Galatians 3:15-18
New International Version
The Law and the Promise
15 Brothers and sisters,(A) 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.(B) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”[a](C) meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years(D) 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;(E) but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
Footnotes
- Galatians 3:16 Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7
Galatians 3:15-18
New Living Translation
The Law and God’s Promise
15 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. 16 God gave the promises to Abraham and his child.[b] And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,[c]” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ. 17 This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. 18 For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.
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