3O YOU poor {and} silly {and} thoughtless {and} unreflecting {and} senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated {or} bewitched {or} cast a spell over you, unto whom--right before your very eyes--Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly {and} graphically set forth {and} portrayed as crucified?G5599G453G1052G5101G940G5209G3982G3361G3982G225G2596G3739G3788G2424G5547G4270G4717G1722G5213 2Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the [Holy] Spirit as the result of obeying the Law {and} doing its works, or was it by hearing [the message of the Gospel] and believing [it]? [Was it from observing a law of rituals or from a message of faith?]G5124G3440G2309G3129G575G5216G2983G4151G1537G2041G3551G2228G1537G189G4102 3Are you so foolish {and} so senseless {and} so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh?G2075G3779G453G1728G4151G2005G3568G2005G4561 4Have you suffered so many things {and} experienced so much all for nothing (to no purpose)--if it really is to no purpose {and} in vain?G3958G5118G1500G1489G2532G1500 5Then does He Who supplies you with His marvelous [Holy] Spirit and works powerfully {and} miraculously among you do so on [the grounds of your doing] what the Law demands, or because of your believing in {and} adhering to {and} trusting in {and} relying on the message that you heard?G3767G2023G5213G4151G2532G1754G1411G1722G5213G1537G2041G3551G2228G1537G189G4102 6Thus Abraham believed in {and} adhered to {and} trusted in {and} relied on God, and it was reckoned {and} placed to his account {and} credited as righteousness (as conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action).G2531G11G4100G2316G2532G3049G846G1519G1343 7Know {and} understand that it is [really] the people [who live] by faith who are [the true] sons of Abraham.G1097G686G3754G1537G4102G3778G1526G5207G11 8And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify (declare righteous, put in right standing with Himself) the Gentiles in consequence of faith, proclaimed the Gospel [foretelling the glad tidings of a Savior long beforehand] to Abraham in the promise, saying, In you shall all the nations [of the earth] be blessed.G1161G1124G4275G3754G2316G1344G1484G1537G4102G4283G11G3754G1722G4671G1757G3956G1484G1757 9So then, those who are people of faith are blessed {and} made happy {and} favored by God [as partners in fellowship] with the believing {and} trusting Abraham.G5620G1537G4102G2127G4862G4103G11 10And all who depend on the Law [who are seeking to be justified by obedience to the Law of rituals] are under a curse {and} doomed to disappointment {and} destruction, for it is written in the Scriptures, Cursed (accursed, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment) be everyone who does not continue to abide (live and remain) by all the precepts {and} commands written in the Book of the Law and to practice them.G1063G3745G1526G1537G2041G3551G1526G5259G2671G1063G1125G1944G3956G3739G1696G3756G1722G3956G3588G1125G1722G975G3551G4160G846 11Now it is evident that no person is justified (declared righteous and brought into right standing with God) through the Law, for the Scripture says, The man in right standing with God [the just, the righteous] shall live by {and} out of faith {and} he who through {and} by faith is declared righteous {and} in right standing with God shall live.G1161G3754G3762G1344G1722G3551G3844G2316G1212G3754G1342G2198G1537G4102 12But the Law does not rest on faith [does not require faith, has nothing to do with faith], for it itself says, He who does them [the things prescribed by the Law] shall live by them [not by faith].G1161G3551G2076G3756G1537G4102G235G444G4160G846G2198G1722G846 13Christ purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by [Himself] becoming a curse for us, for it is written [in the Scriptures], Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified);G5547G1805G2248G1537G2671G3551G1096G2671G5228G2257G1063G1125G1944G3956G2910G1909G3586 14To the end that through [their receiving] Christ Jesus, the blessing [promised] to Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, so that we through faith might [all] receive [the realization of] the promise of the [Holy] Spirit.G2443G2129G11G1096G1519G1484G1722G2424G5547G2443G2983G1860G4151G1223G4102 15To speak in terms of human relations, brethren, [if] even a man makes a last will and testament (a merely human covenant), no one sets it aside {or} makes it void {or} adds to it when once it has been drawn up {and} signed (ratified, confirmed).G80G3004G2596G444G3676G444G1242G2964G3762G114G2228G1928 16Now the promises (covenants, agreements) were decreed {and} made to Abraham and his Seed (his Offspring, his Heir). He [God] does not say, And to seeds (descendants, heirs), as if referring to many persons, but, And to your Seed (your Descendant, your Heir), obviously referring to one individual, Who is [none other than] Christ (the Messiah).G1161G11G2532G846G4690G4483G1860G4483G3004G3756G2532G4690G5613G1909G4183G235G5613G1909G1520G2532G4675G4690G3739G2076G5547 17This is my argument: The Law, which began 430 years after the covenant [concerning the coming Messiah], does not {and} cannot annul the covenant previously established (ratified) by God, so as to abolish the promise {and} make it void.G1161G5124G3004G1242G4300G5259G2316G1519G5547G3551G1096G5071G2532G5144G2094G3326G3756G208G1519G2673G1860G2673 18For if the inheritance [of the promise depends on observing] the Law [as these false teachers would like you to believe], it no longer [depends] on the promise; however, God gave it to Abraham [as a free gift solely] by virtue of His promise.G1063G1487G2817G1537G3551G3765G1537G1860G1161G2316G5483G11G1223G1860 19What then was the purpose of the Law? It was added [later on, after the promise, to disclose and expose to men their guilt] because of transgressions {and} [to make men more conscious of the sinfulness] of sin; and it was intended to be in effect until the Seed (the Descendant, the Heir) should come, to {and} concerning Whom the promise had been made. And it [the Law] was arranged {and} ordained {and} appointed through the instrumentality of angels [and was given] by the hand (in the person) of a go-between [Moses, an intermediary person between God and man].G5101G3767G3551G4369G5484G3847G891G3739G4690G2064G3739G1861G1299G1223G32G1722G5495G3316 20Now a go-between (intermediary) has to do with {and} implies more than one party [there can be no mediator with just one person]. Yet God is [only] one Person [and He was the sole party in giving that promise to Abraham. But the Law was a contract between two, God and Israel; its validity was dependent on both].G1161G3316G2076G3756G1520G1161G2316G2076G1520 21Is the Law then contrary {and} opposed to the promises of God? Of course not! For if a Law had been given which could confer [spiritual] life, then righteousness {and} right standing with God would certainly have come by Law.G3551G3767G2596G1860G2316G3361G1096G1063G1487G1325G3551G1325G3588G1410G2227G3689G1343G302G2258G1537G3551 22But the Scriptures [picture all mankind as sinners] shut up {and} imprisoned by sin, so that [the inheritance, blessing] which was promised through faith in Jesus Christ (the Messiah) might be given (released, delivered, and committed) to [all] those who believe [who adhere to and trust in and rely on Him].G235G1124G4788G3956G5259G266G2443G1860G1537G4102G2424G5547G1325G4100 23Now before the faith came, we were perpetually guarded under the Law, kept in custody in preparation for the faith that was destined to be revealed (unveiled, disclosed),G1161G4253G4102G2064G5432G5259G3551G4788G1519G4102G3195G601 24So that the Law served [to us Jews] as our trainer [our guardian, our guide to Christ, to lead us] until Christ [came], that we might be justified (declared righteous, put in right standing with God) by {and} through faith.G5620G3551G1096G2257G3807G1519G5547G2443G1344G1537G4102 25But now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a trainer (the guardian of our childhood).G1161G4102G2064G2070G2089G3765G5259G3807 26For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.G1063G2075G3956G5207G2316G1223G4102G1722G5547G2424 27For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ.G1063G3745G907G1519G5547G1746G5547 28There is [now no distinction] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.G1762G3756G2453G3761G1672G1762G3756G1401G3761G1658G1762G3756G730G2532G2338G1063G5210G2075G3956G1520G1722G5547G2424 29And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham's Seed], then you are Abraham's offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise.G1161G1487G5210G5547G686G2075G11G4690G2532G2818G2596G1860
Dublin, OH
