Justification by Faith^(A)

3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you ^[a]that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed ^[b]among you as crucified? ² This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, ^(B)or by the hearing of faith? ³ Are you so foolish? ^(C)Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by ^(D)the flesh? ^4 (E)Have you suffered so ^[c]many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

⁵ Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— ⁶ just as Abraham ^(F)“believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” ⁷ Therefore know that only ^(G)those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸ And ^(H)the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ^(I)“In you all the nations shall be blessed.” ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

The Law Brings a Curse

¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ^(J)“Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” ¹¹ But that no one is ^[d]justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ^(K)“the just shall live by faith.” ¹² Yet ^(L)the law is not of faith, but ^(M)“the man who does them shall live by them.”

^13 (N)Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ^(O)“Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), ^14 (P)that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the ^(Q)Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive ^(R)the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The Changeless Promise^(S)

¹⁵ Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: ^(T)Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. ¹⁶ Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of ^(U)one, ^(V)“And to your Seed,” who is ^(W)Christ. ¹⁷ And this I say, that the law, ^(X)which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God ^[e]in Christ, ^(Y)that it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸ For if ^(Z)the inheritance is of the law, ^(AA)it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Purpose of the Law

¹⁹ What purpose then does the law serve? ^(AB)It was added because of transgressions, till the ^(AC)Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ^(AD)appointed through angels by the hand ^(AE)of a mediator. ²⁰ Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, ^(AF)but God is one.

²¹ Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. ²² But the Scripture has confined ^(AG)all under sin, ^(AH)that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. ²³ But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, ^[f]kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore ^(AI)the law was our ^[g]tutor to bring us to Christ, ^(AJ)that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Sons and Heirs

²⁶ For you ^(AK)are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For ^(AL)as many of you as were baptized into Christ ^(AM)have put on Christ. ^28 (AN)There is neither Jew nor Greek, ^(AO)there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all ^(AP)one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And ^(AQ)if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s ^(AR)seed, and ^(AS)heirs according to the promise.

By Grace Through Faith

2 And ^(A)you He made alive, ^(B)who were dead in trespasses and sins, ^2 (C)in which you once walked according to the ^[a]course of this world, according to ^(D)the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in ^(E)the sons of disobedience, ^3 (F)among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in ^(G)the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and ^(H)were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

⁴ But God, ^(I)who is rich in mercy, because of His ^(J)great love with which He loved us, ^5 (K)even when we were dead in trespasses, ^(L)made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together ^(M)in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in ^(N)His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ^8 (O)For by grace you have been saved ^(P)through faith, and that not of yourselves; ^(Q)it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of ^(R)works, lest anyone should ^(S)boast. ¹⁰ For we are ^(T)His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Brought Near by His Blood

¹¹ Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called ^(U)the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— ¹² that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Christ Our Peace

¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one ^(V)new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might ^(W)reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby ^(X)putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For ^(Y)through Him we both have access ^(Z)by one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

¹⁹ Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been ^(AA)built ^(AB)on the foundation of the ^(AC)apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being ^(AD)the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into ^(AE)a holy temple in the Lord, ^22 (AF)in whom you also are being built together for a ^(AG)dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Israel’s Rejection of Christ

9 I ^(A)tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, ^2 (B)that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. ³ For ^(C)I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my ^[a]countrymen according to the flesh, ⁴ who are Israelites, ^(D)to whom pertain the adoption, ^(E)the glory, ^(F)the covenants, ^(G)the giving of the law, ^(H)the service of God, and ^(I)the promises; ^5 (J)of whom are the fathers and from ^(K)whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, ^(L)who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

Israel’s Rejection and God’s Purpose^(M)

^6 (N)But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For ^(O)they are not all Israel who are of Israel, ^7 (P)nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, ^(Q)“In Isaac your seed shall be called.” ⁸ That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but ^(R)the children of the promise are counted as the seed. ⁹ For this is the word of promise: ^(S)“At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.”

¹⁰ And not only this, but when ^(T)Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac ¹¹ (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of ^(U)Him who calls), ¹² it was said to her, ^(V)“The older shall serve the younger.” ¹³ As it is written, ^(W)“Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

Israel’s Rejection and God’s Justice

¹⁴ What shall we say then? ^(X)Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! ¹⁵ For He says to Moses, ^(Y)“I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” ¹⁶ So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. ¹⁷ For ^(Z)the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ^(AA)“For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” ¹⁸ Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He ^(AB)hardens.

¹⁹ You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For ^(AC)who has resisted His will?” ²⁰ But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? ^(AD)Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” ²¹ Does not the ^(AE)potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make ^(AF)one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

²² What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering ^(AG)the vessels of wrath ^(AH)prepared for destruction, ²³ and that He might make known ^(AI)the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had ^(AJ)prepared beforehand for glory, ²⁴ even us whom He ^(AK)called, ^(AL)not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

²⁵ As He says also in Hosea:

²⁷ Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel:

²⁹ And as Isaiah said before:

Present Condition of Israel

³⁰ What shall we say then? ^(AT)That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, ^(AU)even the righteousness of faith; ³¹ but Israel, ^(AV)pursuing the law of righteousness, ^(AW)has not attained to the law ^[d]of righteousness. ³² Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, ^[e]by the works of the law. For ^(AX)they stumbled at that stumbling stone. ³³ As it is written:

Israel Needs the Gospel

10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for ^[f]Israel is that they may be saved. ² For I bear them witness ^(BA)that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For they being ignorant of ^(BB)God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own ^(BC)righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For ^(BD)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

⁵ For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, ^(BE)“The man who does those things shall live by them.” ⁶ But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, ^(BF)“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) ⁷ or, ^(BG)“ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? ^(BH)“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): ⁹ that ^(BI)if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, ^(BJ)“Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” ¹² For ^(BK)there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for ^(BL)the same Lord over all ^(BM)is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For ^(BN)“whoever calls ^(BO)on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Israel Rejects the Gospel

¹⁴ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear ^(BP)without a preacher? ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ^(BR)“Lord, who has believed our report?” ¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

¹⁸ But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed:

¹⁹ But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says:

²⁰ But Isaiah is very bold and says:

²¹ But to Israel he says:

Israel’s Rejection Not Total

11 I say then, ^(BX)has God cast away His people? ^(BY)Certainly not! For ^(BZ)I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not cast away His people whom ^(CA)He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, ^3 (CB)“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? ⁴ But what does the divine response say to him? ^(CC)“I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ^5 (CD)Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ⁶ And ^(CE)if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. ^[h]But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

⁷ What then? ^(CF)Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were ^(CG)blinded. ⁸ Just as it is written:

⁹ And David says:

Israel’s Rejection Not Final

¹¹ I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But ^(CK)through their ^[i]fall, to provoke them to ^(CL)jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. ¹² Now if their ^[j]fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

¹³ For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as ^(CM)I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, ¹⁴ if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and ^(CN)save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be ^(CO)but life from the dead?

¹⁶ For if ^(CP)the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. ¹⁷ And if ^(CQ)some of the branches were broken off, ^(CR)and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and ^[k]fatness of the olive tree, ^18 (CS)do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ Well said. Because of ^(CT)unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. ²² Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, ^[l]goodness, ^(CU)if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise ^(CV)you also will be cut off. ²³ And they also, ^(CW)if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

²⁵ For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be ^(CX)wise in your own ^[m]opinion, that ^(CY)blindness in part has happened to Israel ^(CZ)until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶ And so all Israel will be ^[n]saved, as it is written:

²⁸ Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are ^(DC)beloved for the sake of the fathers. ²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are ^(DD)irrevocable. ³⁰ For as you ^(DE)were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, ³¹ even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. ³² For God has ^[o]committed them ^(DF)all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

³⁶ For ^(DJ)of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, ^(DK)to whom be glory forever. Amen.