Chapter 3

Faith Brings Righteousness

1 1You foolish aGalatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ bwas publicly portrayed as crucified?

2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of 1the Law, or by 2ahearing with faith?

3 Are you so foolish? Having begun 1by the Spirit, are you now 2being perfected by the flesh?

4 Did you 1suffer so many things in vain—aif indeed it was in vain?

5 So then, does He who aprovides you with the Spirit and bworks 1miracles among you, do it by the works of 2the Law, or by 3chearing with faith?

6 1Even so aAbraham bbelieved God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

7 Therefore, 1be sure that ait is those who are of faith who are bsons of Abraham.

8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God 1would justify the 2Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “aAll the nations will be blessed in you.”

9 So then athose who are of faith are blessed with 1Abraham, the believer.

10 For as many as are of the works of 1the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “aCursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.”

11 Now that ano one is justified 1by 2the Law before God is evident; for, “3bThe righteous man shall live by faith.”

12 1However, the Law is not 2of faith; on the contrary, “aHe who practices them shall live 3by them.”

13 Christ aredeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “bCursed is everyone who hangs on ca 1tree”—

14 in order that ain Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might 1come to the Gentiles, so that we bwould receive cthe promise of the Spirit through faith.

Intent of the Law

15 aBrethren, bI speak 1in terms of human relations: ceven though it is only a man’s 2covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds 3conditions to it.

16 Now the promises were spoken ato Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “bAnd to your seed,” that is, Christ.

17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came afour hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.

18 For aif the inheritance is 1based on law, it is no longer 1based on a promise; but bGod has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.

19 aWhy the Law then? It was added 1because of transgressions, having been bordained through angels cby the 2agency of a mediator, until dthe seed would come to whom the promise had been made.

20 Now aa mediator is not 1for one party only; whereas God is only one.

21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? aMay it never be! For bif a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness 1would indeed have been 2based on law.

22 But the Scripture has ashut up 1everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, abeing shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.

24 Therefore the Law has become our atutor to lead us to Christ, so that bwe may be justified by faith.

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a 1atutor.

26 For you are all asons of God through faith in bChrist Jesus.

27 For all of you who were abaptized into Christ have bclothed yourselves with Christ.

28 aThere is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is 1neither male nor female; for byou are all one in cChrist Jesus.

29 And if ayou 1belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s 2descendants, heirs according to bpromise.

Chapter 4

Sonship in Christ

1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a 1child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is 2owner of everything,

2 but he is under guardians and 1managers until the date set by the father.

3 So also we, while we were children, were held ain bondage under the 1belemental things of the world.

4 But when athe fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, bborn of a woman, born cunder 1the Law,

5 so that He might redeem those who were under 1the Law, that we might receive the adoption as asons.

6 Because you are sons, aGod has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “bAbba! Father!”

7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and aif a son, then an heir 1through God.

8 However at that time, awhen you did not know God, you were bslaves to cthose which by nature are no gods.

9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be aknown by God, bhow is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless 1celemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?

10 You aobserve days and months and seasons and years.

11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored 1over you in vain.

12 I beg of you, abrethren, bbecome as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong;

13 but you know that it was because of a 1bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the 2first time;

14 and that which was a 1trial to you in my 2bodily condition you did not despise or 3loathe, but ayou received me as an angel of God, as bChrist Jesus Himself.

15 Where then is 1that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

16 So have I become your enemy aby 1telling you the truth?

17 They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.

18 But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable 1manner, and anot only when I am present with you.

19 aMy children, with whom bI am again in labor until cChrist is formed in you—

20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for aI am perplexed about you.

Bond and Free

21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not alisten to the law?

22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, aone by the bondwoman and bone by the free woman.

23 But athe son by the bondwoman 1was born according to the flesh, and bthe son by the free woman through the promise.

24 1aThis is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from bMount Sinai bearing children 2who are to be cslaves; 3she is Hagar.

25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

26 But athe Jerusalem above is free; 1she is our mother.

27 For it is written,

“aRejoice, barren woman who does not bear;

Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;

For more numerous are the children of the desolate

Than of the one who has a husband.”

28 And you brethren, alike Isaac, are bchildren of promise.

29 But as at that time ahe who was born according to the flesh bpersecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, cso it is now also.

30 But what does the Scripture say?

“aCast out the bondwoman and her son,

For bthe son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”

31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, 1but of the free woman.

Chapter 5

Walk by the Spirit

1 1aIt was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore bkeep standing firm and do not be subject again to a cyoke of slavery.

2 Behold I, aPaul, say to you that if you receive bcircumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.

3 And I atestify again to every man who receives bcircumcision, that he is under obligation to ckeep the whole Law.

4 You have been severed from Christ, you who 1are seeking to be justified by law; you have afallen from grace.

5 For we 1through the Spirit, 2by faith, are awaiting for the hope of righteousness.

6 For in aChrist Jesus bneither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but cfaith working through love.

7 You were arunning well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

8 This persuasion did not come from aHim who calls you.

9 aA little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.

10 aI have confidence 1in you in the Lord that you bwill adopt no other view; but the one who is cdisturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still apersecuted? Then bthe stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.

12 I wish that athose who are troubling you would even 1bmutilate themselves.

13 For you were called to afreedom, brethren; bonly do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love cserve one another.

14 For athe whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “bYou shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

15 But if you abite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

16 But I say, awalk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out bthe desire of the flesh.

17 For athe flesh 1sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, bso that you may not do the things that you 2please.

18 But if you are aled by the Spirit, byou are not under the Law.

19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: 1aimmorality, impurity, sensuality,

20 idolatry, asorcery, enmities, bstrife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, cdisputes, dissensions, 1dfactions,

21 envying, adrunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not binherit the kingdom of God.

22 But athe fruit of the Spirit is blove, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, aself-control; against such things bthere is no law.

24 Now those who 1belong to aChrist Jesus have bcrucified the flesh with its passions and cdesires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also 1walk aby the Spirit.

26 Let us not become aboastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Chapter 6

Bear One Another’s Burdens

1 aBrethren, even if 1anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are bspiritual, crestore such a one din a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

2 aBear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill bthe law of Christ.

3 For aif anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

4 But each one must aexamine his own work, and then he will have reason for bboasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.

5 For aeach one will bear his own load.

6 aThe one who is taught bthe word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.

7 aDo not be deceived, bGod is not mocked; for cwhatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

8 aFor the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap bcorruption, but cthe one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

9 aLet us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we bdo not grow weary.

10 So then, 1awhile we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the bhousehold of cthe faith.

11 See with what large letters I 1am writing to you awith my own hand.

12 Those who desire ato make a good showing in the flesh try to bcompel you to be circumcised, simply so that they cwill not be persecuted 1for the cross of Christ.

13 For those who 1are circumcised do not even akeep 2the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may bboast in your flesh.

14 But amay it never be that I would boast, bexcept in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, cthrough 1which the world has been crucified to me, and dI to the world.

15 For aneither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a bnew 1creation.

16 And those who will 1walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the aIsrael of God.

17 From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the abrand-marks of Jesus.

18 aThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be bwith your spirit, cbrethren. Amen.

The Letter of Paul to the

EPHESIANS