Galatians 3 (NMV)
1 You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
2 I want to learn just this one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with confident expectation?
3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now trying to be made complete by the flesh?
4 Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing?
5 So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your works of the law or by your hearing with confident expectation?
6 Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,
7 understand, then, that those who have faith are the children of Abraham.
8 Now the Scripture, foreseeing that God would make the Gentiles [non-Jews] righteous by faith, announced the gospel in advance to Abraham, saying, "All nations will be blessed through you."
9 So then, those who have confident expectation are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse, because it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue doing everything written in the book of the law."
11 Now it is clear that no one is made righteous before God by the law, because "the righteous will live by faith."
12 But the law is not based on faith; rather, "The one who does these things will 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 is hung on a tree",
14 so that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles [non-Jews] in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brothers and sisters, I'm using a human example: Even a human covenant, once confirmed, is not set aside or added to.
16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. It does not say "to descendants," as though referring to many, but referring to one, "and to your descendant," who is Christ.
17 What I am saying is this: The law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.
18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by the promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham through a promise.
19 Why then was the law given? It was added because of deliberate violations of God's commands, until the descendant to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator.
20 Now a mediator is not for one party only, but God is one.
21 Is the law then contrary to God's promises? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could bring life, then righteousness would truly be by the law.
22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise might be given through faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe.
23 Now before this faith came, we were held under guard by the law, confined until the coming of the faith was revealed.
24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, so that we might be made righteous by faith.
25 But now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek [non-Jew], there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendant, heirs according to the promise.