Galatians 3:11

THE MESSAGE

The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way. The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. Habakkuk had it right: "The person who believes God, is set right by God—and that's the real life." Rule-keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith, but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule-keeping, a fact observed in Scripture: "The one who does these things [rule-keeping] continues to live by them."

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

Legacy Standard Bible
Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident, for "The righteous shall live by faith."

Simplified Cowboy Version
This means no one is right with God by following rules. The Good Books also says, "It is by faith that a cowboy rides the right trail with God."

Bible in Basic English
Now that no man gets righteousness by the law in the eyes of God, is clear; because, The upright will be living by faith.

Darby Translation
but that by law no one is justified with God [is] evident, because The just shall live on the principle of faith;

Christian Standard Bible®
Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith.

World English Bible
Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, "The righteous will live by faith."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But that none is justified by the law in the sight of God, is evident; for the just shall live by faith.

Weymouth's New Testament
It is evident, too, that no one can find acceptance with God simply by obeying the Law, because "the righteous shall live by faith,"

King James Version (1611)
But that no man is iustified by the Lawe in the sight of God, it is euident: for, The iust shall liue by faith.

Literal Translation
And that no one is justified by Law before God is clear because, "The just shall live by faith." Hab. 2:4

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
That no man is iustified by the lawe in the sighte of God, it is euydet: For ye iust shal lyue by his faith.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, is evident: for, " the just shall live by faith."

Amplified Bible
Now it is clear that no one is justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing] before God by the Law, for "THE RIGHTEOUS (the just, the upright) SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

American Standard Version
Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith;

Revised Standard Version
Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the law; for "He who through faith is righteous shall live";

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
That no ma is iustified by ye lawe in ye sight of God is evidet. For the iuste shall live by fayth.

Update Bible Version
Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith;

Webster's Bible Translation
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Young's Literal Translation
and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident, because `The righteous by faith shall live;'

New Century Version
Now it is clear that no one can be made right with God by the law, because the Scriptures say, "Those who are right with God will live by faith."

New English Translation
Now it is clear no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous one will live by faith .

Berean Standard Bible
And it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."

Contemporary English Version
No one can please God by obeying the Law. The Scriptures also say, "The people God accepts because of their faith will live."

Complete Jewish Bible
Now it is evident that no one comes to be declared righteous by God through legalism, since "The person who is righteous will attain life by trusting and being faithful."

English Standard Version
Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And that no man is iustified by the Law in the sight of God, it is euident: for the iust shall liue by faith.

George Lamsa Translation
But that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, as it is written, The righteous shall live by faith.

Hebrew Names Version
Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, "The righteous will live by faith."

International Standard Version
Now it is obvious that no one is justified in the sight of God by the law, because "The righteous will live by faith."Habakkuk 2:4">[fn]Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 2:16; Hebrews 10:38;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
But that man is not justified by the law before Aloha, this maketh manifest: because it is written, The just by faith shall live.

Murdock Translation
And that no one becometh just before God, by the law, is manifest: because it is written, The just by faith, shall live.

New King James Version
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." Habakkuk 2:4">[fn]

New Living Translation
So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."

New Life Bible
No one is made right with God by doing what the Law says. For, "The man right with God will live by faith."

English Revised Version
Now that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith;

New Revised Standard
Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for "The one who is righteous will live by faith."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Moreover, that, in law, no one, is declared righteous with God, is evident, - because, The righteous one, by faith, shall live;

Douay-Rheims Bible
But that in the law no man is justified with God, it is manifest: because the just man liveth by faith.

King James Version
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Lexham English Bible
Now it is clear that no one is justified in the sight of God by the law, because "the one who is righteous will live by faith."

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But that no man is iustified by ye lawe in the sight of God, it is euident. For the iust shall lyue by fayth.

Easy-to-Read Version
So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by the law. The Scriptures say, "The one who is right with God by faith will live forever."

New American Standard Bible
Now, that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "THE RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH."

Good News Translation
Now, it is clear that no one is put right with God by means of the Law, because the scripture says, "Only the person who is put right with God through faith shall live."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And that no man is iustified in the lawe bifor God, it is opyn, for a riytful man lyueth of bileue.

Contextual Overview

⁷Is it not obvious to you that persons who put their trust in Christ (not persons who put their trust in the law!) are like Abraham: children of faith? It was all laid out beforehand in Scripture that God would set things right with non-Jews by faith. Scripture anticipated this in the promise to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed in you." ⁹So those now who live by faith are blessed along with Abraham, who lived by faith—this is no new doctrine! And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure. Scripture backs this up: "Utterly cursed is every person who fails to carry out every detail written in the Book of the law." ¹¹The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way. The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. Habakkuk had it right: "The person who believes God, is set right by God—and that's the real life." Rule-keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith, but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule-keeping, a fact observed in Scripture: "The one who does these things [rule-keeping] continues to live by them." ¹³Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself. Do you remember the Scripture that says, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"? That is what happened when Jesus was nailed to the cross: He became a curse, and at the same time dissolved the curse. And now, because of that, the air is cleared and we can see that Abraham's blessing is present and available for non-Jews, too. We are all able to receive God's life, his Spirit, in and with us by believing—just the way Abraham received it. ¹⁵Friends, let me give you an example from everyday affairs of the free life I am talking about. Once a person's will has been ratified, no one else can annul it or add to it. Now, the promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant. You will observe that Scripture, in the careful language of a legal document, does not say "to descendants," referring to everybody in general, but "to your descendant" (the noun, note, is singular), referring to Christ. This is the way I interpret this: A will, earlier ratified by God, is not annulled by an addendum attached 430 years later, thereby negating the promise of the will. No, this addendum, with its instructions and regulations, has nothing to do with the promised inheritance in the will. What is the point, then, of the law, the attached addendum? It was a thoughtful addition to the original covenant promises made to Abraham. The purpose of the law was to keep a sinful people in the way of salvation until Christ (the descendant) came, inheriting the promises and distributing them to us. Obviously this law was not a firsthand encounter with God. It was arranged by angelic messengers through a middleman, Moses. But if there is a middleman as there was at Sinai, then the people are not dealing directly with God, are they? But the original promise is the direct blessing of God, received by faith. If such is the case, is the law, then, an anti-promise, a negation of God's will for us? Not at all. Its purpose was to make obvious to everyone that we are, in ourselves, out of right relationship with God, and therefore to show us the futility of devising some religious system for getting by our own efforts what we can only get by waiting in faith for God to complete his promise. For if any kind of rule-keeping had power to create life in us, we would certainly have gotten it by this time. Until the time when we were mature enough to respond freely in faith to the living God, we were carefully surrounded and protected by the Mosaic law. The law was like those Greek tutors, with which you are familiar, who escort children to school and protect them from danger or distraction, making sure the children will really get to the place they set out for. But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ's life, the fulfillment of God's original promise. In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ's family, then you are Abraham's famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that: Galatians 2:16, 1 Kings 8:46, Job 9:3, Job 40:4, Job 42:6, Psalms 19:12, Psalms 130:3, Psalms 130:4, Psalms 143:2, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah 64:6, James 3:2, 1 John 1:8-10, Revelation 5:9, Revelation 7:14, Revelation 7:15

The just: Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Hebrews 10:38

Reciprocal: Genesis 6:9 - just Exodus 19:24 - lest Matthew 19:17 - but Luke 10:29 - willing Romans 2:13 - but the Romans 3:28 - General Romans 5:1 - being Romans 9:31 - hath 1 Corinthians 6:11 - but ye are justified Galatians 2:20 - I now Galatians 3:10 - as many Philippians 3:9 - the righteousness

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
God said, "What have you done! The voice of your brother's blood is calling to me from the ground. From now on you'll get nothing but curses from this ground; you'll be driven from this ground that has opened its arms to receive the blood of your murdered brother. You'll farm this ground, but it will no longer give you its best. You'll be a homeless wanderer on Earth."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But that no man is justified,.... There are some that are justified, as all God's elect are, in his own mind and will from eternity; which will of his to justify them, upon the righteousness of his Son, undertook by him to bring in, is their justification in the court of heaven; and all that believe in Christ are openly and manifestly justified in the court of conscience, under the testimony of the Spirit of God: but no one is justified

by the law; it is in the Greek text, "in the law"; there were many justified before the law was given, as Noah, Job, Abraham, and all the Ante-Mosaic believers; and there were many justified "in", or under the legal dispensation; but none of them were justified by their obedience to the law, but by the righteousness they believed they had in the Lord: especially no man is justified

in the sight of God; who sees the heart, knows the spring of actions, and whose judgment is according to truth; that is, by the law and the deeds of it, however they may before men:

it is evident; it is a clear case, out of all dispute, as appears from Habakkuk 2:4

for the just shall live by faith; which may be read either, "the just by faith, shall live": that is, the man who is just by faith, or justified by faith, not by it as a principle or act, or as the cause or matter of his justification, but by the object of his faith, Christ and his righteousness apprehended by faith, and so not just or justified by works; he shall live a life of justification, through that righteousness his faith receives; he shall live comfortably, with much peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, as the result of his being justified by faith; and shall live eternally, and never die the second death: or the "just shall live by faith"; he that is righteous, not by his own works, but by the obedience of Christ, shall live not upon faith, but by it on Christ, and his righteousness, which is revealed from faith to faith; and this makes it a clear point, that he is not justified by the law, for if he was, he would not live by faith on Christ, but in and by the deeds of the law.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But that no man is justified ... - The argument which Paul has been pursuing he proceeds to confirm by an express declaration of the Bible. The argument is this: “It is impossible that a man should be justified by the Law, because God has appointed another way of justification.” But there cannot be two ways of obtaining life, and as he has appointed faith as the condition on which people shall live, he has precluded from them the possibility of obtaining salvation in any other mode.

For, The just shall live by faith - This is quoted from Habakkuk 2:4. This passage is also quoted by Paul in Romans 1:17; see it explained in the note on that verse. The sense here is, that life is promised to man only in connection with faith. It is not by the works of the Law that it is done. The condition of life is faith: and he lives who believes. The meaning is not, I apprehend, that the man who is justified by faith shall live, but that life is promised and exists only in connection with faith, and that the just or righteous man obtains it only in this way. Of course it cannot be obtained by the observance of the Law, but must be by some other scheme.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 11. But that no man is justified by the law — By the observance of the law, suppose he had even continued in all things that are written in it to do them, is evident; for the Prophet Habakkuk, Habakkuk 2:4, has declared, under the direct influence of the Spirit of God, The just shall live by faith; or, he who is just by faith shall live: therefore this justification comes not by works, or the observance of the law, but by faith.