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Galatians 3:18

Made Simple — Modern English Translation

Translated by Verse Made Simple Editorial
KJV ORIGINAL
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE

Here's the thing, if getting God's inheritance was about following all the rules perfectly, then it wouldn't really be about his promise anymore. But God didn't give Abraham the inheritance because he earned it through law-keeping. He gave it because he promised he would.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

God's gifts aren't earned through rule-following, they're given because he keeps his promises.

📚 Historical Context

In the first century AD, the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians to counter false teachers who insisted that Gentile Christians must adopt Jewish laws to receive God's inheritance. Paul draws from the Old Testament story of Abraham, emphasizing that God promised an inheritance to him through faith alone, long before the law was given to Moses. This context underscores the early church's struggle between relying on God's grace versus human efforts to earn salvation.

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