Galatians 2:12-3:20

English Standard Version

¹² For before certain men came from James, ^(A)he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing ^(B)the circumcision party.^{[a] 13} And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that their ^(C)conduct was not in step with ^(D)the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas ^(E)before them all, “If you, though a Jew, ^(F)live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Justified by Faith

¹⁵ We ourselves are Jews by birth and not ^(G)Gentile sinners; ¹⁶ yet we know that ^(H)a person is not justified^[b] by works of the law ^(I)but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, ^(J)because by works of the law no one will be justified.

¹⁷ But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found ^(K)to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! ¹⁸ For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. ¹⁹ For through the law I ^(L)died to the law, so that I might ^(M)live to God. ²⁰ I have been ^(N)crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives ^(O)in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, ^(P)who loved me and ^(Q)gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God, for ^(R)if righteousness^[c] were through the law, ^(S)then Christ died for no purpose.

By Faith, or by Works of the Law?

3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? ^(T)It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly ^(U)portrayed as crucified. ² Let me ask you only this: ^(V)Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by ^(W)hearing with faith? ³ Are you so foolish? ^(X)Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by^[d] the flesh? ^4 (Y)Did you suffer^[e] so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? ⁵ Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and ^(Z)works miracles among you do so ^(AA)by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— ⁶ just as ^(AB)Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

⁷ Know then that it is ^(AC)those of faith who are ^(AD)the sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that ^(AE)God would justify^[f] the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ^(AF)“In you shall all the nations be blessed.” ⁹ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

¹⁰ For all who rely on works of the law are ^(AG)under a curse; for it is written, ^(AH)“Cursed be everyone who does not ^(AI)abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” ¹¹ Now it is evident that ^(AJ)no one is justified before God by the law, for ^(AK)“The righteous shall live by faith.”^{[g] 12} But the law is not of faith, rather ^(AL)“The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ ^(AM)redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ^(AN)“Cursed is everyone who is hanged ^(AO)on a tree”— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might ^(AP)come to the Gentiles, so that ^(AQ)we might receive ^(AR)the promised Spirit^[h] through faith.

The Law and the Promise

^15 (AS)To give a human example, brothers:^{[i] (AT)}even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. ¹⁶ Now ^(AU)the promises were made ^(AV)to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, ^(AW)“And to your offspring,” who is Christ. ¹⁷ This is what I mean: the law, which came ^(AX)430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as ^(AY)to make the promise void. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but ^(AZ)God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

¹⁹ Why then the law? ^(BA)It was added because of transgressions, ^(BB)until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ^(BC)put in place through angels ^(BD)by an intermediary. ²⁰ Now ^(BE)an intermediary implies more than one, but ^(BF)God is one.