Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
Galatians 3
Spirit, Trust, and Abraham
Foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. I want to learn only this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law or by hearing with trust? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being brought to completion by the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing—if indeed it was for nothing? So then, does the one who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the Law or by hearing with trust? Just as Abraham trusted God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Know, then, that those who live by trust are Abraham’s children. Scripture, foreseeing that God would set the Gentiles right by trust, announced the good news beforehand to Abraham: “All the nations will be blessed in you.” So those who live by trust are blessed with Abraham, the one who trusted.
The Curse and the Promise
For all who rely on works of the Law are under a curse, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in everything written in the book of the Law, to do it.” Now it is clear that no one is set right before God by the Law, because “the righteous one will live by trust.” But the Law is not based on trust; rather, “the one who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,” so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through trust.
The Promise Came before the Law
Brothers and sisters, I am speaking in human terms: even with a human covenant, once it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “and to offsprings,” as though referring to many, but to one: “and to your offspring,” who is Christ. What I mean is this: the Law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously established by God so as to cancel the promise. For if the inheritance comes from the Law, it no longer comes from promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham through a promise.
Why Then the Law?
Why then the Law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made. It was put in place through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not for one party only, but God is one. Is the Law then opposed to God’s promises? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, righteousness would indeed come from the Law. But Scripture imprisoned everything under sin so that the promise through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ might be given to those who trust. Before this trust came, we were kept under the Law, imprisoned until the trust that was about to be revealed. So the Law became our guardian until Christ, so that we might be set right by trust. But now that this trust has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
One in Christ Jesus
For all of you are God’s children through trust in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.