Galatians 3

Faith and Belief

(James 2:14–26)

¹ O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

² I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

³ Are you so foolish? After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh?

⁴ Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing?

⁵ Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe?

⁶ So also, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”¹

⁷ Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham.

⁸ The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”²

⁹ So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Christ Has Redeemed Us

¹⁰ All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”³

¹¹ Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”⁴

¹² The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”⁵

¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”⁶

¹⁴ He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham ⁷ would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

The Purpose of the Law

(Romans 7:1–6)

¹⁵ Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended.

¹⁶ The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,”⁸ meaning One, who is Christ.

¹⁷ What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to nullify the promise.

¹⁸ For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise.

¹⁹ Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.

²⁰ A mediator is unnecessary, however, for only one party; but God is one.

²¹ Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law.

²² But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.

²³ Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.

²⁴ So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

²⁵ Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Sons through Faith in Christ

²⁶ You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁷ For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

²⁹ And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.