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Galatians 3
New American Standard Bible

Faith Brings Righteousness

3 [a]You foolish (A)Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ (B)was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of [b]the Law, or by (C)hearing [c]with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun [d]by the Spirit, are you now [e]being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you [f]suffer so many things in vain—(D)if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who (E)provides you with the Spirit and (F)works [g]miracles among you, do it by works of [h]the Law, or by (G)hearing [i]with faith?

6 Just as (H)Abraham (I)believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. 7 Therefore, recognize that (J)it is those who are of faith who are (K)sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God [j]would justify the [k]Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “(L)All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then, (M)those who are of faith are blessed with [l]Abraham, the believer.

10 For all who are of works of [m]the Law are under a curse; for it is written: “(N)Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the Law, to do them.” 11 Now, that (O)no one is justified [n]by [o]the Law before God is evident; for, “[p](P)the righteous one will live by faith.” 12 [q]However, the Law is not [r]of faith; on the contrary, “(Q)The person who performs [s]them will live by [t]them.” 13 Christ (R)redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: “(S)Cursed is everyone who hangs on (T)a [u]tree”— 14 in order that (U)in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we (V)would receive (W)the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Intent of the Law

15 (X)Brothers and sisters, (Y)I speak [v]in terms of human relations: (Z)even though it is only a man’s [w]covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds [x]conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken (AA)to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as one would in referring to many, but rather as in referring to one, “(AB)And to your seed,” that is, Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came (AC)430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For (AD)if the inheritance is [y]based on law, it is no longer [z]based on a promise; but (AE)God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.

19 (AF)Why the Law then? It was added on account of the [aa]violations, having been (AG)ordered through angels (AH)at the hand of a [ab]mediator, until (AI)the Seed would come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now (AJ)a mediator is not [ac]for one party only; but God is only one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? [ad](AK)Far from it! For (AL)if a law had been given that was able to impart life, then righteousness [ae]would indeed have been [af]based on law. 22 But the Scripture has (AM)confined [ag]everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

23 But before faith came, [ah]we were kept in custody under the Law, (AN)being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our [ai](AO)guardian to lead us to Christ, so that (AP)we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a [aj](AQ)guardian. 26 For you are all (AR)sons and daughters of God through faith in (AS)Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were (AT)baptized into Christ have (AU)clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 (AV)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is [ak]neither male nor female; for (AW)you are all one in (AX)Christ Jesus. 29 And if (AY)you [al]belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s [am]descendants, heirs according to (AZ)promise.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 3:1 Lit O
  2. Galatians 3:2 Or law
  3. Galatians 3:2 Lit of faith
  4. Galatians 3:3 Or with
  5. Galatians 3:3 Or ending with
  6. Galatians 3:4 Or experience
  7. Galatians 3:5 Or works of power
  8. Galatians 3:5 Or law
  9. Galatians 3:5 Lit of faith
  10. Galatians 3:8 Lit justifies
  11. Galatians 3:8 Lit nations
  12. Galatians 3:9 Lit the believing Abraham
  13. Galatians 3:10 Or law
  14. Galatians 3:11 Or in
  15. Galatians 3:11 Or law
  16. Galatians 3:11 Or the one who is righteous by faith will live
  17. Galatians 3:12 Or And
  18. Galatians 3:12 Or based on
  19. Galatians 3:12 I.e., the statutes of the Law
  20. Galatians 3:12 I.e., the statutes of the Law
  21. Galatians 3:13 Or cross; lit wood; see Deut 21:23
  22. Galatians 3:15 Lit according to man
  23. Galatians 3:15 Or will; or testament
  24. Galatians 3:15 Or a codicil
  25. Galatians 3:18 Lit out of, from
  26. Galatians 3:18 Lit out of, from
  27. Galatians 3:19 I.e., of God’s commands
  28. Galatians 3:19 I.e., Moses
  29. Galatians 3:20 Lit of one
  30. Galatians 3:21 Lit May it never happen!
  31. Galatians 3:21 Or would indeed be
  32. Galatians 3:21 Lit out of, from
  33. Galatians 3:22 Lit all things
  34. Galatians 3:23 I.e., the Jews
  35. Galatians 3:24 I.e., children’s escort and supervisor
  36. Galatians 3:25 See note v 24
  37. Galatians 3:28 Lit not male and female
  38. Galatians 3:29 Lit are Christ’s
  39. Galatians 3:29 Lit seed
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Galatians 3
Lexham English Bible

Justified by the Law, or Justified by Faith?

3 O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as having been crucified? 2 I want only to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now trying to be made complete by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things for nothing—if indeed also it was for nothing? 5 Therefore does the one who gives you the Spirit and who works miracles among you do so by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

6 Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, 7 then understand that the ones who have faith[a], these are sons of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the good news in advance to Abraham: “In you all the nations[b] will be blessed.”[c] 9 So then, the ones who have faith are blessed together with Abraham who believed. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things that are written in the book of the law to do them.”[d] 11 Now it is clear that no one is justified in the sight of God by the law, because “the one who is righteous will live by faith.”[e] 12 But the law is not from faith, but “the one who does these things will live by them.”[f]

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by[g] becoming a curse for us, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,”[h] 14 in order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The Promise to Abraham and His Descendant

15 Brothers, I am speaking according to a human perspective. Nevertheless, when[i] the covenant of a man has been ratified, no one declares it invalid or adds additional provisions to it. 16 Now to Abraham and to his descendant the promises were spoken. It does not say, “and to descendants,” as concerning many, but as concerning one, “and to your descendant,”[j] who is Christ. 17 Now I am saying this: the law, that came after four hundred and thirty years, does not revoke a covenant previously ratified by God, in order to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is from the law, it is no longer from the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise.

The Addition of the Law

19 Why then the law? It was added on account of transgressions, until the descendant should come to whom it had been promised, having been ordered through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now the mediator is not for one, but God is one.

21 Therefore is the law opposed to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, certainly righteousness would have been from the law. 22 But the scripture imprisoned all under sin, in order that the promise could be given by faith[k] in Jesus Christ to those who believe.

23 But before faith came, we were detained under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed. 24 So then, the law became our guardian until Christ, in order that we could be justified by faith. 25 But after[l] faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,[m] 27 for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are descendants of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 3:7 Literally “of faith”
  2. Galatians 3:8 Or “Gentiles”; the same Greek word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context
  3. Galatians 3:8 A quotation from Gen 12:3; 18:18
  4. Galatians 3:10 A quotation from Deut 27:26
  5. Galatians 3:11 Or “the one who is righteous by faith will live,” a quotation from Hab 2:4
  6. Galatians 3:12 A quotation from Lev 18:5
  7. Galatians 3:13 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“becoming”) which is understood as means
  8. Galatians 3:13 A quotation from Deut 21:23
  9. Galatians 3:15 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“has been ratified”) which is understood as temporal
  10. Galatians 3:16 A quotation from Gen 12:7; 13:15; 17:7; 24:7
  11. Galatians 3:22 Or “through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ”
  12. Galatians 3:25 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“has come”) which is understood as temporal
  13. Galatians 3:26 Or “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith”
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Galatians 2
Galatians 4
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