Galatians 3:1-29.
Galatians 3:1-29 (Good News Translation)
1 "You foolish Galatians! Who put a spell on you? Before your very
eyes you had a clear description of the death of Jesus Christ on the
cross! 2 Tell me this one thing: did you receive God's Spirit by doing
what the Law requires or by hearing the gospel and believing it? 3 How
can you be so foolish! You began by God's Spirit; do you now want to
finish by your own power? 4 Did all your experience mean nothing at
all? Surely it meant something! 5 Does God give you the Spirit and
work miracles among you because you do what the Law requires or
because you hear the gospel and believe it? 6 Consider the experience
of Abraham; as the scripture says, "He believed God, and because of
his faith God accepted him as righteous." 7 You should realize, then,
that the real descendants of Abraham are the people who have faith. 8
The scripture predicted that God would put the Gentiles right with
himself through faith. And so the scripture announced the Good News to
Abraham: "Through you God will bless all people." 9 Abraham believed
and was blessed; so all who believe are blessed as he was. 10 Those
who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse. For the scripture
says, "Whoever does not always obey everything that is written in the
book of the Law is under God's curse! " 11 Now, it is clear that no
one is put right with God by means of the Law, because the scripture
says, "Only the person who is put right with God through faith shall
live." 12 But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, as the
scripture says, "Whoever does everything the Law requires will live. "
13 But by becoming a curse for us Christ has redeemed us from the
curse that the Law brings; for the scripture says, "Anyone who is
hanged on a tree is under God's curse." 14 Christ did this in order
that the blessing which God promised to Abraham might be given to the
Gentiles by means of Christ Jesus, so that through faith we might
receive the Spirit promised by God. 15 My friends, I am going to use
an everyday example: when two people agree on a matter and sign an
agreement, no one can break it or add anything to it. 16 Now, God made
his promises to Abraham and to his descendant. The scripture does not
use the plural "descendants," meaning many people, but the singular
"descendant," meaning one person only, namely, Christ. 17 What I mean
is that God made a covenant with Abraham and promised to keep it. The
Law, which was given four hundred and thirty years later, cannot break
that covenant and cancel God's promise. 18 For if God's gift depends
on the Law, then it no longer depends on his promise. However, it was
because of his promise that God gave that gift to Abraham. 19 What,
then, was the purpose of the Law? It was added in order to show what
wrongdoing is, and it was meant to last until the coming of Abraham's
descendant, to whom the promise was made. The Law was handed down by
angels, with a man acting as a go-between. 20 But a go-between is not
needed when only one person is involved; and God is one. 21 Does this
mean that the Law is against God's promises? No, not at all! For if
human beings had received a law that could bring life, then everyone
could be put right with God by obeying it. 22 But the scripture says
that the whole world is under the power of sin; and so the gift which
is promised on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ is given to those
who believe. 23 But before the time for faith came, the Law kept us
all locked up as prisoners until this coming faith should be revealed.
24 And so the Law was in charge of us until Christ came, in order that
we might then be put right with God through faith. 25 Now that the
time for faith is here, the Law is no longer in charge of us. 26 It is
through faith that all of you are God's children in union with Christ
Jesus. 27 You were baptized into union with Christ, and now you are
clothed, so to speak, with the life of Christ himself. 28 So there is
no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free
people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ
Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are the descendants of
Abraham and will receive what God has promised."
Father God, forgive my sins. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ down
to die on the cross and for shedding his blood for me. Three days
later you resurrected him. I accept that. I invite Jesus Christ into
my heart as my Lord and savior. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
God bless you.
1 "You foolish Galatians! Who put a spell on you? Before your very
eyes you had a clear description of the death of Jesus Christ on the
cross! 2 Tell me this one thing: did you receive God's Spirit by doing
what the Law requires or by hearing the gospel and believing it? 3 How
can you be so foolish! You began by God's Spirit; do you now want to
finish by your own power? 4 Did all your experience mean nothing at
all? Surely it meant something! 5 Does God give you the Spirit and
work miracles among you because you do what the Law requires or
because you hear the gospel and believe it? 6 Consider the experience
of Abraham; as the scripture says, "He believed God, and because of
his faith God accepted him as righteous." 7 You should realize, then,
that the real descendants of Abraham are the people who have faith. 8
The scripture predicted that God would put the Gentiles right with
himself through faith. And so the scripture announced the Good News to
Abraham: "Through you God will bless all people." 9 Abraham believed
and was blessed; so all who believe are blessed as he was. 10 Those
who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse. For the scripture
says, "Whoever does not always obey everything that is written in the
book of the Law is under God's curse! " 11 Now, it is clear that no
one is put right with God by means of the Law, because the scripture
says, "Only the person who is put right with God through faith shall
live." 12 But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, as the
scripture says, "Whoever does everything the Law requires will live. "
13 But by becoming a curse for us Christ has redeemed us from the
curse that the Law brings; for the scripture says, "Anyone who is
hanged on a tree is under God's curse." 14 Christ did this in order
that the blessing which God promised to Abraham might be given to the
Gentiles by means of Christ Jesus, so that through faith we might
receive the Spirit promised by God. 15 My friends, I am going to use
an everyday example: when two people agree on a matter and sign an
agreement, no one can break it or add anything to it. 16 Now, God made
his promises to Abraham and to his descendant. The scripture does not
use the plural "descendants," meaning many people, but the singular
"descendant," meaning one person only, namely, Christ. 17 What I mean
is that God made a covenant with Abraham and promised to keep it. The
Law, which was given four hundred and thirty years later, cannot break
that covenant and cancel God's promise. 18 For if God's gift depends
on the Law, then it no longer depends on his promise. However, it was
because of his promise that God gave that gift to Abraham. 19 What,
then, was the purpose of the Law? It was added in order to show what
wrongdoing is, and it was meant to last until the coming of Abraham's
descendant, to whom the promise was made. The Law was handed down by
angels, with a man acting as a go-between. 20 But a go-between is not
needed when only one person is involved; and God is one. 21 Does this
mean that the Law is against God's promises? No, not at all! For if
human beings had received a law that could bring life, then everyone
could be put right with God by obeying it. 22 But the scripture says
that the whole world is under the power of sin; and so the gift which
is promised on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ is given to those
who believe. 23 But before the time for faith came, the Law kept us
all locked up as prisoners until this coming faith should be revealed.
24 And so the Law was in charge of us until Christ came, in order that
we might then be put right with God through faith. 25 Now that the
time for faith is here, the Law is no longer in charge of us. 26 It is
through faith that all of you are God's children in union with Christ
Jesus. 27 You were baptized into union with Christ, and now you are
clothed, so to speak, with the life of Christ himself. 28 So there is
no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free
people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ
Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are the descendants of
Abraham and will receive what God has promised."
Father God, forgive my sins. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ down
to die on the cross and for shedding his blood for me. Three days
later you resurrected him. I accept that. I invite Jesus Christ into
my heart as my Lord and savior. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
God bless you.
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