω ιησου
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 ει δε υμεις χριστου αρα του αβρααμ σπερμα εστε και κατ επαγγελιαν κληρονομοι
And, since you belong to Christ, it follows that you are Abraham’s offspring and, under the promise, sharers in the inheritance.
