Galatians 3

Law or Faith

1 # 1 Cor 1.23; Gal 1.2; 5.7 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! 2#Acts 2.38; Rom 10.16, 17The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? 3#Gal 4.9; Heb 7.16Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? 4#1 Cor 15.2Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing. 5Well then, does God#3.5 Gk he supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard?

6 # Gen 15.6; Rom 4.3; Jas 2.23 Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” 7so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. 8#Gen 12.3; Acts 3.25And the scripture, foreseeing that God would reckon as righteous the gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the gentiles shall be blessed in you.” 9For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.

10 # Deut 27.26 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.” 11#Hab 2.4; Gal 2.16; Heb 10.38Now it is evident that no one is reckoned as righteous before God by the law, for “the one who is righteous will live by faith.”#3.11 Or The one who is righteous through faith will live 12#Lev 18.5; Rom 10.5But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, “Whoever does the works of the law#3.12 Gk does them will live by them.” 13#Deut 21.23; Acts 5.30; Gal 4.5Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14#Joel 2.28; Acts 2.33; Rom 4.9in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The Promise to Abraham

15 # Heb 9.17 Brothers and sisters, I give an example from daily life: once a person’s will#3.15 Or covenant has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it. 16#Gen 12.3; 13.15; Acts 3.25Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring;#3.16 Gk seed it does not say, “And to offsprings,”#3.16 Gk seeds as of many, but it says, “And to your offspring,”#3.16 Gk seed that is, to one person, who is Christ. 17#Ex 12.40; Rom 4.13My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18#Rom 4.14; 8.17For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise, but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.

The Purpose of the Law

19 # Deut 5.5; Acts 7.53 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring#3.19 Gk seed would come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ordained through angels by a mediator. 20#Heb 8.6; 9.15; 12.24Now a mediator involves more than one party, but God is one.

21Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. 22#Rom 3.9–19; 11.32But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through the faith of Jesus Christ#3.22 Or through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

23Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24#Rom 10.4; 1 Cor 4.15; Gal 2.16Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be reckoned as righteous#3.24 Or be justified by faith. 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26#Jn 1.12; Rom 8.14for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27#Rom 6.3; 13.14As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28#Jn 10.16; Eph 2.14, 15; Col 3.11There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29#1 Cor 3.23; Gal 4.28And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,#3.29 Gk seed heirs according to the promise.

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