By Faith, or by Works of the Law?

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? (A)It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly (B)portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: (C)Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by (D)hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? (E)Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by[a] the flesh? (F)Did you suffer[b] so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and (G)works miracles among you do so (H)by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as (I)Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

Know then that it is (J)those of faith who are (K)the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that (L)God would justify[c] the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, (M)“In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

10 For all who rely on works of the law are (N)under a curse; for it is written, (O)“Cursed be everyone who does not (P)abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that (Q)no one is justified before God by the law, for (R)“The righteous shall live by faith.”[d] 12 But the law is not of faith, rather (S)“The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ (T)redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, (U)“Cursed is everyone who is hanged (V)on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might (W)come to the Gentiles, so that (X)we might receive (Y)the promised Spirit[e] through faith.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 3:3 Or now ending with
  2. Galatians 3:4 Or experience
  3. Galatians 3:8 Or count righteous; also verses 11, 24
  4. Galatians 3:11 Or The one who by faith is righteous will live
  5. Galatians 3:14 Greek receive the promise of the Spirit

Faith or Works of the Law

You foolish(A) Galatians!(B) Who has bewitched you?(C) Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.(D) I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit(E) by the works of the law,(F) or by believing what you heard?(G) Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?[a] Have you experienced[b] so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles(H) among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?(I) So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[c](J)

Understand, then, that those who have faith(K) are children of Abraham.(L) 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](M) So those who rely on faith(N) are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.(O)

10 For all who rely on the works of the law(P) are under a curse,(Q) as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”[e](R) 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God,(S) because “the righteous will live by faith.”[f](T) 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”[g](U) 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law(V) by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”[h](W) 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus,(X) so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.(Y)

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 3:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
  2. Galatians 3:4 Or suffered
  3. Galatians 3:6 Gen. 15:6
  4. Galatians 3:8 Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18
  5. Galatians 3:10 Deut. 27:26
  6. Galatians 3:11 Hab. 2:4
  7. Galatians 3:12 Lev. 18:5
  8. Galatians 3:13 Deut. 21:23