Letter to the Galatians

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Galatians

Paul of Tarsus · 48–55 AD · 149 verses

It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)

Liberation from the Law through faith: against legalism, for life according to the Spirit.

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Galatians 1

¹ Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead, ² as well as all the brothers who are with me, to the churches of Galatia, ³ Grace and peace to all from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins, to rescue us from the corruption of the present world, according to the will of our God and Father, ⁵ To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. ⁶ I am astonished that you so quickly allow yourselves to be diverted from the one who called you to the grace of Jesus Christ, to turn to another gospel. ⁷ Not that there is another one, certainly, but there are people who trouble you and want to change the Gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. ⁹ We have said it before, and I repeat it now: if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one you received, let him be accursed. ¹⁰ At this moment, is it the favor of men, or that of God that I seek? Is my goal to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. ¹¹I tell you, brothers, the gospel I preached is not of human origin. ¹² for I did not receive it from a man nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation from Jesus Christ. ¹³ Indeed, you have heard of my conduct when I was in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and destroyed it. ¹⁴ and how I surpassed in Judaism many of my age and nation, being excessively zealous in upholding the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵ But when it pleased him who had set me apart from my mother's womb and who called me by his grace, ¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me, so that I may proclaim him among the Gentiles at once, without consulting flesh and blood, ¹⁷ Without going up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, I left for Arabia, then I returned again to Damascus. ¹⁸ Three years later, I went up to Jerusalem to meet Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days. ¹⁹ But I did not see any of the other Apostles except James, the Lord's brother. ²⁰ In everything I am writing to you, I attest to it before God; I am not lying. ²¹ I then went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² But I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which are in Christ, ²³ They had only heard that the one who had once persecuted them was now proclaiming the very faith he had previously tried to destroy. ²⁴ and they glorified God because of me.

Galatians 2

¹ Then, fourteen years later, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, having also taken Titus with me. ² It was by revelation that I went up and set forth to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, I set forth privately to those who were of high standing, for fear that I was running or had run in vain. ³ But they did not even force Titus, who was with me and was a Greek, to be circumcised. ⁴ And this was because of the false brothers who intruded in among us to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. ⁵ We did not consent, even for a moment, to submit to them, so that the truth of the Gospel might be preserved among you. ⁶ As for those who are held in such high esteem, what they were in the past does not matter to me: God does not show favoritism between people, these highly regarded men imposed nothing more on me. ⁷ On the contrary, seeing that the gospel had been entrusted to me for the uncircumcised, just as it had been to Peter for the circumcised, ⁸ For he who worked through Peter as an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me as an apostle to the Gentiles, ⁹ And when James, Cephas, and John, who were considered pillars, recognized the grace that had been given me, they gave Barnabas and me their hands as a sign of fellowship, to go, we to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰ But we had to remember the poor, which I took great care to do. ¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was blameworthy. ¹² Indeed, before the arrival of certain people from James' entourage, he ate with the pagans, but after their arrival, he slipped away and kept to himself, for fear of the supporters of circumcision. ¹³ Along with him, the other Jews also used dissimulation, so that Barnabas himself was led astray. ¹⁴ For my part, when I saw that they were not walking uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of them all, «If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?» ¹⁵ For us, we are Jews by birth and not of these pagan sinners. ¹⁶ However, knowing that a person is justified not by works of the law but by faith in Christ Jesus, we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in him and not by works of the law, for by works of the law no one will be justified. ¹⁷ But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, would Christ then be a minister of sin? Far from it! ¹⁸ For if I rebuild what I have destroyed, I constitute myself a wrongdoer., ¹⁹ For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I was crucified with Christ ²⁰ And if I live, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not reject the grace of God, for if righteousness is obtained through the Law, then Christ died for nothing.

Galatians 3

¹ O foolish Galatians, who have bewitched you, before whose eyes has been traced the image of Jesus Christ crucified. ² This is the only thing I would like to know about you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by submitting to faith? ³ Are you so lacking in sense that, after starting with the mind, you end up with the flesh? ⁴ Did you conduct such an experiment in vain? If indeed it was in vain. ⁵Does he who gives you the Spirit and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by submission to faith? ⁶ As it is written: "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."« ⁷ Therefore, recognize that these are children of Abraham, who are of faith. ⁸ Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, announced this good news to Abraham beforehand: «All nations will be blessed through you.» ⁹ So that those who are of faith are blessed along with faithful Abraham. ¹⁰ Indeed, all who rely on the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written: «Cursed is everyone who does not continue to observe everything written in the Book of the Law.» ¹¹ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the Law, since "the righteous will live by faith."« ¹² But the Law does not come from faith, but says, "Whoever keeps these commandments will live by them."« ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: «Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.» ¹⁴ so that the blessing promised to Abraham might extend to the nations in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promised Spirit by faith. ¹⁵ Brothers, I speak according to human custom: a contract in good form, although the commitment is made by a man, is not annulled by anyone and no one adds to it. ¹⁶ But the promises were made to Abraham and to his descendants. It does not say, "And to his descendants," as if referring to many, but it says, "To your descendants," as if speaking of only one, namely Christ. ¹⁷ Here is what I mean: God having established a covenant in good standing, the law which came four hundred and thirty years later does not nullify it, so as to make the promise useless. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance were obtained through the Law, it would no longer come from a promise; but it was through a promise that God gave Abraham this gift of his grace. ¹⁹ Why then the Law? It was added because of transgressions, until "the offspring" came, to whom the promise had been made; it was promulgated by the angels through a mediator. ²⁰ But the mediator is not a mediator of one, and God is one. ²¹ Does the Law then contradict God's promises? Far from it. If a law had been given that could bring about life, then justice would truly come from the law. ²² But Scripture has imprisoned everything under sin, so that what was promised might be given to those who believe, through faith in Jesus Christ. ²³ Before faith came, we were held in custody under the Law, imprisoned until the faith that was to be revealed would come. ²⁴ So the Law was our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But once faith has come, we are no longer under the care of a teacher. ²⁶ For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There 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. ²⁹ And if you belong to Christ, then you are «seeds» of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 4

¹ But I say this: As long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, even though he is the master of everything ² but he is subject to guardians and curators until the time appointed by the father. ³ Likewise, we too, when we were children, were enslaved by the forces that govern the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, conceived from a woman, born under the Law, ⁵ to free those who are under the Law, in order to grant us adoption. ⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying out: Abba. Father. ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, you are a son, and if you are a son, you are also an heir, thanks to God. ⁸ In the past, it is true, not knowing God, you served those who by their nature are not gods. ⁹But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to those poor and weak forces to which you again wish to be enslaved? ¹⁰ You observe the days, the months, the times, and the years. ¹¹ I fear that my labors among you have been in vain. ¹² Become like me, since I myself am like you, brothers, I beg you. You have not harmed me in any way. ¹³ When I first preached the gospel to you, you know the weakness of my flesh, and yet what in my flesh was a trial for you, ¹⁴ You did not despise or reject him, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ What has become of those happy feelings? For I bear you witness that, if it had been possible, you would have torn out your eyes to give them to me. ¹⁶ So I have become your enemy because I told you the truth? ¹⁷The affection these people show you is not good; they want to detach you from us so that you will become attached to them. ¹⁸ It is beautiful to be the object of intense affection, when it is for good reasons, always and not only when I am present among you. ¹⁹ My grandchildren, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth, until Christ is formed in you, ²⁰ How I wish I could be with you at this hour and change my language, for I am very perplexed about you. ²¹ Tell me, you who want to be under the Law, do you not hear the Law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. ²³ But the son of the slave woman was born according to the flesh, and the son of the free woman according to the promise. ²⁴ These things have an allegorical meaning because these women represent two alliances. One, from Mount Sinai, bearing children for servitude: this is Hagar, ²⁵ because Sinai is a mountain in Arabia. It corresponds to present-day Jerusalem, which is in bondage, both she and her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free: she is our mother ²⁷ For it is written: «Rejoice, barren woman, you who did not bear children; burst into song and shout for joy, you who did not know the pains of childbirth. For more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who had a husband.» ²⁸ But you, brothers, are like Isaac, children of the promise. ²⁹ But just as then the one who was born according to the flesh persecuted the one who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. ³⁰ But what does Scripture say? «Drive out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman cannot inherit with the son of the free woman.» ³¹ That is why, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

Galatians 5

¹ In the freedom by which Christ has set us free, stand firm and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. ² I, Paul, tell you: If you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. ³ On the contrary, I declare once again to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to fulfill the whole Law. ⁴ You who seek justification by the Law have fallen away from grace and no longer have any fellowship with Christ. ⁵ For through the Spirit we eagerly await the hope of righteousness by faith. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value, but only faith working through love. ⁷ You were running so well: who stopped you, to prevent you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹ A little sourdough starter will ferment the whole dough. ¹⁰ I have this confidence in you in the Lord, that you will not think otherwise, but whoever is causing trouble among you will bear the penalty. ¹¹ For me, my brothers, if it is true that I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? The scandal of the cross has therefore been removed. ¹² Ah, let those who trouble you be completely mutilated instead. ¹³ For you, my brothers, were called to freedom; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love become servants to one another. ¹⁴ For the whole Law is contained in one word: «You shall love your neighbor as yourself.» ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be destroyed by one another. ¹⁶ So I say, «Walk according to the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” ¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the spirit, you are no longer under the Law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: they are immorality, impurity, debauchery, ²⁰ idolatry, witchcraft, enmity, contention, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, sects, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, revelry, and other such things. I warn you, as I have already warned you, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² The fruit of the Spirit, on the contrary, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ Gentleness, temperance. Against such fruits, there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live by the spirit, let us also walk by the spirit. ²⁶Let us not seek vain glory by provoking one another, by envying one another.

Galatians 6

¹ Brothers, even if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore that person gently. But be careful that you do not also fall into temptation. ² Bear one another's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the word of Christ ³ For if someone believes he is something when he is nothing, he is deceiving himself. ⁴ Let each person examine their own works, and then they will have reason to glorify themselves alone, and not by comparing themselves to others. ⁵ because each person will have their own burden to bear. ⁶ Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. ⁷ Make no mistake, God is not to be mocked. What you sow, you will reap. ⁸ He who sows to his flesh will reap from the flesh corruption; he who sows to the spirit will reap from the spirit eternal life. ⁹ Let us not tire of doing good, for in due time we shall reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. ¹¹ See what letters I have traced for you with my own hand. ¹² Those who want to gain the favor of men are the ones who force you to be circumcised, for the sole purpose of not being persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³For these circumcised men do not themselves observe the Law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ As for me, God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For circumcision is nothing, uncircumcision is nothing; what matters is being a new creation. ¹⁶ Peace and mercy be upon all who follow this rule and upon the Israel of God. ¹⁷ Furthermore, let no one cause me any more embarrassment, for I bear on my body the stigmata of Jesus. ¹⁸ Brothers, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.