Galatians 3

1 O foolish [senseless, lacking understanding] Galatians! Who [what person or influence] has bewitched [deceived, put under a spell] you? Before your very eyes [in your sight, plainly] Jesus Christ [the Messiah, God’s anointed] was clearly portrayed [openly set forth, described] as crucified [put to death on the cross, impaled]. word study 2 I would like to learn [this only] just one thing from you: Did you receive [take, accept] the Spirit [breath, vital principle] by works [deeds, actions] of the law [regulations, commandments], or by hearing [listening, heeding] with faith [trust, confidence, having God’s nature]? word study 3 Are you so [utterly without understanding] foolish? After starting [having begun, initiated] in the Spirit [the divine breath, God’s vital principle], are you now [at this present time] finishing [completing, perfecting] in the flesh [human nature, physical body]? word study 4 Have you suffered [undergone hardship, experienced pain] so much [to a great extent] for nothing [in vain, without purpose], if it really was [indeed, if so] for nothing [without reason or result]? word study 5 Does God [the supreme Creator, Elohim] lavish His Spirit [the vital principle, breath of life] on you and work [perform, accomplish] miracles [mighty acts, powerful deeds] among you because you practice [obey, follow] the law [Mosaic law, divine instruction], or because you hear [listen, pay attention] and believe [trust, have faith]? word study 6 So also [just as, in the same way], “Abraham [the father of faith] believed [trusted, had faith in] God [the one true deity], and it was [reckoned, counted] credited [imputed, accounted] to him as [a state of being, a condition of] righteousness [living according to God’s will, being in right standing].” word study 7 Understand [know, be aware, perceive], then, that those who have [possess, exercise] faith [trust, confidence in God] are [by spiritual birth, in a spiritual sense] sons [children, descendants, heirs] of Abraham [the father of the faithful, a Hebrew patriarch]. word study 8 The Scripture [holy Writings, written document] foresaw [having foresight, seeing before] that God [the one true deity] would justify [declare righteous, show to be innocent] the Gentiles [non-Jewish people, nations] by faith [trust, confidence in God], and foretold [preached beforehand, announced in advance] the gospel [good news, glad tidings] to Abraham [the Hebrew patriarch]: “All [every, entire] nations [people, Gentiles] will be blessed [receive a benefit, have a gift conferred upon them] through [in, among] you [Abraham, as a representative].” word study 9 So [therefore, as a result] those who have [possess, trust in] faith [trust and confidence in God] are blessed [praised, spoken well of] along with [together, in companionship] Abraham [the father of the faithful], the man of [characterized by, full of] faith [trust and confidence in God]. word study 10 All who rely on works [works of obedience, deeds of righteousness] of the law [Mosaic law, God’s commandments] are under a [divine condemnation, spiritual curse] curse. For it is written: “Cursed [under God’s judgment, eternally punished] is everyone who does not continue [persist, abide] to do everything [all the commandments, every requirement] written in the Book [scroll, written document] of the Law [God’s law, the law of Moses].” word study 11 Now it is clear [evident, obvious] that no one [none, nobody] is justified [made right, declared innocent] before God [the supreme Deity, Creator] by the law [Moses’ law, a set of rules], because [since, for the reason that], “The righteous [just, upright] will live [have life, exist] by faith [trust, confidence in God].” word study 12 The law [a set of rules or regulations, such as Moses’ law], however, is not based on faith [trust and confidence in God]; on the contrary [but, in opposition to this idea], “The man [a human being, created in God’s image] who does [to make or do something, to obey] these things [the commandments and precepts of the law] will live [to have life, either physically or spiritually] by [in accordance with, in harmony with] them [the law’s requirements].” word study 13 Christ [the Anointed One, Messiah] redeemed [bought back, rescued] us from the curse [condemnation, judgment] of the law [God’s commandments, regulations] by becoming [being made, taking on] a curse [condemnation, punishment] for us [in our place, on our behalf]. For it is written [recorded, inscribed]: “Cursed [under God’s judgment, condemned] is everyone [all people, every person] who is hung [executed, crucified] on a tree [wood, cross].” word study 14 He redeemed [bought back, freed from sin] us in order that [to, for the purpose of] the blessing [praise, benediction] promised to Abraham [the father of the Jewish nation, a man of faith] would come to the Gentiles [non-Jewish people, nations] in Christ Jesus [the Messiah, the anointed one], so that by faith [trust, confidence in God] we might receive [take, accept] the promise [commitment, assurance] of the Spirit [the vital principle, the divine breath]. word study 15 Brothers [fellow believers, my Christian friends], let me put this in human [after the manner of men] terms. Even a human [man’s, a person’s] covenant [agreement, contract], once it is ratified [confirmed, made certain], cannot be canceled [rejected, set aside] or amended [added to, changed]. word study 16 The promises [commitments, assurances] were spoken to Abraham [the father of faith] and to his seed [offspring, descendants]. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds [many descendants],” meaning many, but “and to your seed [singular, one descendant],” meaning One, who is Christ [the Messiah, the Anointed One]. word study 17 What I mean is this: The law [given 430 years later, coming after] that came 430 years later does not revoke [cancel, disannul] the covenant [a formal agreement, promise] previously established [confirmed beforehand, ratified] by God [the one true deity, Creator], so as to nullify [make void, invalidate] the promise [a commitment, assurance]. word study 18 For if the inheritance [a gift or legacy] depends on the law [a set of rules or regulations], then it no longer [is not any more] depends on a promise [a commitment or assurance]; but God [the one true deity] freely granted [gave graciously, showed kindness] it to Abraham [the father of the Jewish nation] through [because of, by means of] a promise [an assurance or vow]. word study 19 Why then was the law [given to show what wrongdoing really is] given? It was added [to show its true purpose] because of transgressions [violations of God’s will], until the arrival [coming, fulfillment] of the seed [offspring, descendant] to whom the promise [divine undertaking, covenant] referred. It was administered [ordained, directed] through angels [heavenly messengers] by a mediator [one who stands between, a go-between]. word study 20 A mediator [go-between, one who intervenes] is unnecessary [not needed, has no role], however, for only one party [a single person, one side]; but God [the one true deity, supreme Being] is one [unique, alone, unified]. word study 21 Is the law [a set of rules or regulations], then, opposed [in direct conflict] to the promises [commitments or assurances] of God [the one true deity]? Certainly not [by no means, God forbid]! For if a law [a system of commandments] had been given that could impart [bestow or grant] life [eternal or spiritual], then righteousness [living according to God’s will, being in right standing] would certainly have come from the law [as a result of obeying its commands]. word study 22 But the Scripture [holy Writings, written document] pronounces all things [every person, everything] confined [shut up, imprisoned] by sin [missing the mark, falling short of God’s standards], so that by faith [trust, confidence] in Jesus Christ [the Messiah, God’s anointed] the promise [commitment, assurance] might be given [bestowed, granted] to those who believe [trust, have faith]. word study 23 Before [prior to, in time preceding] this faith [trust, confidence in God] came, we were held in custody [kept under guard, imprisoned] under the law [Moses’ law, a set of rules], locked up [confined, shut up] until faith [trust, confidence in God] should be revealed [disclosed, made known, apocalypse]. word study 24 So the law [our schoolmaster, tutor] became our guardian [pedagogue, child-conductor] to lead us to Christ [the anointed Messiah], that we might be justified [made righteous, declared innocent] by faith [trust, confidence in God]. word study 25 Now that faith [trust and confidence in God] has come, we are no longer [not anymore, freed from] under a guardian [tutor, schoolmaster, child-conductor]. word study 26 You are [as children, having God’s nature] all [every single one, without exception] sons [children, heirs] of God [the one true deity, Creator] through [because of, by means of] faith [trust, confidence] in Christ [the Anointed One, Messiah] Jesus [God’s salvation, the Son of God]. word study 27 For all of you who were baptized [immersed, fully submerged] into Christ [the Anointed One, Messiah] have clothed [put on, dressed in] yourselves with Christ [the Lord, Savior]. word study 28 There is [no distinction, no separation] neither Jew [a person from Judah, a Hebrew] nor Greek [a Gentile, a non-Jew], slave [a bondservant, one bound to serve] nor free [unrestricted, having liberty], male [a man, a masculine person] nor female [a woman, a feminine person], for you are all [united, one in spirit] one [unified, joined together] in Christ [the Anointed One, the Messiah] Jesus [God’s salvation, the Savior]. word study 29 And if [as is the case, since you have faith] you belong to Christ [are in union with the Messiah], then you are Abraham’s [the father of faith, a Hebrew patriarch] seed [offspring, descendants] and heirs [those who receive an inheritance, beneficiaries] according to [in line with, following] the promise [a commitment, assurance from God]. word study