Galatians 3:10-22

Contemporary English Version

¹⁰^(A) Anyone who tries to please God by obeying the Law is under a curse. The Scriptures say, “Everyone who doesn't obey everything in the Law is under a curse.” ¹¹^(B) No one can please God by obeying the Law. The Scriptures also say, “The people God accepts because of their faith will live.”^[a]

¹²^(C) The Law isn't based on faith. It promises life only to people who obey its commands. ¹³^(D) But Christ rescued us from the Law's curse, when he became a curse in our place. This is because the Scriptures say that anyone who is nailed to a tree is under a curse. ¹⁴And because of what Jesus Christ has done, the blessing promised to Abraham was taken to the Gentiles. This happened so that by faith we would be given the promised Holy Spirit.

The Law and the Promise

¹⁵My friends, I will use an everyday example to explain what I mean. Once someone agrees to something, no one else can change or cancel the agreement.^[b] ¹⁶That is how it is with the promises God made to Abraham and his descendant.^[c] The promises were not made to many descendants, but only to one, and that one is Christ. ¹⁷^(E) What I am saying is that the Law cannot change or cancel God's promise made 430 years before the Law was given. ¹⁸^(F) If we have to obey the Law in order to receive God's blessings, those blessings don't really come to us because of God's promise. But God was kind to Abraham and made him a promise.

¹⁹What is the use of the Law? It was given later to show that we sin. But it was only supposed to last until the coming of that descendant^[d] who was given the promise. In fact, angels gave the Law to Moses, and he gave it to the people. ²⁰There is only one God, and the Law did not come directly from him.

Slaves and Children

²¹Does the Law disagree with God's promises? No, it doesn't! If any law could give life to us, we could become acceptable to God by obeying that law. ²²But the Scriptures say that sin controls everyone, so that God's promises will be for anyone who has faith in Jesus Christ.

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Footnotes

3.11 The people God accepts because of their faith will live: Or “The people God accepts will live because of their faith.”
3.15 Once someone … cancel the agreement: Or “Once a person makes out a will, no one can change or cancel it.”
3.16 descendant: The Greek text has “seed,” which may mean one or many descendants. In this verse Paul says it means Christ.
3.19 that descendant: Jesus.