行律法與信基督
1無知的加拉太人啊！誰又迷惑了你們呢？耶穌基督被釘在十字架上的事早就像一幅畫一樣展現在你們眼前了。 2我只想問，你們領受了聖靈是靠遵行律法呢，還是因為相信所聽見的福音呢？ 3你們既然靠聖靈開始了基督徒的生活，現在卻想靠肉體達到純全嗎？你們就這麼無知嗎？ 4你們受了許多苦，難道都是徒然的嗎？都白受了嗎？ 5上帝將聖靈賜給你們又在你們中間行神蹟，是因為你們遵行律法呢，還是因為你們相信所聽到的福音呢？
6聖經上說：「亞伯拉罕信上帝，就被算為義人。」 7因此，你們要明白，那些信上帝的人才是亞伯拉罕的子孫。 8聖經早就指明，上帝要叫外族人因信而被稱為義人，祂預先將福音傳給亞伯拉罕，說：「萬國必因你而蒙福。」 9所以那些信上帝的人必和有信心的亞伯拉罕一同得到祝福。
10凡以遵行律法為本的人都在咒詛之下，因為聖經上說：「凡不遵行律法書上一切命令的人必受咒詛。」 11非常明顯，沒有人能靠遵行律法在上帝面前被稱為義人，因為聖經上說：「義人必靠信心而活。」 12律法卻不是以信心為本，而是說：「遵行的人必存活。」
13但基督替我們受了咒詛，從而救贖我們脫離了律法的咒詛，因為聖經上說：「凡掛在木頭上的人都是受咒詛的。」 14這樣，賜給亞伯拉罕的祝福可以藉著基督耶穌臨到外族人，使我們也可以藉著信得到上帝應許賜給我們的聖靈。
律法與應許
15弟兄姊妹，我舉個日常生活中的例子。世人的合約一經雙方簽訂之後，就不能作廢，也不能加添。 16上帝曾向亞伯拉罕和他的後裔賜下應許，不過這裡沒有說「後裔們」——指許多人，而是說「你的後裔」——指一個人，就是基督。 17我的意思是：四百三十年後頒佈的律法不會廢除上帝先前立下的約，以致應許落空。 18倘若我們是靠守律法去承受產業，我們就不是倚靠上帝的應許。但上帝是憑應許把產業賜給了亞伯拉罕。
19那麼，為什麼會有律法呢？律法是為了使人知罪而頒佈的，等那位承受應許的後裔來到後，律法的任務就完成了。律法是通過天使交給一位中間人頒佈的。 20中間人代表雙方，但上帝則單方面賜下應許。
21這樣看來，上帝的律法和上帝的應許是否互相矛盾呢？當然不是！如果賜下的律法能帶給人生命，人就可以靠律法成為義人了。 22但聖經說萬物都在罪的權勢下，爲要使那些相信的人因爲相信耶稣基督而得到應許3·22 「因爲相信耶稣基督而得到應許」或譯「因爲耶稣基督的信實而得到應許」。。
23信耶穌的時代3·23 「信耶穌的時代」希臘文是「信心」，下同25節。還沒有來臨以前，律法暫時監管我們。等到信耶穌之道顯明出來後，律法就不再監管我們。 24因此，律法是我們的監護人，負責引領我們歸向基督，使我們可以因信而被稱為義人。 25現在信耶穌的時代已經來臨，我們不再受律法監管。 26你們都藉著信基督耶穌而成為上帝的兒女， 27因為你們受洗歸入基督就是披戴基督3·27 「披戴基督」是個隱喻，主要的意思是「像基督」，象徵有基督的生命與品格。。 28從此不再分猶太人和希臘人，自由人和奴隸，男人和女人，因為你們都在基督耶穌裡合而為一了。 29你們若屬於基督，就是亞伯拉罕的後裔，都是照著上帝的應許承受產業的人。
Faith or Obeying the Law
1You foolish people of Galatia! Who has put you under an evil spell? When I preached, I clearly showed you that Jesus Christ had been nailed to the cross. 2I would like to learn just one thing from you. Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law? Or did you receive the Spirit by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? You began by the Holy Spirit. Are you now trying to finish God’s work in you by your own strength? 4Have you experienced so much for nothing? And was it really for nothing? 5So I ask you again, how does God give you his Spirit? How does he work miracles among you? Is it by doing what the law says? Or is it by believing what you have heard? 6In the same way, Abraham “believed God. God was pleased with Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God.” (Genesis 15:6)
7So you see, those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8Long ago, Scripture knew that God would make the Gentiles right with himself. He would do this by their faith in him. He announced the good news ahead of time to Abraham. God said, “All nations will be blessed because of you.” (Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18) 9So those who depend on faith are blessed along with Abraham. He was the man of faith.
10All who depend on obeying the law are under a curse. It is written, “May everyone who doesn’t continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law be under God’s curse.” (Deuteronomy 27:26) 11We know that no one who depends on the law is made right with God. This is because “the one who is right with God will live by faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4) 12The law is not based on faith. In fact, it is just the opposite. It teaches that “the person who does these things will live by them.” (Leviticus 18:5) 13Christ set us free from the curse of the law. He did it by becoming a curse for us. It is written, “Everyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse.” (Deuteronomy 21:23) 14Christ Jesus set us free so that the blessing given to Abraham would come to the Gentiles through Christ. He did it so that we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. The promised Spirit comes by believing in Christ.
The Law and the Promise
15Brothers and sisters, let me give you an example from everyday life. No one can get rid of an official agreement between people. No one can add to it. It can’t be changed after it has been made. It is the same with God’s covenant agreement. 16The promises were given to Abraham. They were also given to his seed. Scripture does not say, “and to seeds.” That means many people. It says, “and to your seed.” (Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7) That means one person. And that one person is Christ. 17Here is what I mean. The law came 430 years after the promise. But the law does not get rid of God’s covenant and promise. The covenant had already been made by God. So the law does not do away with the promise. 18The great gift that God has for us does not depend on the law. If it did, it would no longer depend on the promise. But God gave it to Abraham as a free gift through a promise.
19Then why was the law given at all? It was added because of human sin. And it was supposed to control us until the promised Seed had come. The law was given through angels, and a go-between was put in charge of it. 20A go-between means that there is more than one side to an agreement. But God didn’t use a go-between when he made his promise to Abraham.
21So is the law opposed to God’s promises? Certainly not! What if a law had been given that could give life? Then people could become right with God by obeying the law. 22But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin. It does so in order that what was promised might be given to those who believe. The promise comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
Children of God
23Before faith in Christ came, we were guarded by the law. We were locked up until this faith was made known. 24So the law was put in charge of us until Christ came. He came so that we might be made right with God by believing in Christ. 25But now faith in Christ has come. So the law is no longer in charge of us.
26So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God by believing in Christ. 27This is because all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. You have put him on as if he were your clothes. 28There is no Jew or Gentile. There is no slave or free person. There is no male or female. That’s because you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29You who belong to Christ are Abraham’s seed. So you will receive what God has promised.
