NEW TESTAMENT READING
Galatians 3:1-9, 23-29
1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes
that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! 2The 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? 3Are you so foolish?
Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? 4Did
you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing. 5Well
then, does God supply you with 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 reckoned to him as
righteousness,” 7 so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of
Abraham. 8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the
Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying,
“All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.” 9For this reason, those who
believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.
23Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law
until faith would be revealed. 24Therefore the law was our disciplinarian
until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25But now that
faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26for in
Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27As many of you
as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There
is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no
longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29And if
you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according
to the promise.
I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. 19For
through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been
crucified with Christ; 20and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who
lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son
of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do
not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law,
then Christ died for nothing.
Reader: Word of God. Word of life.
All: Thanks be to God!