To the Galatians
3 O senseless Ga·laʹtians, who is it that brought YOU under evil influence,+ YOU before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed impaled?+ 2 This alone I want to learn from YOU: Did YOU receive the spirit+ due to works of law+ or due to a hearing+ by faith?* 3 Are YOU so senseless? After starting in spirit+ are YOU now being completed in flesh?+ 4 Did YOU undergo so many sufferings to no purpose?+ If it really was to no purpose. 5 He, therefore, who supplies YOU the spirit+ and performs powerful works*+ among YOU, does he do it owing to works of law or owing to a hearing by faith? 6 Just as Abraham “put faith in Jehovah,* and it was counted to him as righteousness.”+
7 Surely YOU know that those who adhere to faith+ are the ones who are sons of Abraham.+ 8 Now the Scripture, seeing in advance that God would declare people of the nations righteous due to faith, declared the good news beforehand to Abraham, namely: “By means of you all the nations will be blessed.”+ 9 Consequently those who adhere to faith are being blessed+ together with faithful* Abraham.+
10 For all those who depend upon works of law are under a curse; for it is written: “Cursed is every one that does not continue in all the things written in the scroll of the Law in order to do them.”+ 11 Moreover, that by law no one is declared righteous+ with God is evident, because “the righteous one will live by reason of faith.”+ 12 Now the Law does not adhere to faith, but “he that does them shall live by means of them.”+ 13 Christ by purchase+ released+ us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse+ instead of us, because it is written: “Accursed is every man hanged upon a stake.”*+ 14 The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham might come to be by means of Jesus Christ for the nations,+ that we might receive the promised spirit*+ through our faith.+
15 Brothers, I speak with a human illustration: A validated covenant, though it is a man’s, no one sets aside or attaches additions to it.+ 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham+ and to his seed.+ It* says, not: “And to seeds,” as in the case of many such, but as in the case of one:+ “And to your seed,”+ who is Christ.+ 17 Further, I say this: As to the covenant previously validated by God,+ the Law that has come into being four hundred and thirty years+ later does not invalidate it, so as to abolish the promise.+ 18 For if the inheritance is due to law, it is no longer due to promise;+ whereas God has kindly given it to Abraham through a promise.+
19 Why, then, the Law? It was added to make transgressions manifest,*+ until the seed should arrive+ to whom the promise had been made; and it was transmitted through angels+ by the hand of a mediator.+ 20 Now there is no mediator where only one person is concerned, but God* is only one.+ 21 Is the Law, therefore, against the promises of God?*+ May that never happen! For if a law had been given that was able to give life,+ righteousness would actually have been by means of law.+ 22 But the Scripture+ delivered up all things together to the custody of sin,+ that the promise resulting from faith toward Jesus Christ might be given to those exercising faith.+
23 However, before the faith arrived,+ we were being guarded under law,+ being delivered up together into custody, looking to the faith that was destined to be revealed.+ 24 Consequently the Law has become our tutor* leading to Christ,+ that we might be declared righteous+ due to faith. 25 But now that the faith has arrived,+ we are no longer under a tutor.+
26 YOU are all, in fact, sons+ of God through YOUR faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of YOU who were baptized into Christ+ have put on Christ.*+ 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek,+ there is neither slave nor freeman,+ there is neither male nor female;+ for YOU are all one [person] in union with Christ Jesus.+ 29 Moreover, if YOU belong to Christ, YOU are really Abraham’s seed,+ heirs with reference to a promise.+