The Law and the Promise

¹⁵ Brothers and sisters,^(A) 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.^(B) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”^[a](C) meaning one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷ What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years^(D) 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;^(E) 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^(F) until the Seed^(G) to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels^(H) and entrusted to a mediator.^{(I) 20} A mediator,^(J) however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

²¹ Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not!^(K) For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.^{(L) 22} But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin,^(M) 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,^[b] we were held in custody^(N) under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.^{(O) 24} So the law was our guardian until Christ came^(P) that we might be justified by faith.^{(Q) 25} Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.^(R)

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God^(S) through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ^(T) have clothed yourselves with Christ.^{(U) 28} There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,^(V) nor is there male and female,^(W) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.^{(X) 29} If you belong to Christ,^(Y) then you are Abraham’s seed,^(Z) and heirs^(AA) according to the promise.^(AB)

⁶ Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son^(A) into our hearts,^(B) the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,^[a] Father.”^(C)

Paul Opposes Cephas

¹¹ When Cephas^(A) came to Antioch,^(B) I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James,^(C) he used to eat with the Gentiles.^(D) But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.^{(E) 13} The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas^(F) was led astray.

¹⁴ When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,^(G) I said to Cephas^(H) in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.^(I) How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?^(J)

³ Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. ⁴ The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”

Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin,^(A) and I will put fine garments^(B) on you.”

¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ,^(A) and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.^[a](B)

⁹ For in Christ all the fullness^(A) of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head^(B) over every power and authority.^(C)

¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?^{(A) 14} I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus^(B) and Gaius,^{(C) 15} so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶ (Yes, I also baptized the household^(D) of Stephanas;^(E) beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize,^(F) but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom^(G) and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.