Galatians 3:1-20

New King James Version

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.