Galatians 3 - Amplified Bible(AMP)

Faith Brings Righteousness

1O you foolish and thoughtless and superficial Galatians, who has bewitched you, to whom—right before your very eyes—Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

2This is all I want to ask of you: did you receive the Spirit as the result of obeying the Law, or was it the result of hearing with faith?

3Are you so foolish and senseless? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now being perfected and reaching spiritual maturity by the flesh?

4Have you suffered so many things and experienced so much all for nothing—if indeed it was all for nothing?

5So then, does He who supplies you with His Spirit and works miracles among you, do it as a result of the works of the Law, or because you heard with faith?

6Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,.

7So understand that it is the people who live by faith who are sons of Abraham.

8The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the good news to Abraham in advance, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”

9So then those who are people of faith are blessed and favored by God along with Abraham, the believer.

10For all who depend on the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed (condemned to destruction) is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, so as to practice them.”

11Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the Law, for “The righteous (the just, the upright) shall live by faith.”

12But the Law does not rest on or require faith, but says, “He who practices them shall live by them.”

13Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (cross)”—

14in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might also come to the Gentiles, so that we would all receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Intent of the Law

15Brothers and sisters, I speak in terms of human relations: even though a last will and testament is just a human covenant, yet when it has been signed and made legally binding, no one sets it aside or adds to it.

16Now the promises were decreed to Abraham and to his seed. God does not say, “And to seeds (descendants, heirs),” as if to many, but as to one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.

17This is what I mean: the Law, which came into existence four hundred and thirty years later, does not and cannot invalidate the covenant previously established by God, so as to abolish the promise.

18For if the inheritance is based on the Law, it is no longer based on a promise; however, God granted it to Abraham by virtue of His promise.

19Why, then, the Law? It was added because of transgressions, and was ordained through angels and delivered to Israel by the hand of a mediator until the Seed would come to whom the promise had been made.

20Now the mediator or go-between is not for just one party; whereas God is only one.

21Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a system of law had been given which could impart life, then righteousness (right standing with God) would actually have been based on law.

22But the Scripture has imprisoned everyone under sin, so that which was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

23Now before faith came, we were kept in custody under the Law, imprisoned for the faith that was destined to be revealed,

24with the result that the Law has become our tutor and our disciplinarian to guide us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor and disciplinarian.

26For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

27For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, and heirs according to promise.