Faith or Works of the Law

3 You foolish^(A) Galatians!^(B) Who has bewitched you?^(C) Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.^{(D) 2} I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit^(E) by the works of the law,^(F) or by believing what you heard?^{(G) 3} Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?^{[a] 4} Have you experienced^[b] so much in vain—if it really was in vain? ⁵ So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles^(H) among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?^{(I) 6} So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^[c](J)

⁷ Understand, then, that those who have faith^(K) are children of Abraham.^{(L) 8} Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”^{[d](M) 9} So those who rely on faith^(N) are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.^(O)

¹⁰ For all who rely on the works of the law^(P) are under a curse,^(Q) as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”^{[e](R) 11} Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God,^(S) because “the righteous will live by faith.”^{[f](T) 12} The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”^{[g](U) 13} Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law^(V) by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”^{[h](W) 14} He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus,^(X) so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.^(Y)

The Law and the Promise

¹⁵ Brothers and sisters,^(Z) let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. ¹⁶ The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.^(AA) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”^[i](AB) meaning one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷ What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years^(AC) later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise;^(AD) but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

¹⁹ Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions^(AE) until the Seed^(AF) to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels^(AG) and entrusted to a mediator.^{(AH) 20} A mediator,^(AI) however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

²¹ Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not!^(AJ) For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.^{(AK) 22} But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin,^(AL) so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Children of God

²³ Before the coming of this faith,^[j] we were held in custody^(AM) under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.^{(AN) 24} So the law was our guardian until Christ came^(AO) that we might be justified by faith.^{(AP) 25} Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.^(AQ)

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God^(AR) through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ^(AS) have clothed yourselves with Christ.^{(AT) 28} There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,^(AU) nor is there male and female,^(AV) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.^{(AW) 29} If you belong to Christ,^(AX) then you are Abraham’s seed,^(AY) and heirs^(AZ) according to the promise.^(BA)

4 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. ² The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. ³ So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery^(BB) under the elemental spiritual forces^[k] of the world.^{(BC) 4} But when the set time had fully come,^(BD) God sent his Son,^(BE) born of a woman,^(BF) born under the law,^{(BG) 5} to redeem^(BH) those under the law, that we might receive adoption^(BI) to sonship.^{[l](BJ) 6} Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son^(BK) into our hearts,^(BL) the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,^[m] Father.”^{(BM) 7} So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.^(BN)

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

⁸ Formerly, when you did not know God,^(BO) you were slaves^(BP) to those who by nature are not gods.^{(BQ) 9} But now that you know God—or rather are known by God^(BR)—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces^[n]? Do you wish to be enslaved^(BS) by them all over again?^{(BT) 10} You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!^{(BU) 11} I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.^(BV)

¹² I plead with you, brothers and sisters,^(BW) become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. ¹³ As you know, it was because of an illness^(BX) that I first preached the gospel to you, ¹⁴ and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.^{(BY) 15} Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?^(BZ)

¹⁷ Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.^{(CA) 18} It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.^{(CB) 19} My dear children,^(CC) for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,^{(CD) 20} how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

Hagar and Sarah

²¹ Tell me, you who want to be under the law,^(CE) are you not aware of what the law says? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman^(CF) and the other by the free woman.^{(CG) 23} His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh,^(CH) but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.^(CI)

²⁴ These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem that is above^(CJ) is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written:

²⁸ Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.^{(CL) 29} At that time the son born according to the flesh^(CM) persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit.^(CN) It is the same now. ³⁰ But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”^{[p](CO) 31} Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman,^(CP) but of the free woman.^(CQ)