Galatians 3
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
Galatians chapter 3 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
1 patristic excerpt is attached to this chapter, from Saint John Chrysostom.
Galatians 3
1O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was portrayed publicly among you as crucified?Ὦ ἀνόητοι Γαλάται, τίς ὑμᾶς ἐβάσκανε τῇ ἀληθείᾳ μὴ πείθεσθαι, οἷς κατ᾽ ὀφθαλμοὺς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς προεγράφη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐσταυρωμένος;
2This only do I wish to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?Τοῦτο μόνον θέλω μαθεῖν ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν, ἐξ ἔργων νόμου τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐλάβετε, ἢ ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως;
3Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, will you now be made perfect in the flesh?Οὕτως ἀνόητοί ἐστε; Ἐναρξάμενοι Πνεύματι, νῦν σαρκὶ ἐπιτελεῖσθε;
4Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?Τοσαῦτα ἐπάθετε εἰκῇ; Εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῇ.
5Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—Ὁ οὖν ἐπιχορηγῶν ὑμῖν τὸ Πνεῦμα καὶ ἐνεργῶν δυνάμεις ἐν ὑμῖν, ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, ἢ ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως;
6Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”Καθὼς Ἁβραὰμ ἐπίστευσε τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.
7Know therefore that those who are of faith, these are sons of Abraham.Γινώσκετε ἄρα ὅτι οἱ ἐκ πίστεως, οὗτοί εἰσιν υἱοὶ Ἁβραάμ.
8And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying that, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”Προϊδοῦσα δὲ ἡ γραφὴ ὅτι ἐκ πίστεως δικαιοῖ τὰ ἔθνη ὁ Θεός, προευηγγελίσατο τῷ Ἁβραὰμ ὅτι Ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν σοὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη.
9Therefore those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.Ὥστε οἱ ἐκ πίστεως εὐλογοῦνται σὺν τῷ πιστῷ Ἁβραάμ.
10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”Ὅσοι γὰρ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσίν, ὑπὸ κατάραν εἰσί· γέγραπται γάρ, Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὃς οὐκ ἐμμένει ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου, τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά.
11But that no one is justified by the law before God is evident, for “The just shall live by faith.”Ὅτι δὲ ἐν νόμῳ οὐδεὶς δικαιοῦται παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, δῆλον· ὅτι Ὁ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται·
12But the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”ὁ δὲ νόμος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ πίστεως, ἀλλ᾽ Ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὰ ἄνθρωπος ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς.
13Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,”Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου, γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα· γέγραπται γάρ, Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὁ κρεμάμενος ἐπὶ ξύλου·
14so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.ἵνα εἰς τὰ ἔθνη ἡ εὐλογία τοῦ Ἁβραὰμ γένηται ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἵνα τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Πνεύματος λάβωμεν διὰ τῆς πίστεως.
15Brothers, I speak in human fashion: a covenant is man-made, yet once it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it.Ἀδελφοί, κατὰ ἄνθρωπον λέγω· ὅμως ἀνθρώπου κεκυρωμένην διαθήκην οὐδεὶς ἀθετεῖ ἢ ἐπιδιατάσσεται.
16Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises spoken. He does not say, “And to seeds,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your seed,” who is Christ.Τῷ δὲ Ἁβραὰμ ἐρρήθησαν αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι, καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ. Οὐ λέγει, Καὶ τοῖς σπέρμασιν, ὡς ἐπὶ πολλῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἐφ᾽ ἑνός, Καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου, ὅς ἐστι Χριστός.
17And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, does not annul the covenant previously confirmed to Christ by God, so that it make the promise of no effect.Τοῦτο δὲ λέγω, διαθήκην προκεκυρωμένην ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς Χριστὸν ὁ μετὰ ἔτη τετρακόσια καὶ τριάκοντα γεγονὼς νόμος οὐκ ἀκυροῖ, εἰς τὸ καταργῆσαι τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν.
18For if the inheritance comes by the law, it is no longer of promise; but God has given it to Abraham by promise.Εἰ γὰρ ἐκ νόμου ἡ κληρονομία, οὐκέτι ἐξ ἐπαγγελίας· τῷ δὲ Ἁβραὰμ δι᾽ ἐπαγγελίας κεχάρισται ὁ Θεός.
19Why then the law? It was added on account of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom it had been promised; and it was commanded through angels by the hand of a mediator.Τί οὖν ὁ νόμος; Τῶν παραβάσεων χάριν προσετέθη, ἄχρις οὗ ἔλθῃ τὸ σπέρμα ᾧ ἐπήγγελται, διαταγεὶς δι᾽ ἀγγέλων ἐν χειρὶ μεσίτου.
20Now the mediator is not for one person, but God is one.Ὁ δὲ μεσίτης ἑνὸς οὐκ ἔστιν, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς εἷς ἐστιν.
21Therefore, is the law against the promises of God? By no means! For if a law had been given which was able to give life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.Ὁ οὖν νόμος κατὰ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ; Μὴ γένοιτο. Εἰ γὰρ ἐδόθη νόμος ὁ δυνάμενος ζῳοποιῆσαι, ὄντως ἂν ἐκ νόμου ἦν ἡ δικαιοσύνη.
22But the Scripture has confined all under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.Ἀλλὰ συνέκλεισεν ἡ γραφὴ τὰ πάντα ὑπὸ ἁμαρτίαν, ἵνα ἡ ἐπαγγελία ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοθῇ τοῖς πιστεύουσι.
23But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, having been hemmed in for the faith which was to be revealed.Πρὸ τοῦ δὲ ἐλθεῖν τὴν πίστιν, ὑπὸ νόμον ἐφρουρούμεθα, συγκεκλεισμένοι εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι.
24Therefore the law has become our guardian, leading us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith.Ὥστε ὁ νόμος παιδαγωγὸς ἡμῶν γέγονεν εἰς Χριστόν, ἵνα ἐκ πίστεως δικαιωθῶμεν.
25But after faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.Ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς πίστεως, οὐκέτι ὑπὸ παιδαγωγόν ἐσμεν.
26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.Πάντες γὰρ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ ἐστε διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.
27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.Ὅσοι γὰρ εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθητε, Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσασθε.
28There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.Οὐκ ἔνι Ἰουδαῖος οὐδὲ Ἕλλην, οὐκ ἔνι δοῦλος οὐδὲ ἐλεύθερος, οὐκ ἔνι ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ· πάντες γὰρ ὑμεῖς εἷς ἐστὲ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.
29And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's descendants, and heirs according to the promise.Εἰ δὲ ὑμεῖς Χριστοῦ, ἄρα τοῦ Ἁβραὰμ σπέρμα ἐστέ, καὶ κατ᾽ ἐπαγγελίαν κληρονόμοι.
The Fathers on Galatians 3
Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Galatians 3:1Open Galatians 3 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint John ChrysostomHere he passes to another subject; in the former chapters he had shown himself not to be an Apostle of men, nor by men, nor in want of Apostolic instruction. Now, having established his authority as a teacher, he proceeds to discourse more confidently, and draws a comparison between faith and the Law. At the outset ...
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