Galatians 3
3
By Works of the Law, or By Hearing with Faith?
1 O foolish Galatians! Who has maliciously misled* you,* before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed as having been crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being brought to perfection by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing—if indeed it was for nothing? 5 Therefore, 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 faith? 6 Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, 7 understand then that those who have faith—these are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel in advance to Abraham: “In you all the nations will be blessed.”* 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed together with Abraham, the believer.*
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
10 For all who are of works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things that are written in the book of the Law, to do them.”* 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified in the sight of God by the Law, because “The righteous one shall live by faith.”* 12 But the Law is not grounded in faith; in contrast, “The one who does them shall live by them.”* 13 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,”* 14 so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The Law and the Promise
15 Brothers, I speak in human terms:* Even a man-made covenant, once ratified, no one sets aside or supplements. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but as referring to one, “And to your seed,”* who is Christ. 17 And I say this: The Law, which came after four hundred and thirty years, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God,* in order to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is based on Law, it is no longer based on a promise, but God has graciously granted it to Abraham through the promise.
19 Why then the Law? It was added because of transgressions, until the Seed should come to whom the promise had been made, having been ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not for only one party, but God is one.*
21 Is the Law, then, contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given that was able to impart life, then righteousness would surely have been based on the Law. 22 But the Scripture confined all things under sin, in order that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the Law, confined for the faith that was going to be revealed. 24 So then, the Law became our guardian, directing us towards Christ, so that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptised into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed—heirs according to promise.
Notes
1 Or fascinated
1 Some ancient manuscripts insert at this point the expression that you should not obey the truth, likely as an attempt to harmonise the reading with 5:7
8 Quoted from Gen. 12:3
9 Greek the one who believes
10 Quoted from Deut. 27:26
11 Quoted from Hab. 2:4
12 Quoted from Lev. 18:5
13 Quoted from Deut. 21:23
15 Greek according to man
16 Quoted from Gen. 12:7; 13:15
17 Some ancient manuscripts read God in Christ
20 Greek Now a mediator is not for one, but God is one
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Galatians 3
3
By Works of the Law, or By Hearing with Faith?
1 O foolish Galatians! Who has maliciously misled* you,* before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed as having been crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being brought to perfection by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing—if indeed it was for nothing? 5 Therefore, 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 faith? 6 Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, 7 understand then that those who have faith—these are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel in advance to Abraham: “In you all the nations will be blessed.”* 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed together with Abraham, the believer.*
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
10 For all who are of works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things that are written in the book of the Law, to do them.”* 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified in the sight of God by the Law, because “The righteous one shall live by faith.”* 12 But the Law is not grounded in faith; in contrast, “The one who does them shall live by them.”* 13 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,”* 14 so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The Law and the Promise
15 Brothers, I speak in human terms:* Even a man-made covenant, once ratified, no one sets aside or supplements. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but as referring to one, “And to your seed,”* who is Christ. 17 And I say this: The Law, which came after four hundred and thirty years, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God,* in order to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is based on Law, it is no longer based on a promise, but God has graciously granted it to Abraham through the promise.
19 Why then the Law? It was added because of transgressions, until the Seed should come to whom the promise had been made, having been ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not for only one party, but God is one.*
21 Is the Law, then, contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given that was able to impart life, then righteousness would surely have been based on the Law. 22 But the Scripture confined all things under sin, in order that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the Law, confined for the faith that was going to be revealed. 24 So then, the Law became our guardian, directing us towards Christ, so that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptised into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed—heirs according to promise.
Notes
1 Or fascinated
1 Some ancient manuscripts insert at this point the expression that you should not obey the truth, likely as an attempt to harmonise the reading with 5:7
8 Quoted from Gen. 12:3
9 Greek the one who believes
10 Quoted from Deut. 27:26
11 Quoted from Hab. 2:4
12 Quoted from Lev. 18:5
13 Quoted from Deut. 21:23
15 Greek according to man
16 Quoted from Gen. 12:7; 13:15
17 Some ancient manuscripts read God in Christ
20 Greek Now a mediator is not for one, but God is one
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).