The Allegory of Hagar and Sarah

²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be subject to the law, will you not listen to the law?

¹⁰ 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.”^(A)

²³ Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be reckoned as righteous^[a] by faith.^(A)

³ Not knowing the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness.^{(A) 4} For Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.^(B)

Salvation Is for All

⁵ Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that “the person who does these things will live by them.”^{(C) 6} But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷ “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say?

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim),^{(D) 9} because^[a] if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe^[b] in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.^{(E) 10} For one believes^[c] with the heart, leading to righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, leading to salvation.

¹⁹ Now we know that, whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God.^(A)

²⁹ Jesus answered them, “You are wrong because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God.^{(A) 30} For in the resurrection people neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels of God^[a] in heaven. ³¹ And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, ³² ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is God not of the dead but of the living.”^(B)

⁹ Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental principles?^[a] How can you want to be enslaved to them again?^(A)

Israel’s Unbelief

³⁰ What then are we to say? Gentiles, who did not strive for righteousness, have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith,^{(A) 31} but Israel, who did strive for the law of righteousness, did not attain that law.^{(B) 32} Why not? Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,^(C)

⁵ For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.^{(A) 6} But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are enslaved in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the written code.^(B)