Law or Faith

3 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!^{(A) 2} The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard?^{(B) 3} Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?^{(C) 4} Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing.^{(D) 5} Well then, does God^[a] supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard?

⁶ Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,”^{(E) 7} so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. ⁸ And the scripture, foreseeing that God would reckon as righteous the gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the gentiles shall be blessed in you.”^{(F) 9} For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.

¹⁰ For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.”^{(G) 11} Now it is evident that no one is reckoned as righteous before God by the law, for “the one who is righteous will live by faith.”^{[b](H) 12} But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, “Whoever does the works of the law^[c] will live by them.”^{(I) 13} Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”^(J)— ¹⁴ in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.^(K)

The Promise to Abraham

¹⁵ Brothers and sisters, I give an example from daily life: once a person’s will^[d] has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it.^{(L) 16} Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring;^[e] it does not say, “And to offsprings,”^[f] as of many, but it says, “And to your offspring,”^[g] that is, to one person, who is Christ.^{(M) 17} My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.^{(N) 18} For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise, but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.^(O)

The Purpose of the Law

¹⁹ Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring^[h] would come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ordained through angels by a mediator.^{(P) 20} Now a mediator involves more than one party, but God is one.^(Q)

²¹ Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. ²² But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through the faith of Jesus Christ^[i] might be given to those who believe.^(R)

²³ Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be reckoned as righteous^[j] by faith.^{(S) 25} But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, ²⁶ for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.^{(T) 27} As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.^{(U) 28} There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.^{(V) 29} And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,^[k] heirs according to the promise.^(W)