Galatians 3:15-29

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Promise to Abraham

¹⁵ Brothers and sisters, I give an example from daily life: once a person’s will^[a] has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it.^{(A) 16} Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring;^[b] it does not say, “And to offsprings,”^[c] as of many, but it says, “And to your offspring,”^[d] that is, to one person, who is Christ.^{(B) 17} My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.^{(C) 18} For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise, but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.^(D)

The Purpose of the Law

¹⁹ Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring^[e] would come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ordained through angels by a mediator.^{(E) 20} Now a mediator involves more than one party, but God is one.^(F)

²¹ Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. ²² But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through the faith of Jesus Christ^[f] might be given to those who believe.^(G)

²³ Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be reckoned as righteous^[g] by faith.^{(H) 25} But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, ²⁶ for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.^{(I) 27} As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.^{(J) 28} There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.^{(K) 29} And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,^[h] heirs according to the promise.^(L)