1Senseless Galatians! Christ was openly presented before your eyes as crucified—who then bewitched you not to obey the truth?1900 2I just want to hear this from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard? 3Are you that senseless that having begun in the Spirit, you now end in the flesh? 4Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain? 5He1901 who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? 6Even as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness,” 7know,1902 therefore, that those who are of faith are likewise Abraham’s children. 8And foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, the Scripture announced the future Good News to Abraham by saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed.”1903 9And so, those of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham. 10But those who depend on the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written:
Cursed is everyone who does not persevere
in all the things that are written in the book of the law,
to do them.1904
11Now it is obvious that no one is justified by the law before God, for “The righteous will live by faith.”1905 12The law is not of faith, but, “The one who does these things will live by them.”1906
The law and the promise
13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for our sake. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,”1907 14so that Abraham’s blessing might also come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, and that we might {all} receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15Brethren, speaking of a human example: even a human contract, once it has been confirmed, cannot be canceled or altered. 16Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. [Notice that] he does not say, “to seeds,” as if there were many, but as of one, “to your seed,”1908 which is Christ. 17What I am saying is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years after the covenant previously confirmed by God in Christ, does not cancel it to make the promise of no effect. 18If the inheritance comes from the law, it is no longer from the promise; but in fact, God granted it to Abraham by way of a promise.
19What then is the law about? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed to whom the promise had been made should come, and it was established through the angels, by the hand of a mediator. 20Now there is no mediator when there is only one party, and God is one. 21Therefore, is the law against God’s [own] promises? Certainly not! If a law had been given which could make alive, then certainly, righteousness would have been from the law. 22But in fact, the Scriptures declared all things to be captive under sin, so that the promise might be given to those who believe—that is, by faith in Jesus Christ. 23Nevertheless, before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, locked up to wait for the faith which would later be revealed. 24Hence, the law was our tutor which was to bring us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith. 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor, 26and you are all God’s children, through faith in Christ Jesus! 27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
Free children
- CT omits “not to obey the truth”
- That is, God
- Or “recognize/acknowledge”
- Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18
- Deuteronomy 27:26. NT agrees with LXX against MT.
- Habakkuk 2:4
- Leviticus 18:5
- Deuteronomy 21:23. NT agrees with LXX against MT.
- Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7. NT agrees with LXX (12:7) against MT.
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
