By Faith, or by Works of the Law?

3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? ^(A)It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly ^(B)portrayed as crucified. ² Let me ask you only this: ^(C)Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by ^(D)hearing with faith? ³ Are you so foolish? ^(E)Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by^[a] the flesh? ^4 (F)Did you suffer^[b] so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? ⁵ Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and ^(G)works miracles among you do so ^(H)by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— ⁶ just as ^(I)Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

⁷ Know then that it is ^(J)those of faith who are ^(K)the sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that ^(L)God would justify^[c] the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ^(M)“In you shall all the nations be blessed.” ⁹ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

¹⁰ For all who rely on works of the law are ^(N)under a curse; for it is written, ^(O)“Cursed be everyone who does not ^(P)abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” ¹¹ Now it is evident that ^(Q)no one is justified before God by the law, for ^(R)“The righteous shall live by faith.”^{[d] 12} But the law is not of faith, rather ^(S)“The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ ^(T)redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ^(U)“Cursed is everyone who is hanged ^(V)on a tree”— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might ^(W)come to the Gentiles, so that ^(X)we might receive ^(Y)the promised Spirit^[e] through faith.

The Law and the Promise

^15 (Z)To give a human example, brothers:^{[f] (AA)}even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. ¹⁶ Now ^(AB)the promises were made ^(AC)to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, ^(AD)“And to your offspring,” who is Christ. ¹⁷ This is what I mean: the law, which came ^(AE)430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as ^(AF)to make the promise void. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but ^(AG)God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

¹⁹ Why then the law? ^(AH)It was added because of transgressions, ^(AI)until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ^(AJ)put in place through angels ^(AK)by an intermediary. ²⁰ Now ^(AL)an intermediary implies more than one, but ^(AM)God is one.

²¹ Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For ^(AN)if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. ²² But the Scripture ^(AO)imprisoned everything under sin, so that ^(AP)the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given ^(AQ)to those who believe.

²³ Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, ^(AR)imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴ So then, ^(AS)the law was our ^(AT)guardian until Christ came, ^(AU)in order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶ for in Christ Jesus ^(AV)you are all sons of God, through faith. ²⁷ For as many of you as ^(AW)were baptized ^(AX)into Christ have ^(AY)put on Christ. ^28 (AZ)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave^[g] nor free, ^(BA)there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And ^(BB)if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, ^(BC)heirs according to promise.

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For ^(A)freedom Christ has ^(B)set us free; ^(C)stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to ^(D)a yoke of ^(E)slavery.

² Look: I, Paul, say to you that ^(F)if you accept circumcision, ^(G)Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³ I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that ^(H)he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are ^(I)severed from Christ, ^(J)you who would be justified^[a] by the law; ^(K)you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly ^(L)wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus ^(M)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but ^(N)only faith working through love.

^7 (O)You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying ^(P)the truth? ⁸ This persuasion is not from ^(Q)him who calls you. ^9 (R)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ^10 (S)I have confidence in the Lord that you will ^(T)take no other view, and ^(U)the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹ But if I, brothers,^[b] still preach^[c] circumcision, ^(V)why am I still being persecuted? In that case ^(W)the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹² I wish ^(X)those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. ^(Y)Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^(Z)serve one another. ¹⁴ For ^(AA)the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ^(AB)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you ^(AC)bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

¹⁶ But I say, ^(AD)walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify ^(AE)the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For ^(AF)the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, ^(AG)to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are ^(AH)led by the Spirit, ^(AI)you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now ^(AJ)the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, ^(AK)divisions, ²¹ envy,^[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that ^(AL)those who do^[e] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But ^(AM)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(AN)love, joy, peace, patience, ^(AO)kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ^23 (AP)gentleness, ^(AQ)self-control; ^(AR)against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus ^(AS)have crucified the flesh with its ^(AT)passions and desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, ^(AU)let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ^26 (AV)Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.