By Faith, or by Works of the Law?
3 O foolish Galatians! uWho has bewitched you? It was vbefore your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you wreceive the Spirit by works of the law or by xhearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? yHaving begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by1 the flesh? 4 Did you suffer2 so many things zin vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and aworks bmiracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham c“believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
7 Know then that dit is ethose of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that fGod would justify3 the Gentiles by faith, gpreached the gospel hbeforehand to Abraham, saying, i“In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
10 For all who rely on works of the law are junder a curse; for it is written, k“Cursed be everyone who does not abide by lall things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that mno one is justified before God by the law, for n“The righteous shall live by faith.”4 12 But the law is not of faith, rather o“The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ predeemed us from the curse of the law by qbecoming a curse for us—for it is written, r“Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a stree”— 14 tso that in Christ Jesus the ublessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive vthe promised Spirit5 through faith.
The Law and the Promise
15 wTo give a human example, brothers:6 even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now xthe promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, y“And to your offspring,” zwho is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: athe law, which came b430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the cinheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
19 Why then the law? dIt was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was eput in place through angels fby an gintermediary. 20 Now an hintermediary implies more than one, but iGod is one.
21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then jrighteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture kimprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by lfaith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 Now before faith came, we were held captive munder the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian nuntil Christ came, in order that we might be ojustified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were pbaptized into Christ have qput on Christ. 28 There is rneither Jew nor Greek, there is sneither slave7 nor free, there is tno male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And uif you are vChrist’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
Sons and Heirs
4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,1 though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is wunder guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were xenslaved to the yelementary principles2 of the world. 4 But when the zfullness of time had come, God asent forth his Son, bborn cof woman, born dunder the law, 5 to eredeem those who were funder the law, so that we might receive gadoption as sons. 6 And hbecause you are sons, God has sent the iSpirit of his Son jinto our hearts, crying, k“Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and lif a son, then an mheir through God.
Paul’s Concern for the Galatians
8 nFormerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are onot gods. 9 pBut now that you have come to qknow God, or rather to be rknown by God, how can you turn back again to the sweak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 tYou observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you uin vain.
12 Brothers,3 I entreat you, vbecome as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a wbodily ailment that xI preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, yas Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your zeyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the atruth?4 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, bfor whom I am again cin the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed din you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
Example of Hagar and Sarah
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, eone by a slave woman and fone by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while gthe son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted hallegorically: these women are itwo covenants. jOne is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for kslavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;5 she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But lthe Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,
m“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than those of the one who has a husband.”
28 Now you,6 brothers, like Isaac, are nchildren of promise. 29 But just as at that time ohe who was born according to the flesh ppersecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, qso also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? r“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but sof the free woman.
Christ Has Set Us Free
5 For freedom Christ has set us tfree; ustand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a vyoke of wslavery.
2 xLook: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to yevery man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified1 by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by zfaith, we ourselves eagerly await for the bhope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus cneither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
7 You were drunning well. eWho hindered you from obeying the ftruth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 gA little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 hI have confidence in the Lord that iyou will take no other view, and the one who is jtroubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers,2 still preach3 circumcision, kwhy am I still being persecuted? In that case the loffense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would memasculate themselves!
13 For you were called to nfreedom, brothers. oOnly do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love pserve one another. 14 For qthe whole law is fulfilled in one word: r“You shall slove your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Keep in Step with the Spirit
16 But I say, twalk by the Spirit, and you will unot gratify the vdesires of the flesh. 17 For wthe desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, xto keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are yled by the zSpirit, you are anot under the law. 19 Now bthe works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,4 drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that cthose who do5 such things dwill not einherit the kingdom of God. 22 But fthe fruit of the Spirit is glove, hjoy, ipeace, jpatience, kkindness, lgoodness, mfaithfulness, 23 ngentleness, oself-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And pthose who qbelong to Christ Jesus have rcrucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become sconceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Bear One Another’s Burdens
6 Brothers,1 tif anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him uin a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 vBear one another’s burdens, wand so fulfill the xlaw of Christ. 3 yFor if anyone zthinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But alet each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.
6 bLet the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for cwhatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And dlet us not grow weary eof doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not fgive up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, glet us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the hhousehold of faith.
Final Warning and Benediction
11 iSee with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would jforce you to be circumcised, and only kin order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised ldo not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast mexcept in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which2 the world has been crucified to me, and nI to the world. 15 oFor neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a pnew creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon qthe Israel of God.
17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
Ephesians
Greeting
1 Paul, an aapostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in bEphesus, and are cfaithful1 in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 dBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the eheavenly places, 4 feven as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be gholy and blameless before him. In love 5 he hpredestined us2 for iadoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the jpurpose of his will, 6 kto the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the lBeloved. 7 In him we have mredemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our ntrespasses, according to the oriches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in pall wisdom and insight 9 making known3 to us the qmystery of his will, according to his purpose, which rhe set forth in Christ4 10 as a plan for the sfullness of time, tto unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.
11 In him we have obtained an uinheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you vheard the wword of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were xsealed with ythe promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the zguarantee5 of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,6 to the praise of his glory.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
15 For this reason, because aI have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love7 toward all the saints, 16 bI do cnot cease to give thanks for you, dremembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you ethe Spirit of wisdom and of frevelation in the gknowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts henlightened, that you may know what is ithe hope to which jhe has called you, what are the kriches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, laccording to the working of his great mmight 20 that he worked in Christ when nhe raised him from the dead and oseated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 pfar qabove all rule and authority and power and dominion, and rabove every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he sput tall things under his feet and gave him as uhead over all things to the church, 23 which is his vbody, the wfullness of him who xfills all in all.
