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.

Galaterne 3

Lov eller tro – forbannelse eller velsignelse

1 Uforstandige galatere! Hvem er det som har forhekset dere, dere som har fått den korsfestede Jesus Kristus malt for øynene deres? t 2 Svar meg nå på én ting: Fikk dere Ånden på grunn av lovgjerninger, eller var det ved å høre og tro? t 3 Er dere så uforstandige? Dere begynte ved Ånden; vil dere nå fullføre med menneskeverk? 4 Har dere opplevd alt dette til ingen nytte – hvis det da virkelig var til ingen nytte. 5 Han som gir dere Ånden og som gjør under blant dere, gjør han det på grunn av lovgjerninger, eller fordi dere hører budskapet og tror? 6 Om Abraham heter det jo: Han trodde Gud, og derfor regnet Gud ham som rettferdig. t 7 Så forstår dere at det er de som tror, som er Abrahams barn. t 8 Skriften forutså at Gud vil rettferdiggjøre hedningene ved tro, og den forkynte på forhånd dette gode budskapet til Abraham: I deg skal alle folkeslag velsignes. t 9 Derfor blir de som tror, velsignet sammen med den troende Abraham. t 10 Men de som holder seg til lovgjerninger, er under forbannelse. For det står skrevet: Forbannet er den som ikke holder fast på alt det som står skrevet i lovboken og gjør etter det. t 11 Og når det står skrevet: Den rettferdige skal leve ved tro, er det klart at ingen blir rettferdig for Gud ved loven. t 12 I loven kommer det ikke an på tro, der heter det: Den som holder budene, skal leve ved dem. t 13 Men Kristus kjøpte oss fri fra lovens forbannelse da han kom under forbannelse for vår skyld. For det står skrevet: Forbannet er enhver som henger på et tre. t

14 Dette skjedde for at folkeslagene ved Jesus Kristus skulle få del i den velsignelse som var lovt Abraham, og for at vi ved troen skulle få Ånden som det var gitt løfte om.t

Loven og løftet om barnekår

18 Hvis arven avhenger av loven, da blir den ikke gitt på grunn av løftet. Men det var jo ved et løfte Gud i sin nåde gav arven til Abraham.t
19 Hvorfor ble så loven gitt? Den ble gitt som et tillegg for å gjøre klart hva lovbrudd er, inntil den ætt kom som løftet gjaldt. Loven ble gitt ved engler, gjennom en mellommann. t t 20 Men en mellommann trenges ikke hvor det bare er én, og Gud er én. 21 Er da loven i strid med Guds løfter? Slett ikke! Hvis det overhodet var gitt en lov som kunne gi liv, da kunne vi vinne rettferdigheten ved loven. t 22 Men Skriften har lagt alt under synden, for at de som tror på Jesus Kristus, ved sin tro kan få det som var lovt. t 23 Før troen kom, ble vi holdt i varetekt under loven, innestengt helt til den tro som skulle komme, ble åpenbart. t 24 Slik var loven en vokter for oss helt fram til Kristus, for at vi kunne erklæres rettferdige ved troen. t 25 Nå når troen er kommet, er vi ikke lenger under vokteren. 26 For dere er alle Guds barn i kraft av troen på Kristus Jesus. t 27 Alle dere som er døpt til Kristus, har kledd dere i Kristus. t 28 Her er det ikke jøde eller greker, slave eller fri, mann og kvinne. Dere er alle én, i Kristus Jesus. t 29 Og hører dere Kristus til, er dere Abrahams ætt og arvinger ifølge løftet.t