Galatians 3

Justification through Faith

¹You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?²³I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard?⁴⁵Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh?⁶⁷Did you experience so much for nothing — if in fact it was for nothing?⁸⁹So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law? Or is it by believing what you heard —¹⁰¹¹just like Abraham who believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness?¹²

¹³You know, then, that those who have faith, these are Abraham’s sons.¹⁴¹⁵Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and proclaimed the gospel ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you.¹⁶¹⁷Consequently, those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.¹⁸

Law and Promise

¹⁹For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed.²⁰²¹Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith.²²²³But the law is not based on faith; instead, the one who does these things will live by them.²⁴²⁵Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.²⁶²⁷The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.²⁸

²⁹Brothers and sisters, I’m using a human illustration. No one sets aside or makes additions to a validated human will.³⁰³¹Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ.³²³³My point is this: The law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously established by God and thus cancel the promise.³⁴³⁵For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise; but God has graciously given it to Abraham through the promise.³⁶

The Purpose of the Law

³⁷Why, then, was the law given? It was added for the sake of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator.³⁸³⁹Now a mediator is not just for one person alone, but God is one.⁴⁰⁴¹Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if the law had been granted with the ability to give life, then righteousness would certainly be on the basis of the law.⁴²⁴³But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise might be given on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe.⁴⁴⁴⁵Before this faith came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed.⁴⁶⁴⁷The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith.⁴⁸⁴⁹But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,⁵⁰⁵¹for through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus.⁵²

Sons and Heirs

⁵³For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.⁵⁴⁵⁵There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.⁵⁶⁵⁷And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.⁵⁸