¹² Therefore ^(A)the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

Living Sacrifices to God

12 I ^(A)beseech^[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies ^(B)a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your ^[b]reasonable service.

^15 (A)but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ because it is written, ^(B)“Be holy, for I am holy.”

⁴ just as ^(A)He chose us in Him ^(B)before the foundation of the world, that we should ^(C)be holy and without blame before Him in love,

Justification by Faith^(A)

3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you ^[a]that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed ^[b]among you as crucified? ² This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, ^(B)or by the hearing of faith? ³ Are you so foolish? ^(C)Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by ^(D)the flesh? ^4 (E)Have you suffered so ^[c]many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

⁵ Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— ⁶ just as Abraham ^(F)“believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” ⁷ Therefore know that only ^(G)those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸ And ^(H)the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ^(I)“In you all the nations shall be blessed.” ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

The Law Brings a Curse

¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ^(J)“Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” ¹¹ But that no one is ^[d]justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ^(K)“the just shall live by faith.” ¹² Yet ^(L)the law is not of faith, but ^(M)“the man who does them shall live by them.”

^13 (N)Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ^(O)“Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), ^14 (P)that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the ^(Q)Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive ^(R)the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The Changeless Promise^(S)

¹⁵ Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: ^(T)Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. ¹⁶ Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of ^(U)one, ^(V)“And to your Seed,” who is ^(W)Christ. ¹⁷ And this I say, that the law, ^(X)which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God ^[e]in Christ, ^(Y)that it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸ For if ^(Z)the inheritance is of the law, ^(AA)it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Purpose of the Law

¹⁹ What purpose then does the law serve? ^(AB)It was added because of transgressions, till the ^(AC)Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ^(AD)appointed through angels by the hand ^(AE)of a mediator. ²⁰ Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, ^(AF)but God is one.

²¹ Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. ²² But the Scripture has confined ^(AG)all under sin, ^(AH)that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. ²³ But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, ^[f]kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore ^(AI)the law was our ^[g]tutor to bring us to Christ, ^(AJ)that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Sons and Heirs

²⁶ For you ^(AK)are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For ^(AL)as many of you as were baptized into Christ ^(AM)have put on Christ. ^28 (AN)There is neither Jew nor Greek, ^(AO)there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all ^(AP)one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And ^(AQ)if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s ^(AR)seed, and ^(AS)heirs according to the promise.

Unity Through Humility

2 Therefore if there is any ^[a]consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any ^(A)affection and mercy, ^2 (B)fulfill my joy ^(C)by being like-minded, having the same love, being of ^(D)one accord, of one mind. ^3 (E)Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but ^(F)in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ^4 (G)Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of ^(H)others.

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

^5 (I)Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, ^(J)being in the form of God, did not consider it ^[b]robbery to be equal with God, ^7 (K)but ^[c]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form ^(L)of a bondservant, and ^(M)coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and ^(N)became ^(O)obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ^9 (P)Therefore God also ^(Q)has highly exalted Him and ^(R)given Him the name which is above every name, ^10 (S)that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and ^(T)that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.