The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
O foolish aGalatians, who bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ bwas publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to learn from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by ahearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things for nothing—aif indeed it was for nothing? 5 So then, does He who aprovides you with the Spirit and bworks miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by chearing with faith?
6 Just as aAbraham bbelieved God and it was counted to him as righteousness, 7 so know that athose who are of faith, those are bsons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “aAll the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then athose who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written, “aCursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11 Now that ano one is justified by the Law before God is evident, for “bThe righteous shall live by faith.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; rather, “aHe who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ aredeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “bCursed is everyone who hangs on ca tree”— 14 in order that ain Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we bwould receive cthe promise of the Spirit through faith.
The Promise by Faith
15 aBrothers, bI speak in human terms: ceven though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken ato Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And bto your seed,” that is, Christ. 17 And what I am saying is this: the Law, which came a430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to abolish the promise. 18 For aif the inheritance is by law, it is no longer by promise, but bGod has granted it to Abraham through promise.
19 aWhy the Law then? It was added because of trespasses, having been bordained through angels cby the hand of a mediator, until dthe seed would come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now aa mediator is not for one person only, whereas God is one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? aMay it never be! For bif a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed be by law. 22 But the Scripture has ashut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 But before faith came, we were held in custody under the Law, abeing shut up for the coming faith to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our atutor unto Christ, so that bwe may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a atutor. 26 For you are all asons of God through faith in bChrist Jesus. 27 For all of you who were abaptized into Christ have bclothed yourselves with Christ. 28 aThere is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is no bmale and female, for cyou are all one in dChrist Jesus. 29 And if ayou belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to bpromise.
Sonship in Christ
Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and stewards until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were aenslaved under the belemental things of the world. 4 But when athe fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, bborn of a woman, born cunder the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as asons. 6 And because you are sons, aGod sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “bAbba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and aif a son, then an heir through God.
8 However at that time, awhen you did not know God, you were bslaves to cthose which by nature are no gods. 9 But now, having known God, or rather having been aknown by God, bhow is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless celemental things, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? 10 You aobserve days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you for nothing.
12 I beg of you, abrothers, bbecome as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong. 13 But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I proclaimed the gospel to you the first time; 14 and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but ayou received me as an angel of God, as bChrist Jesus Himself. 15 Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So have I become your enemy aby telling you the truth? 17 They zealously seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will zealously seek them. 18 But it is good always to be zealously sought in a commendable manner, and anot only when I am present with you. 19 aMy children, with whom bI am again in labor until cChrist is formed in you— 20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, because aI am perplexed about you.
An Allegory of Two Covenants
21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not alisten to the Law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, aone by the servant-woman and bone by the free woman. 23 But athe son by the servant-woman had been born according to the flesh, while bthe son by the free woman through the promise. 24 aThis is spoken with allegory, for these women are two covenants: one from bMount Sinai bearing children into cslavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But athe Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. 27 For it is written,
“aRejoice, barren woman who does not give birth;
Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;
For more numerous are the children of the desolate one
Than of the one who has a husband.”
28 And you brothers, ain accordance with Isaac, are bchildren of promise. 29 But as at that time ahe who was born according to the flesh bwas persecuting him who was born according to the Spirit, cso it is now also. 30 But what does the Scripture say?
“aCast out the servant‑woman and her son,
For bthe son of the servant‑woman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”
31 So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant-woman, but of the free woman.