¹⁶ The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.^(A) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”^[a](B) meaning one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷ What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years^(C) 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;^(D) 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^(E) until the Seed^(F) to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels^(G) and entrusted to a mediator.^{(H) 20} A mediator,^(I) however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

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