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Faith or Works of the Law

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

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By Faith, or by Works of the Law?

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.

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I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?

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Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?

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Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?a

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Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected bya the flesh?

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Have you experiencedb so much in vain — if it really was in vain?

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Did you sufferb so many things in vain — if indeed it was in vain?

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So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?

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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 —

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So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”c

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just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

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Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.

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Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.

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Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”d

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And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justifyc the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”

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So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

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

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For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”e

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The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”

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Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”f

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Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”d

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

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But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.”

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Christ 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 pole.”h

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

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He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

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so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirite through faith.

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The Law and the Promise

Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.

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The Law and the Promise

To give a human example, brothers:f even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified.

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The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”i meaning one person, who is Christ.

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Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

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What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.

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This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.

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For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

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

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Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator.

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Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.

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A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

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Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.

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Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.

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Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.

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But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

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

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Children of God

Before the coming of this faith,j we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.

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Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.

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

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So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

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Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

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

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So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,

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

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

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For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

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There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

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

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If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

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And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Parallel

New International Version

English Standard Version

Galatians 3

Galatians 3