The Law and the Promise

¹⁵yTo give a human example, brothers:6 zeven with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. ¹⁶Now athe promises were made bto Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, c“And to your offspring,” who is Christ. ¹⁷This is what I mean: the law, which came d430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as eto make the promise void. ¹⁸For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but fGod gave it to Abraham by a promise.

¹⁹Why then the law? gIt was added because of transgressions, huntil the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was iput in place through angels jby an intermediary. ²⁰Now kan intermediary implies more than one, but lGod is one.

²¹Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For mif a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. ²²But the Scripture nimprisoned everything under sin, so that othe promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given pto those who believe.

²³Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, qimprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴So then, rthe law was our sguardian until Christ came, tin order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶for in Christ Jesus uyou are all sons of God, through faith. ²⁷For as many of you as vwere baptized winto Christ have xput on Christ. ²⁸yThere is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave7 nor free, zthere is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And aif you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, bheirs according to promise.

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