Galatians 3:8-5:24

English Standard Version

⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that ^(A)God would justify^[a] the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ^(B)“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 ^(C)under a curse; for it is written, ^(D)“Cursed be everyone who does not ^(E)abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” ¹¹ Now it is evident that ^(F)no one is justified before God by the law, for ^(G)“The righteous shall live by faith.”^{[b] 12} But the law is not of faith, rather ^(H)“The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ ^(I)redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ^(J)“Cursed is everyone who is hanged ^(K)on a tree”— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might ^(L)come to the Gentiles, so that ^(M)we might receive ^(N)the promised Spirit^[c] through faith.

The Law and the Promise

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

¹⁹ Why then the law? ^(W)It was added because of transgressions, ^(X)until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ^(Y)put in place through angels ^(Z)by an intermediary. ²⁰ Now ^(AA)an intermediary implies more than one, but ^(AB)God is one.

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

²³ Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, ^(AG)imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴ So then, ^(AH)the law was our ^(AI)guardian until Christ came, ^(AJ)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 ^(AK)you are all sons of God, through faith. ²⁷ For as many of you as ^(AL)were baptized ^(AM)into Christ have ^(AN)put on Christ. ^28 (AO)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave^[e] nor free, ^(AP)there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And ^(AQ)if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, ^(AR)heirs according to promise.

Sons and Heirs

4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,^[f] though he is the owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. ³ In the same way we also, when we were children, ^(AS)were enslaved to the elementary principles^[g] of the world. ⁴ But ^(AT)when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, ^(AU)born ^(AV)of woman, born ^(AW)under the law, ^5 (AX)to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive ^(AY)adoption as sons. ⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent ^(AZ)the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then ^(BA)an heir through God.

Paul's Concern for the Galatians

⁸ Formerly, when you ^(BB)did not know God, you ^(BC)were enslaved to those that by nature ^(BD)are not gods. ⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather ^(BE)to be known by God, ^(BF)how can you turn back again to ^(BG)the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? ^10 (BH)You observe days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹ I am afraid ^(BI)I may have labored over you in vain.

¹² Brothers,^{[h] (BJ)}I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. ^(BK)You did me no wrong. ¹³ You know it was ^(BL)because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you ^(BM)at first, ¹⁴ and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me ^(BN)as an angel of God, ^(BO)as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I then become your enemy by ^(BP)telling you the truth?^{[i] 17} They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. ¹⁸ It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and ^(BQ)not only when I am present with you, ^19 (BR)my little children, ^(BS)for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ ^(BT)is formed in you! ²⁰ I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Example of Hagar and Sarah

²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^(BU)one by a slave woman and ^(BV)one by a free woman. ²³ But ^(BW)the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while ^(BX)the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two ^(BY)covenants. ^(BZ)One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;^[j] she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But ^(CA)the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

²⁸ Now you,^[k] brothers, ^(CC)like Isaac, ^(CD)are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh ^(CE)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(CF)so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? ^(CG)“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but ^(CH)of the free woman.

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For ^(CI)freedom Christ has ^(CJ)set us free; ^(CK)stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to ^(CL)a yoke of ^(CM)slavery.

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

^7 (CW)You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying ^(CX)the truth? ⁸ This persuasion is not from ^(CY)him who calls you. ^9 (CZ)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ^10 (DA)I have confidence in the Lord that you will ^(DB)take no other view, and ^(DC)the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹ But if I, brothers,^[m] still preach^[n] circumcision, ^(DD)why am I still being persecuted? In that case ^(DE)the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹² I wish ^(DF)those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. ^(DG)Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^(DH)serve one another. ¹⁴ For ^(DI)the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ^(DJ)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you ^(DK)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, ^(DL)walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify ^(DM)the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For ^(DN)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, ^(DO)to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are ^(DP)led by the Spirit, ^(DQ)you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now ^(DR)the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, ^(DS)divisions, ²¹ envy,^[o] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that ^(DT)those who do^[p] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But ^(DU)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(DV)love, joy, peace, patience, ^(DW)kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ^23 (DX)gentleness, ^(DY)self-control; ^(DZ)against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus ^(EA)have crucified the flesh with its ^(EB)passions and desires.