Galatians 3
By Faith, or by Works of the Law?
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? aIt was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly bportrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: aDid you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by bhearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? aHaving begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 aDid you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and aworks miracles among you do so bby works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as aAbraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
7 Know then that it is athose of faith who are bthe sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that aGod would justify 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 aunder a curse; for it is written, b“Cursed be everyone who does not cabide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that ano one is justified before God by the law, for b“The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather a“The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ aredeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, b“Cursed is everyone who is hanged con a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might acome to the Gentiles, so that bwe might receive cthe promised Spirit through faith.
The Law and the Promise
15 aTo give a human example, brothers: beven with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now athe promises were made bto Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, c“And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came a430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as bto make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but aGod gave it to Abraham by a promise.
19 Why then the law? aIt was added because of transgressions, buntil the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was cput in place through angels dby an intermediary. 20 Now aan intermediary implies more than one, but bGod is one.
21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For aif a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture aimprisoned everything under sin, so that bthe promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given cto those who believe.
23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, aimprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, athe law was our bguardian until Christ came, cin 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 ayou are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as awere baptized binto Christ have cput on Christ. 28 aThere is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, bthere is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And aif you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, bheirs according to promise.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.