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Galatians 3
New International Version
Galatians 3
New International Version
Faith or Works of the Law
3 You foolish(A) Galatians!(B) Who has bewitched you?(C) Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.(D) 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit(E) by the works of the law,(F) or by believing what you heard?(G) 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?[a] 4 Have you experienced[b] so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles(H) among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?(I) 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[c](J)
7 Understand, then, that those who have faith(K) are children of Abraham.(L) 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”[d](M) 9 So those who rely on faith(N) are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.(O)
10 For all who rely on the works of the law(P) are under a curse,(Q) as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”[e](R) 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God,(S) because “the righteous will live by faith.”[f](T) 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”[g](U) 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law(V) by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”[h](W) 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus,(X) so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.(Y)
The Law and the Promise
15 Brothers and sisters,(Z) 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.(AA) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”[i](AB) meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years(AC) 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;(AD) 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(AE) until the Seed(AF) to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels(AG) and entrusted to a mediator.(AH) 20 A mediator,(AI) however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not!(AJ) For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.(AK) 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin,(AL) 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,[j] we were held in custody(AM) under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.(AN) 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came(AO) that we might be justified by faith.(AP) 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.(AQ)
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God(AR) through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ(AS) have clothed yourselves with Christ.(AT) 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,(AU) nor is there male and female,(AV) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.(AW) 29 If you belong to Christ,(AX) then you are Abraham’s seed,(AY) and heirs(AZ) according to the promise.(BA)
Footnotes
- Galatians 3:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
- Galatians 3:4 Or suffered
- Galatians 3:6 Gen. 15:6
- Galatians 3:8 Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18
- Galatians 3:10 Deut. 27:26
- Galatians 3:11 Hab. 2:4
- Galatians 3:12 Lev. 18:5
- Galatians 3:13 Deut. 21:23
- Galatians 3:16 Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7
- Galatians 3:23 Or through the faithfulness of Jesus … 23 Before faith came
Galatians 3
The Message
Galatians 3
The Message
Trust in Christ, Not the Law
3 You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a spell on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it’s obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the cross was certainly set before you clearly enough.
2-4 Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!
5-6 Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you? Don’t these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God.
7-8 Is it not obvious to you that persons who put their trust in Christ (not persons who put their trust in the law!) are like Abraham: children of faith? It was all laid out beforehand in Scripture that God would set things right with non-Jews by faith. Scripture anticipated this in the promise to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed in you.”
9-10 So those now who live by faith are blessed along with Abraham, who lived by faith—this is no new doctrine! And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure. Scripture backs this up: “Utterly cursed is every person who fails to carry out every detail written in the Book of the law.”
11-12 The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way. The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. Habakkuk had it right: “The person who believes God, is set right by God—and that’s the real life.” Rule-keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith, but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule-keeping, a fact observed in Scripture: “The one who does these things [rule-keeping] continues to live by them.”
13-14 Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself. Do you remember the Scripture that says, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”? That is what happened when Jesus was nailed to the cross: He became a curse, and at the same time dissolved the curse. And now, because of that, the air is cleared and we can see that Abraham’s blessing is present and available for non-Jews, too. We are all able to receive God’s life, his Spirit, in and with us by believing—just the way Abraham received it.
* * *
15-18 Friends, let me give you an example from everyday affairs of the free life I am talking about. Once a person’s will has been signed, no one else can annul it or add to it. Now, the promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant. You will observe that Scripture, in the careful language of a legal document, does not say “to descendants,” referring to everybody in general, but “to your descendant” (the noun, note, is singular), referring to Christ. This is the way I interpret this: A will, earlier signed by God, is not annulled by an addendum attached 430 years later, thereby negating the promise of the will. No, this addendum, with its instructions and regulations, has nothing to do with the promised inheritance in the will.
18-20 What is the point, then, of the law, the attached addendum? It was a thoughtful addition to the original covenant promises made to Abraham. The purpose of the law was to keep a sinful people in the way of salvation until Christ (the descendant) came, inheriting the promises and distributing them to us. Obviously this law was not a firsthand encounter with God. It was arranged by angelic messengers through a middleman, Moses. But if there is a middleman as there was at Sinai, then the people are not dealing directly with God, are they? But the original promise is the direct blessing of God, received by faith.
21-22 If such is the case, is the law, then, an anti-promise, a negation of God’s will for us? Not at all. Its purpose was to make obvious to everyone that we are, in ourselves, out of right relationship with God, and therefore to show us the futility of devising some religious system for getting by our own efforts what we can only get by waiting in faith for God to complete his promise. For if any kind of rule-keeping had power to create life in us, we would certainly have gotten it by this time.
23-24 Until the time when we were mature enough to respond freely in faith to the living God, we were carefully surrounded and protected by the Mosaic law. The law was like those Greek tutors, with which you are familiar, who escort children to school and protect them from danger or distraction, making sure the children will really get to the place they set out for.
25-27 But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ’s life, the fulfillment of God’s original promise.
In Christ’s Family
28-29 In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.
Galatians 3
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
Galatians 3
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
3 O senseless Galatians, who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are you so foolish, that, whereas you began in the Spirit, you would now be made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have you suffered so great things in vain? If it be yet in vain.
5 He therefore who giveth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you; doth he do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of the faith?
6 As it is written: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.
7 Know ye therefore, that they who are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing, that God justifieth the Gentiles by faith, told unto Abraham before: In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9 Therefore they that are of faith, shall be blessed with faithful Abraham.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law, are under a curse. For it is written: Cursed is every one, that abideth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11 But that in the law no man is justified with God, it is manifest: because the just man liveth by faith.
12 But the law is not of faith: but, He that doth those things, shall live in them.
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written: Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus: that we may receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.
15 Brethren (I speak after the manner of man,) yet a man's testament, if it be confirmed, no man despiseth, nor addeth to it.
16 To Abraham were the promises made and to his seed. He saith not, And to his seeds, as of many: but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
17 Now this I say, that the testament which was confirmed by God, the law which was made after four hundred and thirty years, doth not disannul, to make the promise of no effect.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise. But God gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 Why then was the law? It was set because of transgressions, until the seed should come, to whom he made the promise, being ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
20 Now a mediator is not of one: but God is one.
21 Was the law then against the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had been a law given which could give life, verily justice should have been by the law.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise, by the faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to them that believe.
23 But before the faith came, we were kept under the law shut up, unto that faith which was to be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our pedagogue in Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after the faith is come, we are no longer under a pedagogue.
26 For you are all the children of God by faith, in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek: there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you be Christ's, then are you the seed of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3
Expanded Bible
Galatians 3
Expanded Bible
Blessing Comes Through Faith
3 ·You [L O] ·foolish [stupid] Galatians! Who has ·tricked [or cast a spell on; bewitched] you? ·You were told very clearly about the death of Jesus Christ on the cross [L Before your eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed/announced as crucified]. 2 Tell me this one thing: How did you receive the Holy Spirit? Did you receive the Spirit by ·following [L the works of] the law? ·No, you received the Spirit [L …or] ·because you heard the Good News and believed it [by believing what you heard]. 3 ·Are you so foolish [How can you be so stupid]? You began ·your life in Christ by [L by; or through] the Spirit. Now are you trying to ·make it complete [finish; or be perfected] by ·your own power [human effort; L the flesh]? 4 ·Were all your experiences wasted [or Have you suffered so much for nothing]? ·I hope not [or Surely it was not for nothing; L —if indeed for nothing]! 5 Does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you ·because you follow [L by the works of] the law? ·No, he does these things [L …or] ·because you heard the Good News and believed it [by your believing what you heard; v. 2].
6 ·The Scriptures say the same thing about Abraham [L Just as (it says)]: “Abraham believed God, and ·God accepted Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God [L it (Abraham’s faith) was credited to him as righteousness; Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4].” 7 So you should know that the true children of Abraham are those who have faith. 8 ·The Scriptures, telling what would happen in the future, said [L Scripture foresaw; C Scripture is personified as foreseeing and speaking] that God would ·make the Gentiles right [justify the Gentiles] through their faith. This ·Good News was told [Gospel was proclaimed] to Abraham beforehand, as the Scripture says: “All nations will be blessed through you [Gen. 12:3; 18:18].” 9 So all who ·believe as Abraham believed [rely on faith; have faith; L are of faith] are blessed ·just as Abraham was [L with faithful Abraham; or with Abraham, the man of faith]. 10 ·But [L For] those who depend on ·following [L the works of] the law to make them right are under a curse, because the Scriptures say, “·Anyone [All; Everyone] will be cursed who does not ·always obey what [keep doing everything that] is written in the Book of the Law [Deut. 27:26].” 11 Now it is clear that no one can be ·made right with [justified/declared righteous before] God by the law, because the Scriptures say, “·Those who are right with God will live by faith [The righteous will live by faith; or Those made righteous by faith will live; Gen. 15:6; Hab. 2:4].” 12 The law is not based on faith. ·It says [L Rather; On the contrary], “A person who ·obeys [does; practices] these things will ·live because of [gain life by/in] them [Lev. 18:5].” 13 Christ ·took away [redeemed us from; bought our freedom from] the curse ·the law put on us [L of the law]. ·He changed places with us and put himself under that curse [L …by becoming a curse for us]. [L For; Because] It is written in the Scriptures, “Anyone ·whose body is displayed [L who is hung] on a tree is cursed [Deut. 21:23; C an executed man’s body was hung on a stake or tree for humiliation and warning; Paul here applies it to Christ’s crucifixion as the curse/judgment for our sin].” 14 Christ did this so that God’s blessing promised to Abraham [Gen. 12:2–3] might come through Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. ·Jesus died so that by our believing […so that by faith] we could receive the Spirit that God promised.
The Law and the Promise
15 Brothers and sisters, let us think ·in human terms [or of an example from everyday life; L according to man]: Even in the case of a human ·agreement [covenant; or will and testament], after it has been ·accepted [ratified; put into affect] no one can ·set it aside [annul it] or add anything to it. 16 God made promises both to Abraham and to his ·descendant [seed]. God did not say, “and to your ·descendants [seeds].” That would mean many people. But God said, “and to your ·descendant [seed; Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 17:7; 24:7].” That means only one person; that person is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: The law, which came four hundred thirty years later, cannot ·change [cancel; nullify] that ·agreement [covenant] previously made by God and so ·destroy [nullify; render invalid] God’s promise to Abraham. 18 If the law could give us ·Abraham’s blessing [L the inheritance], then ·the promise would not be necessary [or it is not based on a promise]. But that is not possible, because God freely gave ·his blessings [L it] to Abraham through the promise he had made.
19 So what was the law for? It was ·given to show that the wrong things people do are against God’s will [L added because of transgressions]. And it continued until the ·special descendant [seed], who had been promised, came. The law was given through angels [Acts 7:53; Heb. 2:2] ·who used Moses for a mediator to give the law to people [L by the hand of a mediator/intermediary]. 20 But a mediator is not needed when there is only one side, and God is only one.
The Purpose of the Law of Moses
21 Does this mean that the law is against God’s promises? ·Never [Absoluely not; May it never be]! That would be true only if the law could make us ·right with God [righteous]. But God did not give a law that can bring life. 22 Instead, the Scriptures ·showed that the whole world is bound by sin [L imprisoned all things under (the power of) sin; C Scripture is personified as the jailer]. This was so the promise would be given ·through faith to people who believe in Jesus Christ [or because of Christ’s faithfulness, to all who believe].
23 Before this faith came, we were all held prisoners by the law. We ·had no freedom [were locked up] until ·God showed us the way of faith that was coming [L the coming faith would be revealed]. 24 In other words, the law was our ·guardian [child-minder; tutor; C an attendant slave who watched over a child in a wealthy Greco-Roman household] ·leading us to [or until] Christ so that we could be ·made right with God [declared righteous; justified] through faith. 25 Now ·the way of faith [L faith] has come, and we no longer live under a ·guardian [child-minder; tutor; v. 24].
26 [L For] ·You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus [or In Christ Jesus you are all children/sons of God through faith]. 27 [L For] All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 In Christ, there is ·no difference between Jew and Greek [L neither Jew nor Greek], slave and free person, male and female. You are all ·the same [or united; L one] in Christ Jesus. 29 ·You [L If you…] belong to Christ, so you are Abraham’s ·descendants [seed]. ·You will inherit all of God’s blessings because of the promise God made to Abraham [L …heirs according to the promise].
New International Version (NIV) 
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The Message (MSG)
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Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
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Expanded Bible (EXB)
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