O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your
eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me
ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law
or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the
Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so
many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies
the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of
the law, or by hearing with faith—just as Abraham “believed God,
and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.
And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles
by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In
you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of
faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is
written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things
written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident
that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous
shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one
who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the
curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written,
“Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—so that in Christ
Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that
we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant,
no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the
promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not
say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one,
“And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean: the
law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant
previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if
the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise;
but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until
the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it
was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an
intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not!
For if a law had been given that could give life, then
righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture
imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in
Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law,
imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the
law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be
justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer
under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God,
through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have
put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither
slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in
Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's
offspring, heirs according to promise.
