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King James Bible

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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Faith and Belief

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

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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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This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of 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 ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

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

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Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet 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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He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

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

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Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

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

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Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children 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 justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all 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 they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

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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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Christ Redeemed Us

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to 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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But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

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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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And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in 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 hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth 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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That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit 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 Purpose of the Law

Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

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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 to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which 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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And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

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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 be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by 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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Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

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

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Now a mediator is not a mediator of 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 against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been 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 hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that 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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But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards 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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Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, 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 after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

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

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Sons Through Faith in Christ

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

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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 have been 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 bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye 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 ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

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New International Version

King James Bible

Galatians 3

Galatians 3