GAL 3:15-25

The Purpose of the Law

15Brothers, I speak in human terms: even a ratified human will — once confirmed — no one annuls or adds to. [3:16] The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say "and to seeds" as of many, but as of one: "and to your seed" — who is Christ. [3:17] I say this: the Law, coming four hundred and thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise. [3:18] For if the inheritance is from the Law, it is no longer from a promise — but God granted it to Abraham through a promise. [3:19] Why then the Law? It was added because of transgressions — deliberate oversteppings of a known boundary — until the seed to whom the promise was made would come, having been ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator. [3:20] Now a mediator is not for one party; but God is one. [3:21] Is the Law then against the promises of God? Absolutely not. For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would indeed be from the Law. [3:22] But the Scripture shut everything up under sin, so that the promise — by faith in Jesus Christ — might be given to those who believe. [3:23] Before faith came, we were guarded under the Law, confined until the coming faith would be revealed. [3:24] So the Law was our household guardian escorting us to Christ, so that we might be declared righteous by faith. [3:25] But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

In the world it was spoken into

In the Greco-Roman world, (covenant) carried the legal weight of a will or testament, a binding agreement that could not be altered once ratified. Paul leverages this cultural understanding to argue that God’s promise to Abraham, made centuries before the Law, remains irrevocable. The Law, introduced 430 years later, does not nullify this promise. The term (seed) is central to Paul’s argument, shifting from a collective sense (Abraham’s descendants) to a singular focus on Christ, the ultimate fulfillment of the promise. The Law’s role is further clarified through the metaphor of a (guardian), a household slave tasked with supervising a child until maturity. In this context, the Law served as a temporary guardian, guiding Israel until the coming of Christ. Paul’s audience, familiar with Roman legal practices and household structures, would have understood this analogy as a critique of the Law’s ultimate purpose: not as a means of inheritance but as a preparatory measure pointing to Christ.

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How other translations render this

GAL 3:15

KJV: Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
BSB: Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended.
Koinōnos: Brothers, I speak in human terms: even a ratified human will — once confirmed — no one annuls or adds to.

GAL 3:16

KJV: Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
BSB: The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.
Koinōnos: The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say "and to seeds" as of many, but as of one: "and to your seed" — who is Christ.

GAL 3:17

KJV: And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
BSB: What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to nullify the promise.
Koinōnos: I say this: the Law, coming four hundred and thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise.

GAL 3:18

KJV: For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
BSB: 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.
Koinōnos: For if the inheritance is from the Law, it is no longer from a promise — but God granted it to Abraham through a promise.

GAL 3:19

KJV: Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
BSB: Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.
Koinōnos: Why then the Law? It was added because of transgressions — deliberate oversteppings of a known boundary — until the seed to whom the promise was made would come, having been ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator.

GAL 3:20

KJV: Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
BSB: A mediator is unnecessary, however, for only one party; but God is one.
Koinōnos: Now a mediator is not for one party; but God is one.

GAL 3:21

KJV: Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
BSB: Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law.
Koinōnos: Is the Law then against the promises of God? Absolutely not. For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would indeed be from the Law.

GAL 3:22

KJV: But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
BSB: But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.
Koinōnos: But the Scripture shut everything up under sin, so that the promise — by faith in Jesus Christ — might be given to those who believe.

GAL 3:23

KJV: But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
BSB: Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.
Koinōnos: Before faith came, we were guarded under the Law, confined until the coming faith would be revealed.

GAL 3:24

KJV: Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
BSB: So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Koinōnos: So the Law was our household guardian escorting us to Christ, so that we might be declared righteous by faith.

GAL 3:25

KJV: But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
BSB: Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
Koinōnos: But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

GAL 3:15

a covenant:The word translated 'covenant' here often referred to a legal will or testament in the ancient world, which, once established, could not be altered.

GAL 3:16

seed:The term translated 'seed' in this context refers to offspring or descendants, not a literal plant seed, emphasizing the lineage and singular heir.

GAL 3:19

transgressions:The word translated 'transgressions' specifically means stepping across a boundary or overstepping a known limit, highlighting a deliberate violation of a rule.

GAL 3:24

trainer:The word translated 'trainer' refers to a household slave whose job was to escort a child to school and supervise their behavior, not to teach them directly.