The Law and the Prophets

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.^(A)

⁴ For Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.^(A)

¹⁷ But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter in the law to be dropped.^(A)

⁴ But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,^{(A) 5} in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.^(B)

⁴ so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.^[a](A)

Israel’s Disobedience

³¹ Do we then overthrow the law through this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

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.^{(A) 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.^(B)

The Purpose of the Law

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

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^[b] might be given to those who believe.^(E)

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^[c] by faith.^(F)

³ But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year.^{(A) 4} For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.^{(B) 5} Consequently, when Christ^[a] came into the world, he said,

⁸ When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), ⁹ then he added, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ And it is by God’s will^[c] that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.^(E)

¹¹ And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins.^{(F) 12} But when Christ^[d] had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,”