迦拉达书 Galatians Chapter 3
Galatians
Chapter 3

1 1 2 O stupid Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

无知的迦拉达人啊!被钉在十字架上的耶稣基督,已活现地摆在你们的眼前,谁又迷惑了你们呢?

2 I want to learn only this from you: did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you heard? 3

我只愿向你们请教这一点:你们领受了圣神,是由于遵行法律呢?还是由于听信福音呢?

3 Are you so stupid? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? 4

你们竟这样无知吗?你们以圣神开始了,如今又愿以肉身结束吗?

4 Did you experience so many things 5 in vain?--if indeed it was in vain.

你们竟白白受了这么多的苦吗?果然是白白地吗?

5 Does, then, the one who supplies the Spirit to you and works mighty deeds among you do so from works of the law or from faith in what you heard?

天主赐与你们圣神,并在你们中间施展了德能,是因为你们遵行法律呢?还是因为你们听信福音呢?

6 Thus Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 6

经上这样记载说:‘亚巴郎信了天主,天主就以此算为他的正义。’

7 7 Realize then that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham.

为此你们该晓得:具有信德的人,才是亚巴郎的子孙。

8 Scripture, which saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold the good news to Abraham, saying, "Through you shall all the nations be blessed."

圣经预见天主将使异民凭信德成义,就向亚巴郎预报福音说:‘万民都要因你获得祝福。’

9 Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith.

可见那些具有信德的人,与有信德的亚巴郎同蒙祝福。

10 8 For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law."

反之,凡是依恃遵行法律的,都应受咒骂,因为经上记载说:‘凡不持守律书上所记载的一切,而依照遵行的,是可咒骂的。’

11 And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for "the one who is righteous by faith will live."

所以很明显的,没有一个人能凭法律在天主前成义,因为经上说:‘义人因信德而生活。’

12 But the law does not depend on faith; rather, "the one who does these things will live by them."

但是法律并非以信德为本,只说:‘遵行法令的,必因此获得生命。’

13 Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree,"

但基督由法律的咒骂中赎出了我们,为我们成了可咒骂的,因为经上记载说:‘凡被悬在木架上的,是可咒骂的。’

14 that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

这样天主使亚巴郎所蒙受的降福,在基督耶稣内普及于万民,并使我们能借着信德领受所应许的圣神。

15 9 Brothers, in human terms I say that no one can annul or amend even a human will once ratified.

弟兄们!就常规来说:连人的遗嘱,如果是正式成立的,谁也不得废除或增订。

16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant. 10 It does not say, "And to descendants," as referring to many, but as referring to one, "And to your descendant," who is Christ.

那么,恩许是向亚巴郎和他的后裔所许诺的,并没有说"后裔们",好象是向许多人说的,而是向一个人,即"你的后裔",就是指基督。

17 This is what I mean: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward, 11 does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise.

我是说:天主先前所正式立定的誓约,决不能为四百三十年以后成立的法律所废除,以致使恩许失效。

18 For if the inheritance comes from the law, it is no longer from a promise; but God bestowed it on Abraham through a promise. 12

如果承受产业是由于法律,就已不是由于恩许;但天主是由于恩许把产业赐给了亚巴郎。

19 13 14 Why, then, the law? It was added for transgressions, until the descendant came to whom the promise had been made; it was promulgated by angels at the hand of a mediator.

那么,为什么还有法律呢?它是为显露过犯而添设的,等他所恩许的后裔来到,它原是借着天使,经过中人的手而立定的。

20 Now there is no mediator when only one party is involved, and God is one.

可是如果出于单方,就不需要中人了,而天主是由单方赐与了恩许。

21 Is the law then opposed to the promises (of God)? Of course not! For if a law had been given that could bring life, then righteousness would in reality come from the law.

那么,法律相反天主的恩许吗?绝对不是。如果所立定的法律赐与人生命,正义就的确是出于法律了。

22 But scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.

但是圣经说过:一切人都被禁锢在罪恶权下,好使恩许借着对基督耶稣的信仰,归于相信的人。

23 15 Before faith came, we were held in custody under law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed.

在"信仰"尚未来到以前,我们都被禁锢在法律的监守之下,以期待"信仰"的出现。

24 Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian 16 for Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

这样,法律就成了我们的启蒙师,领我们归于基督,好使我们由于信仰而成义。

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian.

但是"信仰"一到,我们就不再处于启蒙师权下了。

26 For through faith you are all children of God 17 in Christ Jesus.

其实你们众人都借着对基督耶稣的信仰,成了天主的子女,

27 18 19 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

因为你们凡是领了洗归于基督的,就是穿上了基督:

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ,

不再分犹太人或希腊人,奴隶或自由人,男人或女人,因为你们众人在基督耶稣内已成了一个。

29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendant, heirs according to the promise.

如果你们属于基督,那么,你们就是亚巴郎的后裔,就是按照恩许作承继的人。



Footnotes(注解)

1 [1-14] Paul's contention that justification comes not through the law or the works of the law but by faith in Christ and in his death (Gal 2:16, 21) is supported by appeals to Christian experience (Gal 3:1-5) and to scripture (Gal 3:6-14). The gift of God's Spirit to the Galatians came from the gospel received in faith, not from doing what the law enjoins. The story of Abraham shows that faith in God brings righteousness (Gal 3:6; Genesis 15:6). The promise to Abraham (Gal 3:8; Genesis 12:3) extends to the Gentiles (Gal 3:14)

2 [1] Stupid: not just senseless, for they were in danger of deserting their salvation.

3 [2] Faith in what you heard: Paul's message received with faith. The Greek can also mean "the proclamation of the faith" or "a hearing that comes from faith."

4 [3] On the contrast of Spirit and flesh, cf Romans 8:1-11. Having received the Spirit, they need not be circumcised now.

5 [4] Experience so many things: probably the mighty deeds of Gal 1:5 but possibly the experience of sufferings.

6 [6] Abraham . . . righteousness: see Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3. The Galatians like Abraham heard with faith and experienced justification. This first argument forms the basis for the further scriptural evidence that follows.

7 [7-9] Faith is what matters, for Abraham and the children of Abraham, in contrast to the claims of the opponents that circumcision and observance of the law are needed to bring the promised blessing of Genesis 12:3; cf Genesis 18:18; Sirach 44:21; Acts 3:25.

8 [10-14] Those who depend not on promise and faith but on works of the law are under a curse because they do not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law (Gal 3:10; Deut 27:26) in order to gain life (Gal 3:12; Lev 18:5; cf Romans 10:5). But scripture teaches that no one is justified before God by the law (Gal 3:11; Hebrews 2:4, adapted from the Greek version of Habakkuk; cf Romans 1:17; Hebrews 10:38). Salvation, then, depends on faith in Christ who died on the cross (Gal 3:13), taking upon himself a curse found in Deut 21:23 (about executed criminals hanged in public view), to free us from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13). That the Gentile Galatians have received the promised Spirit (Gal 3:14) by faith and in no other way returns the argument to the experience cited in Gal 3:1-5.

9 [15-18] A third argument to support Paul's position that salvation is not through the law but by promise (Gal 3:1-14) comes from legal practice and scriptural history. A legal agreement or human will, duly ratified, is unalterable (Gal 3:15). God's covenant with Abraham and its repeated promises (Genesis 12:2-3, 7; 13:15; 17:7-8; 22:16-18; 24:7) is not superseded by the law, which came much later, in the time of Moses. The inheritance (of the Spirit and the blessings) is by promise, not by law (Gal 3:18). Paul's argument hinges on the fact that the same Greek word, diatheke, can be rendered as will or testament (Gal 3:15) and as covenant (Gal 3:17).

10 [16] Descendant: literally, "and to his seed." The Hebrew, as in Genesis 12:7; 15:18; 22:17-18, is a collective singular, traditionally rendered as a plural, descendants, but taken by Paul in its literal number to refer to Christ as descendant of Abraham.

11 [17] Four hundred and thirty years afterward: follows Exodus 12:40 in the Greek (Septuagint) version, in contrast to Genesis 15:13 and Acts 7:6, for chronology.

12 [18] This refutes the opponents' contention that the promises of God are fulfilled only as a reward for human observance of the law.

13 [19-22] A digression: if the Mosaic law, then, does not save or bring life, why was it given? Elsewhere, Paul says the law served to show that sin is (Romans 3:20; 7:7-8). Here the further implication is that the law in effect served to produce transgressions. Moreover, it was received at second hand by angels, through a mediator, not directly from God (Gal 3:19). The law does not, however, oppose God's purposes, for it carries out its function (Gal 3:22), so that righteousness comes by faith and promise, not by human works of the law.

14 [19] The descendant: Christ (Gal 3:16). By angels: Deut 33:2-4 stressed their presence as enhancing the importance of the law; Paul uses their role to diminish its significance (cf Acts 7:38, 53). A mediator: Moses. But in a covenant of promise, where all depends on the one God, no mediator is needed (Gal 3:20).

15 [23-29] Paul adds a further argument in support of righteousness or justification by faith and through God's promise rather than by works of the law (Gal 2:16; 3:22): as children of God, baptized into Christ, the Galatians are all Abraham's descendant and heirs of the promise to Abraham (Gal 3:8, 14, 16-18, 29). The teaching in Gal 3:23-25, that since faith (Christianity) has come, we are no longer under the law, could be taken with the previous paragraph on the role of the Mosaic law, but it also fits here as a contrast between the situation before faith (Gal 3:23) and the results after faith has come (Gal 3:25-29).

16 [24-25] Disciplinarian: the Greek paidagogos referred to a slave who escorted a child to school but did not teach or tutor; hence, a guardian or monitor. Applying this to the law fits the role of the law described in Gal 3:19-25.

17 [26] Children of God: literally "sons," in contrast to the young child under the disciplinarian in Gal 3:24-25. The term includes males and females (Gal 3:28).

18 [27-28] Likely a formula used at baptism that expresses racial, social-economic, and sexual equality in Christ (cf Col 3:11).

19 [27] Clothed yourselves with Christ: literally, "have put on Christ"; cf Romans 13:14; Eph 4:24; Col 3:10. Baptismal imagery, traceable to the Old Testament (Job 29:14; Isaiah 59:17) but also found in pagan mystery cults.