¹⁴ For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.

⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but one that comes through faith in Christ,^[a] the righteousness from God based on faith.^(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.^(A)

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.^{(B) 20} Now a mediator involves more than one party, but God is one.^(C)

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.^(D)

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.^(E)

²⁸ For the law appoints as high priests humans, who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.^(A)

¹⁹ (for the law made nothing perfect); there is, on the other hand, the introduction of a better hope through which we approach God.^(A)

²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness^[a] comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

¹⁶ For this reason the promise depends on faith, in order that it may rest on grace, so that it may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (who is the father of all of us,^(A)

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

⁴ You who want to be reckoned as righteous^[a] by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.^(A)