Galatians 3

1  O 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?2  Let 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?]3  Are 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?4  Have 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?5  Then 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?6  Thus 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). 7  Know and understand that it is [really] the people [who live] by faith who are [the true] sons of Abraham.8  And 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. 9  So 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.10  And 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. 11  Now 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. 12  But 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]. 13  Christ 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); 14  To 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.15  To 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).16  Now 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). 17  This 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. 18  For 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.19  What 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].20  Now 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].21  Is 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.22  But 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].23  Now 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),24  So 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.25  But now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a trainer (the guardian of our childhood).26  For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.27  For 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.28  There 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.29  And 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.

GÁLATAS 3

II.— SALVADOS POR LA GRACIA Y LA FE (3—4)

Salvados por la fe

1 Gálatas, ¿cómo son tan insensatos? ¿Quién los engatusó? ¡Y pensar que les puse ante los ojos a Jesucristo crucificado!t 2 Díganme solamente una cosa: ¿en razón de qué recibieron ustedes el Espíritu de Dios? ¿Por cumplir la ley o por haber aceptado la fe?t 3 Su insensatez no tiene límites. Si el Espíritu estuvo en el origen de la fe que ustedes tienen, ¿van a terminar confiando en lo humanot? 4 ¡No puedo creer que tan magníficas experiencias hayan sido baldías!

5 Vamos a ver: cuando Dios les comunica el Espíritu y realiza prodigios entre ustedes, ¿lo hace porque son cumplidores de la ley o porque han aceptado el mensaje de la fe?
6 Ahí tienen el ejemplo de Abrahán: Creyó a Dios, y esto le valió que Dios le concediera su amistadt.t 7 Comprendan de una vez que la verdadera descendencia de Abrahán son los creyentes. 8 Y la Escritura misma, previendo que Dios restablecería en su amistad a todas las naciones mediante la fe, anunció de antemano a Abrahán esta buena noticia: Todas las naciones serán bendecidas por medio de ti.t

9 Así que todos los que creen serán bendecidos junto con el creyente Abrahán.t
10 Por el contrario, cuantos viven pendientes de cumplir la ley están bajo el peso de una maldición. Así lo dice la Escritura: Maldito sea quien no cumpla constantemente todo lo escrito en el libro de la ley.t 11 Y es evidente que, por cumplir la ley, nadie será restablecido por Dios en su amistad, ya que también dice la Escritura: Aquel a quien Dios restablece en su amistad por medio de la fe, alcanzará la vidat.t 12 Pero la ley no se nutre de la fe, sino que: quien cumpla estos preceptos, por ellos vivirá.t 13 Fue Cristo quien nos libró de la maldición de la ley, haciéndose por nosotros maldito. Pues dice la Escritura: Maldito sea todo el que muera colgado de un madero.t

14 La bendición de Abrahán alcanzará así, por medio de Cristo Jesús, a todas las naciones y nosotros recibiremos, mediante la fe, el Espíritu prometido.

La ley y la promesa

18 Si la herencia dependiera del cumplimiento de la ley, ya no dependería de la promesa. Sin embargo, Dios otorgó su favor a Abrahán en forma de promesa.
19 Así las cosas, ¿qué sentido tiene la ley de Moisés? Se añadió con el fin de señalar lo que era pecado hasta el momento en que llegara Cristo, el descendiente prometido. La ley fue promulgada por medio de ángelest y Moisés actuó de intermediario;t 20 pero el intermediario está de más cuando sólo entra en juego una persona, y Dios es uno solo. 21 Ley de Moisés y promesas divinas, ¿son, entonces, algo opuesto? ¡De ningún modo! Si se hubiese promulgado una ley capaz de dar vida, sí bastaría con cumplir esa ley para ser restablecidos en la amistad divina.t

22 Pero la Escritura presenta al mundo entero dominado por el pecado, precisamente para que se conceda a los creyentes la promesa que Dios les hizo por medio de la fe en Jesucristot.

No esclavos, sino hijos