1 You foolish Galatians! Who has given you the evil eye?* Before your eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified! 2 The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort? 4 Have you suffered so many things for nothing?—if indeed it was for nothing. 5 Does God then give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard? 6 Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, 7 so then, understand that those who believe are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who believe are blessed along with Abraham the believer. 10 For all who rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law.” 11 Now it is clear no one is justified before God by the law because the righteous one will live by faith. 12 But the law is not based on faith, but the one who does the works of the law will live by them. 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith. 15 Brothers and sisters, I offer an example from everyday life: When a covenant has been ratified, even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it.16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture does not say, “and to the descendants,” referring to many, but “and to your descendant,” referring to one, who is Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: The law that came 430 years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to invalidate the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise. 19 Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary is not for one party alone, but God is one. 21 Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22 But the scripture imprisoned everything under sin so that the promise could be given—because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ—to those who believe. 23 Now before faith came we were held in custody under the law, being kept as prisoners until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.
Galatians6 chapters
Use the arrow keys to move between chapters, Home or End to reach the first or last chapter, and Enter to open a chapter.
Texts in conversation
Compare Samaritan Exodus 12:40 and Galatians 3:17
Samaritan · New Testament
Share:
Summary
In the Samaritan version of Exodus, the 430 years before the exodus include Israel's ancestors living in Canaan, not just the time in Egypt. Paul starts his 430 years with God's promise to Abraham, a count that only works if Canaan is included.
Passages
Samaritan Exodus 12:40
Samaritan · Samaritan Penteteuch
39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough, which they brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because the Egyptians drove them out, and they could not delay, and they had not prepared any provisions for themselves.40 Now the time that the children of Israel and their ancestors lived in the land of Canaan and in the land of Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.41 And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, on that very day, all the organized groups of Shema went out from the land of Egypt
15 Brothers and sisters, I offer an example from everyday life: When a covenant has been ratified, even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it.16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture does not say, “and to the descendants,” referring to many, but “and to your descendant,” referring to one, who is Christ.17 What I am saying is this: The law that came 430 years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to invalidate the promise.18 For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise.
“... Another chronological notation that has caused considerable debate is found in Exod 12:40. The MT and 4QExodc of Exod 12:40 read: [...] And the time that the people of Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt was 430 years. Compare here the SP: [...] The time that the children of Israel and their fathers dwelt in the land of Canaan and the land of Egypt was 430 years. The LXX agrees with the SP but simply reverses the order of the land of Canaan and the land of Egypt. The tradition of the 430-year stay in Egypt appears also in Ezek 4:5, but the Apostle Paul appears to favor the chronology now rendered in the SP and LXX (Gal 3:17). ...”
