Galatians 3 – NIV & CCB

New International Version

Galatians 3:1-29

Faith or Works of the Law

1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?3:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit. 4Have you experienced3:4 Or suffered so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”3:6 Gen. 15:6

7Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”3:8 Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18 9So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

10For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”3:10 Deut. 27:26 11Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”3:11 Hab. 2:4 12The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”3:12 Lev. 18:5 13Christ 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 pole.”3:13 Deut. 21:23 14He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

The Law and the Promise

15Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”3:16 Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7 meaning one person, who is Christ. 17What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

19Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. 20A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

21Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Children of God

23Before the coming of this faith,3:22,23 Or through the faithfulness of Jesus… 23 Before faith came we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

26So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)

加拉太书 3:1-29

行律法与信基督

1无知的加拉太人啊!谁又迷惑了你们呢?耶稣基督被钉在十字架上的事早就像一幅画一样展现在你们眼前了。 2我只想问,你们领受了圣灵是靠遵行律法呢,还是因为相信所听见的福音呢? 3你们既然靠圣灵开始了基督徒的生活,现在却想靠肉体达到纯全吗?你们就这么无知吗? 4你们受了许多苦,难道都是徒然的吗?都白受了吗? 5上帝将圣灵赐给你们又在你们中间行神迹,是因为你们遵行律法呢,还是因为你们相信所听到的福音呢?

6圣经上说:“亚伯拉罕信上帝,就被算为义人。” 7因此,你们要明白,那些信上帝的人才是亚伯拉罕的子孙。 8圣经早就指明,上帝要叫外族人因信而被称为义人,祂预先将福音传给亚伯拉罕,说:“万国必因你而蒙福。” 9所以那些信上帝的人必和有信心的亚伯拉罕一同得到祝福。

10凡以遵行律法为本的人都在咒诅之下,因为圣经上说:“凡不遵行律法书上一切命令的人必受咒诅。” 11非常明显,没有人能靠遵行律法在上帝面前被称为义人,因为圣经上说:“义人必靠信心而活。” 12律法却不是以信心为本,而是说:“遵行的人必存活。”

13但基督替我们受了咒诅,从而救赎我们脱离了律法的咒诅,因为圣经上说:“凡挂在木头上的人都是受咒诅的。” 14这样,赐给亚伯拉罕的祝福可以借着基督耶稣临到外族人,使我们也可以借着信得到上帝应许赐给我们的圣灵。

律法与应许

15弟兄姊妹,我举个日常生活中的例子。世人的合约一经双方签订之后,就不能作废,也不能加添。 16上帝曾向亚伯拉罕和他的后裔赐下应许,不过这里没有说“后裔们”——指许多人,而是说“你的后裔”——指一个人,就是基督。 17我的意思是:四百三十年后颁布的律法不会废除上帝先前立下的约,以致应许落空。 18倘若我们是靠守律法去承受产业,我们就不是倚靠上帝的应许。但上帝是凭应许把产业赐给了亚伯拉罕

19那么,为什么会有律法呢?律法是为了使人知罪而颁布的,等那位承受应许的后裔来到后,律法的任务就完成了。律法是通过天使交给一位中间人颁布的。 20中间人代表双方,但上帝则单方面赐下应许。

21这样看来,上帝的律法和上帝的应许是否互相矛盾呢?当然不是!如果赐下的律法能带给人生命,人就可以靠律法成为义人了。 22但圣经说万物都在罪的权势下,为要使那些相信的人因为相信耶稣基督而得到应许3:22 因为相信耶稣基督而得到应许”或译“因为耶稣基督的信实而得到应许”。

23信耶稣的时代3:23 信耶稣的时代”希腊文是“信心”,下同25节。还没有来临以前,律法暂时监管我们。等到信耶稣之道显明出来后,律法就不再监管我们。 24因此,律法是我们的监护人,负责引领我们归向基督,使我们可以因信而被称为义人。 25现在信耶稣的时代已经来临,我们不再受律法监管。 26你们都借着信基督耶稣而成为上帝的儿女, 27因为你们受洗归入基督就是披戴基督3:27 披戴基督”是个隐喻,主要的意思是“像基督”,象征有基督的生命与品格。28从此不再分犹太人和希腊人,自由人和奴隶,男人和女人,因为你们都在基督耶稣里合而为一了。 29你们若属于基督,就是亚伯拉罕的后裔,都是照着上帝的应许承受产业的人。