Gálatas 3
1 OH Gálatas insensatos! ¿quién os fascinó, para no obedecer á la verdad, ante cuyos ojos Jesucristo fué ya descrito como crucificado entre vosotros?2 Esto solo quiero saber de vosotros: ¿Recibisteis el Espíritu por las obras de la ley, ó por el oir de la fe?3 ¿Tan necios sois? ¿habiendo comenzado por el Espíritu, ahora os perfeccionáis por la carne?4 ¿Tantas cosas habéis padecido en vano? si empero en vano.5 Aquel, pues, que os daba el Espíritu, y obraba maravillas entre vosotros ¿hacíalo por las obras de la ley, ó por el oir de la fe?
6 Como Abraham creyó á Dios, y le fué imputado á justicia.
7 Sabéis por tanto, que los que son de fe, los tales son hijos de Abraham.
8 Y viendo antes la Escritura que Dios por la fe había de justificar á los Gentiles, evangelizó antes á Abraham, diciendo: En ti serán benditas todas las naciones.
9 Luego los de la fe son benditos con el creyente Abraham.
10 Porque todos los que son de las obras de la ley, están bajo de maldición. Porque escrito está: Maldito todo aquel que no permaneciere en todas las cosas que están escritas en el libro de la ley, para hacerlas.
11 Mas por cuanto por la ley ninguno se justifica para con Dios, queda manifiesto: Que el justo por la fe vivirá.
12 La ley también no es de la fe; sino, El hombre que los hiciere, vivirá en ellos.
13 Cristo nos redimió de la maldición de la ley, hecho por nosotros maldición; (porque está escrito: Maldito cualquiera que es colgado en madero:)
14 Para que la bendición de Abraham fuese sobre los Gentiles en Cristo Jesús; para que por la fe recibamos la promesa del Espíritu.
15 Hermanos, hablo como hombre: Aunque un pacto sea de hombre, con todo, siendo confirmado, nadie lo cancela, ó le añade.
16 A Abraham fueron hechas las promesas, y á su simiente. No dice: Y á las simientes, como de muchos; sino como de uno: Y á tu simiente, la cual es Cristo.
17 Esto pues digo: Que el contrato confirmado de Dios para con Cristo, la ley que fué hecha cuatrocientos treinta años después, no lo abroga, para invalidar la promesa.
18 Porque si la herencia es por la ley, ya no es por la promesa: empero Dios por la promesa hizo la donación á Abraham.
19 ¿Pues de qué sirve la ley? Fué puesta por causa de las rebeliones, hasta que viniese la simiente á quien fué hecha la promesa, ordenada aquélla por los ángeles en la mano de un mediador.
20 Y el mediador no es de uno, pero Dios es uno.
21 ¿Luego la ley es contra las promesas de Dios? En ninguna manera: porque si la ley dada pudiera vivificar, la justicia fuera verdaderamente por la ley.
22 Mas encerró la Escritura todo bajo pecado, para que la promesa fuese dada á los creyentes por la fe de Jesucristo.
23 Empero antes que viniese la fe, estábamos guardados bajo la ley, encerrados para aquella fe que había de ser descubierta.
24 De manera que la ley nuestro ayo fué para llevarnos á Cristo, para que fuésemos justificados por la fe.
25 Mas venida la fe, ya no estamos bajo ayo;
26 Porque todos sois hijos de Dios por la fe en Cristo Jesús.
27 Porque todos los que habéis sido bautizados en Cristo, de Cristo estáis vestidos.
28 No hay Judío, ni Griego; no hay siervo, ni libre; no hay varón, ni hembra: porque todos vosotros sois uno en Cristo Jesús.
29 Y si vosotros sois de Cristo, ciertamente la simiente de Abraham sois, y conforme á la promesa los herederos.
GALATIANS 3
Faith Is the Only Way
1 You stupid Galatians! I told you exactly how Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross. Has someone now put an evil spell on you? 2 I want to know only one thing. How were you given God's Spirit? Was it by obeying the Law of Moses or by hearing about Christ and having faith in him? 3 How can you be so stupid? Do you think that by yourself you can complete what God's Spirit started in you? 4 Have you gone through all of this for nothing? Is it all really for nothing?
5 God gives you his Spirit and works miracles in you. But does he do this because you obey the Law of Moses or because you have heard about Christ and have faith in him?
6 t The Scriptures say that God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith. 7 t And so, you should understand that everyone who has faith is a child of Abraham.t 8 t Long ago the Scriptures said God would accept the Gentiles because of their faith. This is why God told Abraham the good news that all nations would be blessed because of him.
9 This means everyone who has faith will share in the blessings given to Abraham because of his faith.
10 t Anyone who tries to please God by obeying the Law is under a curse. The Scriptures say, “Everyone who doesn't obey everything in the Law is under a curse.”
11 t No one can please God by obeying the Law. The Scriptures also say, “The people God accepts because of their faith will live.”t
12 t The Law isn't based on faith. It promises life only to people who obey its commands. 13 t But Christ rescued us from the Law's curse, when he became a curse in our place. This is because the Scriptures say that anyone who is nailed to a tree is under a curse.
14 And because of what Jesus Christ has done, the blessing promised to Abraham was taken to the Gentiles. This happened so that by faith we would be given the promised Holy Spirit.The Law and the Promise
15 My friends, I will use an everyday example to explain what I mean. Once someone agrees to something, no one else can change or cancel the agreement.t 16 That is how it is with the promises God made to Abraham and his descendant.t The promises were not made to many descendants, but only to one, and that one is Christ. 17 t What I am saying is that the Law cannot change or cancel God's promise made 430 years before the Law was given.
18 t If we have to obey the Law in order to receive God's blessings, those blessings don't really come to us because of God's promise. But God was kind to Abraham and made him a promise.
19 What is the use of the Law? It was given later to show that we sin. But it was only supposed to last until the coming of that descendantt who was given the promise. In fact, angels gave the Law to Moses, and he gave it to the people.
20 There is only one God, and the Law did not come directly from him.Slaves and Children
21 Does the Law disagree with God's promises? No, it doesn't! If any law could give life to us, we could become acceptable to God by obeying that law.
22 But the Scriptures say that sin controls everyone, so that God's promises will be for anyone who has faith in Jesus Christ.
23 The Law controlled us and kept us under its power until the time came when we would have faith. 24 In fact, the Law was to be our teacher until Christ came. Then we could have faith and be acceptable to God.
25 But once a person has learned to have faith, there is no more need to have the Law as a teacher.
26 All of you are God's children because of your faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And when you were baptized, it was as though you had put on Christ in the same way you put on new clothes. 28 Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman. 29 t So if you belong to Christ, you are now part of Abraham's family, t and you will be given what God has promised.