Galatians 3:8-4:26

English Standard Version

⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that ^(A)God would justify^[a] the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ^(B)“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 ^(C)under a curse; for it is written, ^(D)“Cursed be everyone who does not ^(E)abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” ¹¹ Now it is evident that ^(F)no one is justified before God by the law, for ^(G)“The righteous shall live by faith.”^{[b] 12} But the law is not of faith, rather ^(H)“The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ ^(I)redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ^(J)“Cursed is everyone who is hanged ^(K)on a tree”— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might ^(L)come to the Gentiles, so that ^(M)we might receive ^(N)the promised Spirit^[c] through faith.

The Law and the Promise

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

¹⁹ Why then the law? ^(W)It was added because of transgressions, ^(X)until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ^(Y)put in place through angels ^(Z)by an intermediary. ²⁰ Now ^(AA)an intermediary implies more than one, but ^(AB)God is one.

²¹ Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For ^(AC)if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. ²² But the Scripture ^(AD)imprisoned everything under sin, so that ^(AE)the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given ^(AF)to those who believe.

²³ Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, ^(AG)imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴ So then, ^(AH)the law was our ^(AI)guardian until Christ came, ^(AJ)in order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶ for in Christ Jesus ^(AK)you are all sons of God, through faith. ²⁷ For as many of you as ^(AL)were baptized ^(AM)into Christ have ^(AN)put on Christ. ^28 (AO)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave^[e] nor free, ^(AP)there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And ^(AQ)if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, ^(AR)heirs according to promise.

Sons and Heirs

4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,^[f] though he is the owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. ³ In the same way we also, when we were children, ^(AS)were enslaved to the elementary principles^[g] of the world. ⁴ But ^(AT)when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, ^(AU)born ^(AV)of woman, born ^(AW)under the law, ^5 (AX)to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive ^(AY)adoption as sons. ⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent ^(AZ)the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then ^(BA)an heir through God.

Paul's Concern for the Galatians

⁸ Formerly, when you ^(BB)did not know God, you ^(BC)were enslaved to those that by nature ^(BD)are not gods. ⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather ^(BE)to be known by God, ^(BF)how can you turn back again to ^(BG)the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? ^10 (BH)You observe days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹ I am afraid ^(BI)I may have labored over you in vain.

¹² Brothers,^{[h] (BJ)}I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. ^(BK)You did me no wrong. ¹³ You know it was ^(BL)because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you ^(BM)at first, ¹⁴ and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me ^(BN)as an angel of God, ^(BO)as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I then become your enemy by ^(BP)telling you the truth?^{[i] 17} They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. ¹⁸ It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and ^(BQ)not only when I am present with you, ^19 (BR)my little children, ^(BS)for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ ^(BT)is formed in you! ²⁰ I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Example of Hagar and Sarah

²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^(BU)one by a slave woman and ^(BV)one by a free woman. ²³ But ^(BW)the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while ^(BX)the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two ^(BY)covenants. ^(BZ)One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;^[j] she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But ^(CA)the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.