IV. Faith and Liberty

Justification by Faith.* 1O stupid* Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?a 2I want to learn only this from you:b did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you heard?* 3Are you so stupid?c After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?* 4Did you experience so many things* in vain?—if indeed it was in vain. 5Does, then, the one who supplies the Spirit to you and works mighty deeds among you do so from works of the law or from faith in what you heard?d 6Thus Abraham “believed God,e and it was credited to him as righteousness.”*

7* Realize then that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham.f 8Scripture, which saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold the good news to Abraham, saying, “Through you shall all the nations be blessed.”g 9Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith.h 10* For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law.”i 11And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for “the one who is righteous by faith will live.”j 12But the law does not depend on faith; rather, “the one who does these things will live by them.”k 13Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree,”l 14that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.m

The Law Did Not Nullify the Promise. 15* Brothers, in human terms I say that no one can annul or amend even a human will once ratified.n 16Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant.* It does not say, “And to descendants,” as referring to many, but as referring to one, “And to your descendant,” who is Christ.o 17This is what I mean: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward,* does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise.p 18For if the inheritance comes from the law,q it is no longer from a promise; but God bestowed it on Abraham through a promise.*

19* Why, then, the law? It was added for transgressions, until the descendant* came to whom the promise had been made; it was promulgated by angels at the hand of a mediator.r 20Now there is no mediator when only one party is involved, and God is one.s 21Is the law then opposed to the promises [of God]? Of course not! For if a law had been given that could bring life, then righteousness would in reality come from the law.t 22But scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.u

What Faith Has Brought Us.* 23Before faith came, we were held in custody under law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed.v 24Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian* for Christ, that we might be justified by faith.w 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian.x 26For through faith you are all children of God* in Christ Jesus.y 27* For all of you who were baptized into Christz have clothed yourselves with Christ.* 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.a 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise.b