Isaiah 8:16

8:16 Tie up the scroll as legal evidence, ¹ 

seal the official record of God’s instructions and give it to my followers. ² 

Luke 10:26

10:26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you understand it?” ³ 

Luke 16:29-31

16:29 But Abraham said, ⁴  ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to ⁵  them.’ 16:30 Then ⁶  the rich man ⁷  said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead ⁸  goes to them, they will repent.’ 16:31 He ⁹  replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to ¹⁰  Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” ¹¹ 

John 5:39

5:39 You study the scriptures thoroughly ¹²  because you think in them you possess eternal life, ¹³  and it is these same scriptures ¹⁴  that testify about me,

John 5:46-47

5:46 If ¹⁵  you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 5:47 But if you do not believe what Moses ¹⁶  wrote, how will you believe my words?”

Acts 17:11

17:11 These Jews ¹⁷  were more open-minded ¹⁸  than those in Thessalonica, ¹⁹  for they eagerly ²⁰  received ²¹  the message, examining ²²  the scriptures carefully every day ²³  to see if these things were so.

Galatians 3:8-29

3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, ²⁴  saying, “All the nations ²⁵  will be blessed in you.” ²⁶  3:9 So then those who believe ²⁷  are blessed along with Abraham the believer. 3:10 For all who ²⁸  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.” ²⁹  3:11 Now it is clear no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous one will live by faith. ³⁰  3:12 But the law is not based on faith, ³¹  but the one who does the works of the law ³²  will live by them. ³³  3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming ³⁴  a curse for us (because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) ³⁵  3:14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, ³⁶  so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.

Inheritance Comes from Promises and not Law

3:15 Brothers and sisters, ³⁷  I offer an example from everyday life: ³⁸  When a covenant ³⁹  has been ratified, ⁴⁰  even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it. 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. ⁴¹  Scripture ⁴²  does not say, “and to the descendants,” ⁴³  referring to many, but “and to your descendant,” ⁴⁴  referring to one, who is Christ. 3:17 What I am saying is this: The law that came four hundred thirty years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, ⁴⁵  so as to invalidate the promise. 3:18 For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave ⁴⁶  it to Abraham through the promise.

3:19 Why then was the law given? ⁴⁷  It was added ⁴⁸  because of transgressions, ⁴⁹  until the arrival of the descendant ⁵⁰  to whom the promise had been made. It was administered ⁵¹  through angels by an intermediary. ⁵²  3:20 Now an intermediary is not for one party alone, but God is one. ⁵³  3:21 Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? ⁵⁴  Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. ⁵⁵  3:22 But the scripture imprisoned ⁵⁶  everything and everyone ⁵⁷  under sin so that the promise could be given – because of the faithfulness ⁵⁸  of Jesus Christ – to those who believe.

Sons of God Are Heirs of Promise

3:23 Now before faith ⁵⁹  came we were held in custody under the law, being kept as prisoners ⁶⁰  until the coming faith would be revealed. 3:24 Thus the law had become our guardian ⁶¹  until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous ⁶²  by faith. 3:25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. ⁶³  3:26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. ⁶⁴  3:27 For all of you who ⁶⁵  were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave ⁶⁶  nor free, there is neither male nor female ⁶⁷  – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, ⁶⁸  heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 4:21-22

An Appeal from Allegory

4:21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand the law? ⁶⁹  4:22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the ⁷⁰  slave woman and the other by the free woman.

Galatians 4:2

4:2 But he is under guardians ⁷¹  and managers until the date set by his ⁷²  father.

Galatians 3:15-17

Inheritance Comes from Promises and not Law

3:15 Brothers and sisters, ⁷³  I offer an example from everyday life: ⁷⁴  When a covenant ⁷⁵  has been ratified, ⁷⁶  even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it. 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. ⁷⁷  Scripture ⁷⁸  does not say, “and to the descendants,” ⁷⁹  referring to many, but “and to your descendant,” ⁸⁰  referring to one, who is Christ. 3:17 What I am saying is this: The law that came four hundred thirty years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, ⁸¹  so as to invalidate the promise.

Galatians 3:2

3:2 The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law ⁸²  or by believing what you heard? ⁸³ 

Galatians 1:19

1:19 But I saw none of the other apostles ⁸⁴  except James the Lord’s brother.

[8:16]  ¹ tn Heb “tie up [the] testimony.” The “testimony” probably refers to the prophetic messages God has given him. When the prophecies are fulfilled, he will be able to produce this official, written record to confirm the authenticity of his ministry and to prove to the people that God is sovereign over events.

[8:16]  ² tn Heb “seal [the] instruction among my followers.” The “instruction” probably refers to the prophet’s exhortations and warnings. When the people are judged for the sins, the prophet can produce these earlier messages and essentially say, “I told you so.” In this way he can authenticate his ministry and impress upon the people the reality of God’s authority over them.

[10:26]  ³ tn Grk “How do you read?” The pronoun “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[16:29]  ⁴ tn Grk “says.” This is one of the few times Luke uses the historical present.

[16:29]  ⁵ tn Or “obey”; Grk “hear.” This recalls the many OT texts calling for a righteous heart to respond to people in need (Deut 14:28-29; Isa 3:14-15; Amos 2:6-8; Mic 2:1-2; Zech 7:9-10).

[16:30]  ⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[16:30]  ⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the rich man, v. 19) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:30]  ⁸ sn If someone from the dead goes to them. The irony and joy of the story is that what is denied the rich man’s brothers, a word of warning from beyond the grave, is given to the reader of the Gospel in this exchange.

[16:31]  ⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[16:31]  ¹⁰ tn Or “obey”; Grk “hear.” See the note on the phrase “respond to” in v. 29.

[16:31]  ¹¹ sn The concluding statement of the parable, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead, provides a hint that even Jesus’ resurrection will not help some to respond. The message of God should be good enough. Scripture is the sign to be heeded.

[5:39]  ¹² tn Or “Study the scriptures thoroughly” (an imperative). For the meaning of the verb see G. Delling, TDNT 2:655-57.

[5:39]  ¹³ sn In them you possess eternal life. Note the following examples from the rabbinic tractate Pirqe Avot (“The Sayings of the Fathers”): Pirqe Avot 2:8, “He who has acquired the words of the law has acquired for himself the life of the world to come”; Pirqe Avot 6:7, “Great is the law for it gives to those who practice it life in this world and in the world to come.”

[5:39]  ¹⁴ tn The words “same scriptures” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent (“these”).

[5:46]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “For if.”

[5:47]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “that one” (“he”); the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:11]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:11]  ¹⁸ tn Or “more willing to learn.” L&N 27.48 and BDAG 404 s.v. εὐγενής 2 both use the term “open-minded” here. The point is that they were more receptive to Paul’s message.

[17:11]  ¹⁹ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:11]  ²⁰ tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”

[17:11]  ²¹ tn Grk “who received.” Here the relative pronoun (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“they”) preceded by a semicolon, which is less awkward in contemporary English than a relative clause at this point.

[17:11]  ²² tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.

[17:11]  ²³ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[3:8]  ²⁴ tn For the Greek verb προευαγγελίζομαι (proeuangelizomai) translated as “proclaim the gospel ahead of time,” compare L&N 33.216.

[3:8]  ²⁵ tn The same plural Greek word, τὰ ἔθνη (ta eqnh), can be translated as “nations” or “Gentiles.”

[3:8]  ²⁶ sn A quotation from Gen 12:3; 18:18.

[3:9]  ²⁷ tn Grk “those who are by faith,” with the Greek expression “by faith” (ἐκ πίστεως, ek pistew") the same as the expression in v. 8.

[3:10]  ²⁸ tn Grk “For as many as.”

[3:10]  ²⁹ tn Grk “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things written in the book of the law, to do them.”

[3:11]  ³⁰ tn Or “The one who is righteous by faith will live” (a quotation from Hab 2:4).

[3:12]  ³¹ tn Grk “is not from faith.”

[3:12]  ³² tn Grk “who does these things”; the referent (the works of the law, see 3:5) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:12]  ³³ sn A quotation from Lev 18:5. The phrase the works of the law is an editorial expansion on the Greek text (see previous note); it has been left as normal typeface to indicate it is not part of the OT text.

[3:13]  ³⁴ tn Grk “having become”; the participle γενόμενος (genomenos) has been taken instrumentally.

[3:13]  ³⁵ sn A quotation from Deut 21:23. By figurative extension the Greek word translated tree (ζύλον, zulon) can also be used to refer to a cross (L&N 6.28), the Roman instrument of execution.

[3:14]  ³⁶ tn Or “so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus.”

[3:15]  ³⁷ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[3:15]  ³⁸ tn Grk “I speak according to man,” referring to the illustration that follows.

[3:15]  ³⁹ tn The same Greek word, διαθήκη (diaqhkh), can mean either “covenant” or “will,” but in this context the former is preferred here because Paul is discussing in vv. 16-18 the Abrahamic covenant.

[3:15]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “has been put into effect.”

[3:16]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “his seed,” a figurative extension of the meaning of σπέρμα (sperma) to refer to descendants (L&N 10.29).

[3:16]  ⁴² tn Grk “It”; the referent (the scripture) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The understood subject of the verb λέγει (legei) could also be “He” (referring to God) as the one who spoke the promise to Abraham.

[3:16]  ⁴³ tn Grk “to seeds.” See the note on “descendant” earlier in this verse. Here the term is plural; the use of the singular in the OT text cited later in this verse is crucial to Paul’s argument.

[3:16]  ⁴⁴ tn See the note on “descendant” earlier in this verse.

[3:17]  ⁴⁵ tc Most mss (D F G I 0176 0278 Ï it sy) read “ratified by God in Christ” whereas the omission of “in Christ” is the reading in Ì⁴⁶ א A B C P Ψ 6 33 81 1175 1739 1881 2464 pc co. The shorter reading is strongly supported by the ms evidence, and it is probable that a copyist inserted the words as an interpretive gloss. However, this form of the “in Christ” expression is somewhat atypical in the corpus Paulinum (εἰς Χριστόν [ei" Criston] rather than ἐν Χριστῷ [en Cristw]), a fact which tempers one’s certainty about the shorter reading. Nevertheless, the expression is used more in Galatians than in any other of Paul’s letters (Gal 2:16; 3:24, 27), and may have been suggested by such texts to early copyists.

[3:18]  ⁴⁶ tn On the translation “graciously gave” for χαρίζομαι (carizomai) see L&N 57.102.

[3:19]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “Why then the law?”

[3:19]  ⁴⁸ tc For προσετέθη (proseteqh) several Western mss have ἐτέθη (eteqh, “it was established”; so D* F G it Ir^lat Ambst Spec). The net effect of this reading, in conjunction with the largely Western reading of πράξεων (praxewn) for παραβάσεων (parabasewn), seems to be a very positive assessment of the law. But there are compelling reasons for rejecting this reading: (1) externally, it is provincial and relatively late; (2) internally: (a) transcriptionally, there seems to be a much higher transcriptional probability that a scribe would try to smooth over Paul’s harsh saying here about the law than vice versa; (b) intrinsically: [1] Paul has already argued that the law came after the promise (vv. 15-18), indicating, more than likely, its temporary nature; [2] the verb “was added” in v. 19 (προσετέθη) is different from the verb in v. 15 (ἐπιδιατάσσεται, epidiatassetai); virtually all exegetes recognize this as an intentional linguistic shift on Paul’s part in order not to contradict his statement in v. 15; [3] the temper of 3:1–4:7 is decidedly against a positive statement about the Torah’s role in Heilsgeschichte.

[3:19]  ⁴⁹ tc παραδόσεων (paradosewn; “traditions, commandments”) is read by D*, while the vast majority of witnesses read παραβάσεων (parabasewn, “transgressions”). D’s reading makes little sense in this context. πράξεων (praxewn, “of deeds”) replaces παραβάσεων in Ì⁴⁶ F G it Ir^lat Ambst Spec. The wording is best taken as going with νόμος (nomo"; “Why then the law of deeds?”), as is evident by the consistent punctuation in the later witnesses. But such an expression is unpauline and superfluous; it was almost certainly added by some early scribe(s) to soften the blow of Paul’s statement.

[3:19]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “the seed.” See the note on the first occurrence of the word “descendant” in 3:16.

[3:19]  ⁵¹ tn Or “was ordered.” L&N 31.22 has “was put into effect” here.

[3:19]  ⁵² tn Many modern translations (NASB, NIV, NRSV) render this word (μεσίτης, mesith"; here and in v. 20) as “mediator,” but this conveys a wrong impression in contemporary English. If this is referring to Moses, he certainly did not “mediate” between God and Israel but was an intermediary on God’s behalf. Moses was not a mediator, for example, who worked for compromise between opposing parties. He instead was God’s representative to his people who enabled them to have a relationship, but entirely on God’s terms.

[3:20]  ⁵³ tn The meaning of this verse is disputed. According to BDAG 634 s.v. μεσίτης, “It prob. means that the activity of an intermediary implies the existence of more than one party, and hence may be unsatisfactory because it must result in a compromise. The presence of an intermediary would prevent attainment, without any impediment, of the purpose of the εἶς θεός in giving the law.” See also A. Oepke, TDNT 4:598-624, esp. 618-19.

[3:21]  ⁵⁴ tc The reading τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou, “of God”) is well attested in א A C D (F G read θεοῦ without the article) Ψ 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï lat sy co. However, Ì⁴⁶ B d Ambst lack the words. Ì⁴⁶ and B perhaps should not to be given as much weight as they normally are, since the combination of these two witnesses often produces a secondary shorter reading against all others. In addition, one might expect that if the shorter reading were original other variants would have crept into the textual tradition early on. But 104 (a.d. 1087) virtually stands alone with the variant τοῦ Χριστοῦ (tou Cristou, “of Christ”). Nevertheless, if τοῦ θεοῦ were not part of the original text, it is the kind of variant that would be expected to show up early and often, especially in light of Paul’s usage elsewhere (Rom 4:20; 2 Cor 1:20). A slight preference should be given to the τοῦ θεοῦ over the omission. NA²⁷ rightly places the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.

[3:21]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “have been based on the law.”

[3:22]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “locked up.”

[3:22]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “imprisoned all things” but τὰ πάντα (ta panta) includes people as part of the created order. Because people are the emphasis of Paul’s argument ( “given to those who believe” at the end of this verse.), “everything and everyone” was used here.

[3:22]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “so that the promise could be given by faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe.” A decision is difficult here. Though traditionally translated “faith in Jesus Christ,” an increasing number of NT scholars are arguing that πίστις Χριστοῦ (pisti" Cristou) and similar phrases in Paul (here and in Rom 3:22, 26; Gal 2:16, 20; Eph 3:12; Phil 3:9) involve a subjective genitive and mean “Christ’s faith” or “Christ’s faithfulness” (cf., e.g., G. Howard, “The ‘Faith of Christ’,” ExpTim 85 [1974]: 212-15; R. B. Hays, The Faith of Jesus Christ [SBLDS]; Morna D. Hooker, “Πίστις Χριστοῦ,” NTS 35 [1989]: 321-42). Noteworthy among the arguments for the subjective genitive view is that when πίστις takes a personal genitive it is almost never an objective genitive (cf. Matt 9:2, 22, 29; Mark 2:5; 5:34; 10:52; Luke 5:20; 7:50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42; 22:32; Rom 1:8; 12; 3:3; 4:5, 12, 16; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 2 Cor 10:15; Phil 2:17; Col 1:4; 2:5; 1 Thess 1:8; 3:2, 5, 10; 2 Thess 1:3; Titus 1:1; Phlm 6; 1 Pet 1:9, 21; 2 Pet 1:5). On the other hand, the objective genitive view has its adherents: A. Hultgren, “The Pistis Christou Formulations in Paul,” NovT 22 (1980): 248-63; J. D. G. Dunn, “Once More, ΠΙΣΤΙΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ,” SBL Seminar Papers, 1991, 730-44. Most commentaries on Romans and Galatians usually side with the objective view.

[3:23]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “the faithfulness [of Christ] came.”

[3:23]  ⁶⁰ tc Instead of the present participle συγκλειόμενοι (sunkleiomenoi; found in Ì⁴⁶ א A B D* F G P Ψ 33 1739 al), C D¹ 0176 0278 Ï have the perfect συγκεκλεισμένοι (sunkekleismenoi). The syntactical implication of the perfect is that the cause or the means of being held in custody was confinement (“we were held in custody [by/because of] being confined”). The present participle of course allows for such options, but also allows for contemporaneous time (“while being confined”) and result (“with the result that we were confined”). Externally, the perfect participle has little to commend it, being restricted for the most part to later and Byzantine witnesses.

[3:24]  ⁶¹ tn Or “disciplinarian,” “custodian,” or “guide.” According to BDAG 748 s.v. παιδαγωγός, “the man, usu. a slave…whose duty it was to conduct a boy or youth…to and from school and to superintend his conduct gener.; he was not a ‘teacher’ (despite the present mng. of the derivative ‘pedagogue’…When the young man became of age, the π. was no longer needed.” L&N 36.5 gives “guardian, leader, guide” here.

[3:24]  ⁶² tn Or “be justified.”

[3:25]  ⁶³ tn See the note on the word “guardian” in v. 24. The punctuation of vv. 25, 26, and 27 is difficult to represent because of the causal connections between each verse. English style would normally require a comma either at the end of v. 25 or v. 26, but in so doing the translation would then link v. 26 almost exclusively with either v. 25 or v. 27; this would be problematic as scholars debate which two verses are to be linked. Because of this, the translation instead places a period at the end of each verse. This preserves some of the ambiguity inherent in the Greek and does not exclude any particular causal connection.

[3:26]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”

[3:27]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “For as many of you as.”

[3:28]  ⁶⁶ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 1:10.

[3:28]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “male and female.”

[3:29]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “seed.” See the note on the first occurrence of the word “descendant” in 3:16.

[4:21]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “will you not hear what the law says?” The Greek verb ἀκούω (akouw) means “hear, listen to,” but by figurative extension it can also mean “obey.” It can also refer to the process of comprehension that follows hearing, and that sense fits the context well here.

[4:22]  ⁷⁰ tn Paul’s use of the Greek article here and before the phrase “free woman” presumes that both these characters are well known to the recipients of his letter. This verse is given as an example of the category called “well-known (‘celebrity’ or ‘familiar’) article” by ExSyn 225.

[4:2]  ⁷¹ tn The Greek term translated “guardians” here is ἐπίτροπος (epitropo"), whose semantic domain overlaps with that of παιδαγωγός (paidagwgo") according to L&N 36.5.

[4:2]  ⁷² tn Grk “the,” but the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[3:15]  ⁷³ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[3:15]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “I speak according to man,” referring to the illustration that follows.

[3:15]  ⁷⁵ tn The same Greek word, διαθήκη (diaqhkh), can mean either “covenant” or “will,” but in this context the former is preferred here because Paul is discussing in vv. 16-18 the Abrahamic covenant.

[3:15]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “has been put into effect.”

[3:16]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “his seed,” a figurative extension of the meaning of σπέρμα (sperma) to refer to descendants (L&N 10.29).

[3:16]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “It”; the referent (the scripture) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The understood subject of the verb λέγει (legei) could also be “He” (referring to God) as the one who spoke the promise to Abraham.

[3:16]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “to seeds.” See the note on “descendant” earlier in this verse. Here the term is plural; the use of the singular in the OT text cited later in this verse is crucial to Paul’s argument.

[3:16]  ⁸⁰ tn See the note on “descendant” earlier in this verse.

[3:17]  ⁸¹ tc Most mss (D F G I 0176 0278 Ï it sy) read “ratified by God in Christ” whereas the omission of “in Christ” is the reading in Ì⁴⁶ א A B C P Ψ 6 33 81 1175 1739 1881 2464 pc co. The shorter reading is strongly supported by the ms evidence, and it is probable that a copyist inserted the words as an interpretive gloss. However, this form of the “in Christ” expression is somewhat atypical in the corpus Paulinum (εἰς Χριστόν [ei" Criston] rather than ἐν Χριστῷ [en Cristw]), a fact which tempers one’s certainty about the shorter reading. Nevertheless, the expression is used more in Galatians than in any other of Paul’s letters (Gal 2:16; 3:24, 27), and may have been suggested by such texts to early copyists.

[3:2]  ⁸² tn Grk “by [the] works of [the] law,” a reference to observing the Mosaic law.

[3:2]  ⁸³ tn Grk “by [the] hearing of faith.”

[1:19]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “But another of the apostles I did not see, except…” with “another” in emphatic position in the Greek text. Paul is determined to make the point that his contacts with the original twelve apostles and other leaders of the Jerusalem church were limited, thus asserting his independence from them.