Galatians 3

1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.

2I want to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

3Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being made complete by the flesh?

4Did you experience so many things for nothing—if it really was for nothing?

5So then, does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

6It is just as Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

7Understand, then, that those who have faith are the sons of Abraham.

8And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed through you.”

9So then, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

10For all who rely on 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.”

11Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because “The righteous will live by faith.”

12But the law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The person who does these things will live by them.”

13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

14He did this so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

15Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Even with a human covenant, once it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds to it.

16Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say, “and to seeds,” as referring to many, but as referring to one, “and to your seed,” who is Christ.

17What I mean is this: the law, which came 430 years later, does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.

18For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God graciously gave it to Abraham through a promise.

19Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed to whom the promise had been made would come, and it was put into effect through angels by a mediator.

20Now a mediator does not represent just one party, but God is one.

21Is the law, then, against the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed come by the law.

22But the Scripture has imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

23Before faith came, we were held in custody under the law, imprisoned until the faith that was to come would be revealed.

24So the law was our guardian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith.

25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

26For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

27For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.