“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” – Galatians 3 (KJV)
Galatians 3 Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)
Believers Are Abraham’s Children
O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I just want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the message that creates faith?[a]
Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now trying to reach the goal by the flesh? Did you experience so many things for nothing, if it were indeed for nothing? So then, does the one who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the law? Or does he do it by your believing what you hear— in the same way as Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness”?[b]
Understand, then, that those who believe are the children of Abraham. Foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, Scripture proclaimed the gospel in advance to Abraham, saying, “In you, all nations will be blessed.”[c] So then, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
In fact, those who rely on the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the book of the law.”[d] Clearly no one is declared righteous before God by the law, because “The righteous will live by faith.”[e] The law does not say “by faith.” Instead it says, “The one who does these things will live by them.”[f]
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. As it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”[g] He redeemed us in order that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we would receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Brothers, I am speaking in human terms. When someone has established a last will and testament, no one nullifies it or adds to it. The promises God spoke referred to Abraham and to his seed. It doesn’t say, “And to seeds,” as if it were referring to many, but, as referring to one, “And to your seed,”[h] who is Christ. What I am saying is this: The law, which came into being 430 years after the covenant established earlier by God in Christ,[i] does not annul that covenant, with the result that it invalidates the promise. In fact, if the inheritance is by the law, it is no longer by the promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham by a promise.
Then what about the law? It was added for the purpose of revealing transgressions, until the Seed[j] to whom the promise referred had come. It was transmitted through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not needed for one party, but God is one.
Then is the law against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given that could give life, certainly righteousness would have been derived from the law. But Scripture imprisoned all things under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ would be given to those who believe. But before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed. So the law was our chaperone[k] until Christ, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a chaperone.[l]
In fact, you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Indeed, as many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is not Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, for you are all one and the same in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants[m] and heirs according to the promise. – Galatians 3 (EHV)
Footnotes:
[a] Galatians 3:2 Or by believing what you heard?
[b] Galatians 3:6 Genesis 15:6
[c] Galatians 3:8 Genesis 12:3; 18:18
[d] Galatians 3:10 Deuteronomy 27:26
[e] Galatians 3:11 Habakkuk 2:4
[f] Galatians 3:12 Leviticus 18:5
[g] Galatians 3:13 Deuteronomy 21:23
[h] Galatians 3:16 Or descendant. The literal seed is retained in the translation to help readers trace the line of the promised Savior from Eve through Abraham and David to Jesus, the promised Seed of the Woman. Genesis 12:7
[i] Galatians 3:17 Some witnesses to the text omit in Christ.
[j] Galatians 3:19 Or Descendant; Genesis 12:7
[k] Galatians 3:24 The Greek term for chaperone referred to a man who was to supervise, discipline, and watch out for a boy.
[l] Galatians 3:25 Or custodian
[m] Galatians 3:29 Or seed