| 3:1 | You* foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell* on you? Before your eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed* as crucified! |
| 3:2 | The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law* or by believing what you heard?* |
| 3:3 | Are you so foolish? Although you began* with* the Spirit, are you now trying to finish* by human effort?* |
| 3:4 | Have you suffered so many things for nothing? – if indeed it was for nothing. |
| 3:5 | Does God then give* you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law* or by your believing what you heard?* |
| 3:6 | Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,* |
| 3:7 | so then, understand* that those who believe are the sons of Abraham.* |
| 3:8 | And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time,* saying, “All the nations* will be blessed in you.”* |
| 3:9 | So then those who believe* are blessed along with Abraham the believer. |
| 3:10 | For all who* rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law.”* |
| 3:11 | Now it is clear no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous one will live by faith.* |
| 3:12 | But the law is not based on faith,* but the one who does the works of the law* will live by them.* |
| 3:13 | 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”)* |
| 3:14 | in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles,* so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith. |
| 3:15 | Brothers and sisters,* I offer an example from everyday life:* When a covenant* has been ratified,* even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it. |
| 3:16 | Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant.* Scripture* does not say, “and to the descendants,”* referring to many, but “and to your descendant,”* referring to one, who is Christ. |
| 3:17 | What I am saying is this: The law that came four hundred thirty years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God,* so as to invalidate the promise. |
| 3:18 | For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave* it to Abraham through the promise. |
| 3:19 | Why then was the law given?* It was added* because of transgressions,* until the arrival of the descendant* to whom the promise had been made. It was administered* through angels by an intermediary.* |
| 3:20 | Now an intermediary is not for one party alone, but God is one.* |
| 3:21 | Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God?* Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.* |
| 3:22 | But the scripture imprisoned* everything and everyone* under sin so that the promise could be given – because of the faithfulness* of Jesus Christ – to those who believe. |
| 3:23 | Now before faith* came we were held in custody under the law, being kept as prisoners* until the coming faith would be revealed. |
| 3:24 | Thus the law had become our guardian* until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous* by faith. |
| 3:25 | But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.* |
| 3:26 | For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.* |
| 3:27 | For all of you who* were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. |
| 3:28 | There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave* nor free, there is neither male nor female* – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. |
| 3:29 | And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants,* heirs according to the promise. |
Galatians 3 - NET Bible [draft]
