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)

¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit,^(A) and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.^{(B) 17} For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.^(C) They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[a] you want.^{(D) 18} But if you are led by the Spirit,^(E) you are not under the law.^(F)

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds,^(A) and I will show you my faith^(B) by my deeds.^{(C) 19} You believe that there is one God.^(D) Good! Even the demons believe that^(E)—and shudder.

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^[a]?^{(F) 21} Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?^{(G) 22} You see that his faith and his actions were working together,^(H) and his faith was made complete by what he did.^{(I) 23} And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”^[b](J) and he was called God’s friend.^{(K) 24} You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?^{(L) 26} As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.^(M)