Galatians 3:15-28

New International Reader's Version

The Law and the Promise

¹⁵ Brothers and sisters, let me give you an example from everyday life. No one can get rid of an official agreement between people. No one can add to it. It can’t be changed after it has been made. It is the same with God’s covenant agreement. ¹⁶ The promises were given to Abraham. They were also given to his seed. Scripture does not say, “and to seeds.” That means many people. It says, “and to your seed.” (Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7) That means one person. And that one person is Christ. ¹⁷ Here is what I mean. The law came 430 years after the promise. But the law does not get rid of God’s covenant and promise. The covenant had already been made by God. So the law does not do away with the promise. ¹⁸ The great gift that God has for us does not depend on the law. If it did, it would no longer depend on the promise. But God gave it to Abraham as a free gift through a promise.

¹⁹ Then why was the law given at all? It was added because of human sin. And it was supposed to control us until the promised Seed had come. The law was given through angels, and a go-between was put in charge of it. ²⁰ A go-between means that there is more than one side to an agreement. But God didn’t use a go-between when he made his promise to Abraham.

²¹ So is the law opposed to God’s promises? Certainly not! What if a law had been given that could give life? Then people could become right with God by obeying the law. ²² But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin. It does so in order that what was promised might be given to those who believe. The promise comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

Children of God

²³ Before faith in Christ came, we were guarded by the law. We were locked up until this faith was made known. ²⁴ So the law was put in charge of us until Christ came. He came so that we might be made right with God by believing in Christ. ²⁵ But now faith in Christ has come. So the law is no longer in charge of us.

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God by believing in Christ. ²⁷ This is because all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. You have put him on as if he were your clothes. ²⁸ There is no Jew or Gentile. There is no slave or free person. There is no male or female. That’s because you are all one in Christ Jesus.