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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Galatians 3 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/galatians/3.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcc/galatians/3-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com/catholic">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NRSVCE</a> > Galatians 3</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../galatians/2.htm" title="Galatians 2">◄</a> Galatians 3 <a href="../galatians/4.htm" title="Galatians 4">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition</td><td width="1%" valign="top"></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><div class="text-html"> <h3><span id="en" class="text">Law or Faith</span></h3><p class="chapter-1"><span class="text"><span class="versenum">1</span>You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">2</span>The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">3</span>Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">4</span>Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">5</span>Well then, does God<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-33363a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote a">a</a>]</span> supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?</span></p> <p><span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">6</span>Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">7</span>so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">8</span>And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">9</span>For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.</span></p> <p><span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">10</span>For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">11</span>Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for “The one who is righteous will live by faith.”<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-33369b" title="See footnote b">b</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote b">b</a>]</span> </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">12</span>But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, “Whoever does the works of the law<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-33370c" title="See footnote c">c</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote c">c</a>]</span> will live by them.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">13</span>Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">14</span>in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.</span></p> <h3><span id="en" class="text">The Promise to Abraham</span></h3><p><span class="text"><span class="versenum">15</span>Brothers and sisters,<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-33373d" title="See footnote d">d</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote d">d</a>]</span> I give an example from daily life: once a person’s will<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-33373e" title="See footnote e">e</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote e">e</a>]</span> has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">16</span>Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring;<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-33374f" title="See footnote f">f</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote f">f</a>]</span> it does not say, “And to offsprings,”<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-33374g" title="See footnote g">g</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote g">g</a>]</span> as of many; but it says, “And to your offspring,”<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-33374h" title="See footnote h">h</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote h">h</a>]</span> that is, to one person, who is Christ. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">17</span>My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">18</span>For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.</span></p> <h3><span id="en" class="text">The Purpose of the Law</span></h3><p><span class="text"><span class="versenum">19</span>Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-33377i" title="See footnote i">i</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote i">i</a>]</span> would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">20</span>Now a mediator involves more than one party; but God is one.</span></p> <p><span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">21</span>Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">22</span>But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-33380j" title="See footnote j">j</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote j">j</a>]</span> might be given to those who believe.</span></p> <p><span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">23</span>Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">24</span>Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">25</span>But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">26</span>for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">27</span>As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">28</span>There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">29</span>And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-33387k" title="See footnote k">k</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote k">k</a>]</span> heirs according to the promise.</span></p> <A name="fen"></a><div class="footnotes"><h4>Footnotes</h4><ol><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to Galatians 3:5">Galatians 3:5</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Gk <i>he</i></span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to Galatians 3:11">Galatians 3:11</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Or <i>The one who is righteous through faith will live</i></span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to Galatians 3:12">Galatians 3:12</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Gk <i>does them</i></span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to Galatians 3:15">Galatians 3:15</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Gk <i>Brothers</i></span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to Galatians 3:15">Galatians 3:15</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Or <i>covenant</i> (as in verse 17)</span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to Galatians 3:16">Galatians 3:16</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Gk <i>seed</i></span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to Galatians 3:16">Galatians 3:16</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Gk <i>seeds</i></span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to Galatians 3:16">Galatians 3:16</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Gk <i>seed</i></span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to Galatians 3:19">Galatians 3:19</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Gk <i>seed</i></span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to Galatians 3:22">Galatians 3:22</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Or <i>through the faith of Jesus Christ</i></span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to Galatians 3:29">Galatians 3:29</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Gk <i>seed</i></span></li></ol></div> </div></div></div></div></div> </div> </div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. 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