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foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your very eyes that Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified! 2 I would like to learn just this one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After having begun in the Spirit, are you now going to be made complete by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing—if indeed it was for nothing? 5 Does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you because you are doing the works of the law, or because you believed what you heard?
6 Consider Abraham, for he “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness”, 7 so understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, who also had faith.
10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue doing everything written in the book of the law”. 11 It is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous will live by faith”. 12 But the law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them”. 13 Christ has 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 tree”. 14 His purpose is that through Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brothers, let me give an example from everyday life: Once a human covenant has been ratified, no one can set aside or make additions to it. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds”, as though referring to many 'people, but “and to your seed”, referring to one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: the law, which came 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant that was previously established by God, so as to cancel out the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.
19 What purpose does the law serve then? It was added because of transgressions, until the Seed to whom the promise referred to would come. The law was ordained through angels by means of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not represent just one group, but God is one.
21 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 come through the law. 22 But the Scripture has imprisoned everything under the power of sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 Now before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, kept in custody until faith would be revealed. 24 So the law was made our guardian to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of a guardian.
26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptised into Christ, have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.