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Sunday, August 3rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Contemporary English Version

Galatians 3:18

If we have to obey the Law in order to receive God's blessings, those blessings don't really come to us because of God's promise. But God was kind to Abraham and made him a promise.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abraham;   Faith;   Salvation;   Works;   Scofield Reference Index - Flesh;   Holy Spirit;   Law of Moses;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Promises of God, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Covenant;   Promise;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abraham;   Circumcision;   Covenant;   Ethics;   Grace;   Law;   Promise;   Sacrifice;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Genesis, Theology of;   Inheritance;   Law of Christ;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Man;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Christianity;   Law;   New Testament;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Galatians, Letter to the;   Promise;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Grace;   James, Epistle of;   Mediator, Mediation;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Abraham;   Covenant;   Galatians Epistle to the;   Guilt (2);   Heir Heritage Inheritance;   Justification;   Law;   Lots;   Mediation Mediator;   Promise;   Punishment (2);   Tree ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Abraham ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Abram;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Law of Moses;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Promise;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Galatians, Epistle to the;   Give;   Inheritance;   Law in the New Testament;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - New Testament;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for March 26;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise; but God has graciously given it to Abraham through the promise.
King James Version (1611)
For if the inheritance bee of the Law, it is no more of promise: but God gaue it to Abraham by promise.
King James Version
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
English Standard Version
For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
New American Standard Bible
For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.
New Century Version
If the law could give us Abraham's blessing, then the promise would not be necessary. But that is not possible, because God freely gave his blessings to Abraham through the promise he had made.
Amplified Bible
For if the inheritance [of what was promised] is based on [observing] the Law [as these false teachers claim], it is no longer based on a promise; however, God granted it to Abraham [as a gift] by virtue of His promise.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.
Legacy Standard Bible
For if the inheritance is by law, it is no longer by promise, but God has granted it to Abraham through promise.
Berean Standard Bible
For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise.
Complete Jewish Bible
For if the inheritance comes from the legal part of the Torah, it no longer comes from a promise. But God gave it to Avraham through a promise.
Darby Translation
For if the inheritance [be] on the principle of law, [it is] no longer on the principle of promise; but God gave it in grace to Abraham by promise.
Easy-to-Read Version
Can following the law give us the blessing God promised? If we could receive it by following the law, then it would not be God's promise that brings it to us. But God freely gave his blessings to Abraham through the promise God made.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For if the inheritance be of the Lawe, it is no more by the promise, but God gaue it freely vnto Abraham by promise.
George Lamsa Translation
For if the inheritance is by the law, then it would not be as the fulfillment of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Good News Translation
For if God's gift depends on the Law, then it no longer depends on his promise. However, it was because of his promise that God gave that gift to Abraham.
Lexham English Bible
For if the inheritance is from the law, it is no longer from the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise.
Literal Translation
For if the inheritance is of Law, it is no more of promise; but God has given it to Abraham through promise.
American Standard Version
For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise.
Bible in Basic English
Because if the heritage is by the law, it is no longer dependent on the word of God; but God gave it to Abraham by his word.
Hebrew Names Version
For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Avraham by promise.
International Standard Version
For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by the promise. But it was by a promise that God so graciously gave it to Abraham.Romans 4:14; 8:17;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
But if the inheritance was by the law, it could not have been by the promise; but Aloha gave it unto Abraham by promise.
Murdock Translation
And if the inheritance were by the law, it would not be by promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For yf the inheritauce be of the lawe, then not nowe of promise: But God gaue it vnto Abraham by promise.
English Revised Version
For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise.
World English Bible
For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For if the inheritance be by the law, it is no more by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Weymouth's New Testament
For if the inheritance comes through obedience to Law, it no longer comes because of a promise. But, as a matter of fact, God has granted it to Abraham in fulfilment of a promise.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For if eritage were of the lawe, it were not now of biheeste. But God grauntide to Abraham thoruy biheest.
Update Bible Version
For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God has granted it to Abraham by promise.
Webster's Bible Translation
For if the inheritance [is] by the law, [it is] no more by promise: but God gave [it] to Abraham by promise.
New English Translation
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.
New King James Version
For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
New Living Translation
For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God's promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.
New Life Bible
If it had been possible to be saved from the punishment of sin by obeying the Law, the promise God gave Abraham would be worth nothing. But since it is not possible to be saved by obeying the Law, the promise God gave Abraham is worth everything.
New Revised Standard
For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, if, by law, is the inheritance, it is, no longer, by promise; but, unto Abraham, through promise, hath God favoured it.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise. But God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Revised Standard Version
For if the inheritance is by the law, it is no longer by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For yf the inheritaunce come of the lawe it cometh not of promes. But God gave it vnto Abraham by promes.
Young's Literal Translation
for if by law [be] the inheritance, [it is] no more by promise, but to Abraham through promise did God grant [it].
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For yf the enheritaunce be gotten by the lawe, then is it not geuen by promes. But God gaue it frely vnto Abraham by promes.
Mace New Testament (1729)
now if the right to the inheritance be from the law, it is no longer founded upon the promise; altho' God made a donation of it to Abraham by promise.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Think about this, can following a set of rules bless us? If it could, then we wouldn't need God's promise, just good rule-following ability. But God blessed Abraham because of his faith, not because he followed rules. We have the same promise made to us.

Contextual Overview

6 The Scriptures say that God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith. 7 And so, you should understand that everyone who has faith is a child of Abraham. 8 Long ago the Scriptures said that God would accept the Gentiles because of their faith. That's why God told Abraham the good news that all nations would be blessed because of him. 9 This means that everyone who has faith will share in the blessings that were given to Abraham because of his faith. 10 Anyone who tries to please God by obeying the Law is under a curse. The Scriptures say, "Everyone who doesn't obey everything in the Law is under a curse." 11 No one can please God by obeying the Law. The Scriptures also say, "The people God accepts because of their faith will live." 12 The Law isn't based on faith. It promises life only to people who obey its commands. 13 But Christ rescued us from the Law's curse, when he became a curse in our place. This is because the Scriptures say that anyone who is nailed to a tree is under a curse. 14 And because of what Jesus Christ has done, the blessing that was promised to Abraham was taken to the Gentiles. This happened so that by faith we would be given the promised Holy Spirit. 15 My friends, I will use an everyday example to explain what I mean. Once someone agrees to something, no one else can change or cancel the agreement.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: Galatians 3:10, Galatians 3:12, Galatians 3:26, Galatians 3:29, Galatians 2:21, Romans 4:13-16, Romans 8:17

but: Galatians 3:16, Psalms 105:6-12, Psalms 105:42, Micah 7:18-20, Luke 1:54, Luke 1:55, Luke 1:72, Luke 1:73, Hebrews 6:12-15

Reciprocal: Genesis 17:2 - And I Genesis 21:10 - heir Genesis 22:18 - And in Luke 10:25 - to Acts 26:6 - the promise Romans 4:14 - For if Ephesians 1:11 - we 1 Peter 1:4 - an

Cross-References

Genesis 3:14
So the Lord God said to the snake: "Because of what you have done, you will be the only animal to suffer this curse— For as long as you live, you will crawl on your stomach and eat dirt.
Genesis 3:15
You and this woman will hate each other; your descendants and hers will always be enemies. One of hers will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel."
Job 1:21
and said: "We bring nothing at birth; we take nothing with us at death. The Lord alone gives and takes. Praise the name of the Lord !"
Job 5:5
Then hungry and greedy people gobble down their crops and grab up their wealth.
Job 31:40
If I had, I would pray for weeds instead of wheat to grow in my fields. After saying these things, Job was silent.
Psalms 90:3
At your command we die and turn back to dust,
Psalms 104:2
and surrounded by light. You spread out the sky like a tent,
Proverbs 22:5
Crooks walk down a road full of thorny traps. Stay away from there!
Proverbs 24:31
Thorns and weeds were everywhere, and the stone wall had fallen down.
Isaiah 5:6
It will turn into a desert, neither pruned nor hoed; it will be covered with thorns and briars. I will command the clouds not to send rain.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For if the inheritance be of the law,.... By the inheritance is meant, either the eternal inheritance, everlasting life and happiness in heaven, which is the gift of God through Christ, and not attained to and enforced by the works of the law; or particularly the blessing of justification, promised in the covenant to Abraham, and his spiritual seed; even to the Gentiles, and inherited by them; which is not obtained through obedience to the law of works, nor does it belong to those who seek for it by the deeds of the law, for these are not heirs of it; see Romans 4:14. For was this the case,

it is no more of promise; it cannot be by merit and by promise, by works and grace too; these can never be reconciled, and consist together; if it is by promise, then not of the law; and if it is of the law, it is not by promise: "but" nothing is more certain than this, that

God gave it, freely, without any consideration of the works of the law,

to Abraham by promise; wherefore justification is not by works, but by the free grace of God, through faith in the righteousness of Christ; and in this way men become heirs according to the hope of eternal life: all which is directly opposite to the notion of the Jews, who say, that, בשכר מצות ירשו גן עדן,

"for the reward of the commandments, men shall inherit paradise k.''

k Tzeror Hammor, fol. 152. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For if the inheritance - The inheritance promised to Abraham. The sum of the promise was, that “he should be the heir of the world;” see Romans 4:13, and the note at that verse. To that heirship or inheritance Paul refers here, and says that it was an essential part of it that it was to be in virtue of the promise made to him, and not by fulfilling the Law.

Be of the law - If it is by observing the Law of Moses; or if it come in any way by the fulfilling of law. This is plain. Yet the Jews contended that the blessings of justification and salvation were to be in virtue of the observance of the Law of Moses. But if so, says Paul, then it could not be by the promise made to Abraham, since there could not be two ways of obtaining the same blessing.

But God gave it to Abraham by promise - That, says Paul, is a settled point. It is perfectly clear; and that is to be held as an indisputable fact, that the blessing was given to Abraham by a promise. That promise was confirmed and ratified hundreds of years before the Law was given, and the giving of the Law could not affect it. But that promise was, that he would be the ancestor of the Messiah, and that in him all the nations of the earth should be blessed. Of course, if they were to be blessed in this way, then it was not to be by the observance of the Law, and the Law must have been given for a different purpose. What that was, he states in the following verses.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 18. For if the inheritance be of the law — See the preceding arguments, in which this is proved.


 
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