---
title: "Galatians 3 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/galatians/3/
description: "The Spirit, and the blessing promised to Abraham cometh not by the law, but by… Galatians 3 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# Galatians 3

Galatians 3 is chapter 3 of 6 in the Letter to the Galatians. Here are all 29 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> The Spirit, and the blessing promised to Abraham cometh not by the law, but by faith.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## Galatians 3 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. O senseless Galatians, who has so fascinated you that you would not obey the truth, even though Jesus Christ has been presented before your eyes, crucified among you?
2. I wish to know only this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3. Are you so foolish that, though you began with the Spirit, you would now end with the flesh?
4. Have you been suffering so much without a reason? If so, then it is in vain.
5. Therefore, does he who distributes the Spirit to you, and who works miracles among you, act by the works of the law, or by the hearing of the faith?
6. It is just as it was written: “Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.”
7. Therefore, know that those who are of faith, these are the sons of Abraham.
8. Thus Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold to Abraham: “All nations shall be blessed in you.”
9. And so, those who are of faith shall be blessed with faithful Abraham.
10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it has been written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things that have been written in the book of the Law, so as to do them.”
11. And, since in the law no one is justified with God, this is manifest: “For the just man lives by faith.”
12. But the law is not of faith; instead, “he who does these things shall live by them.”
13. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, since he became a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is anyone who hangs from a tree.”
14. This was so that the blessing of Abraham might reach the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, in order that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15. Brothers (I speak according to man), if a man’s testament has been confirmed, no one would reject it or add to it.
16. The promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. He did not say, “and to descendents,” as if to many, but instead, as if to one, he said, “and to your offspring,” who is Christ.
17. But I say this: the testament confirmed by God, which, after four hundred and thirty years became the Law, does not nullify, so as to make the promise empty.
18. For if the inheritance is of the law, then it is no longer of the promise. But God bestowed it to Abraham through the promise.
19. Why, then, was there a law? It was established because of transgressions, until the offspring would arrive, to whom he made the promise, ordained by Angels through the hand of a mediator.
20. Now a mediator is not of one, yet God is one.
21. So then, was the law contrary to the promises of God? Let it not be so! For if a law had been given, which was able to give life, truly justice would be of the law.
22. But Scripture has enclosed everything under sin, so that the promise, by the faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
23. But before the faith arrived, we were preserved by being enclosed under the law, unto that faith which was to be revealed.
24. And so the law was our guardian in Christ, in order that we might be justified by faith.
25. But now that faith has arrived, we are no longer under a guardian.
26. For you are all sons of God, through the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
27. For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have become clothed with Christ.
28. There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither servant nor free; there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29. And if you are Christ’s, then are you the offspring of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.

## Galatians 3 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. O insensati Galatæ, quis vos fascinavit non obedire veritati, ante quorum oculos Jesus Christus præscriptus est, in vobis crucifixus?
2. Hoc solum a vobis volo discere: ex operibus legis Spiritum accepistis, an ex auditu fidei?
3. sic stulti estis, ut cum Spiritu cœperitis, nunc carne consummemini?
4. tanta passi estis sine causa? si tamen sine causa.
5. Qui ergo tribuit vobis Spiritum, et operatur virtutes in vobis: ex operibus legis, an ex auditu fidei?
6. Sicut scriptum est: Abraham credidit Deo, et reputatum est illi ad justitiam:
7. cognoscite ergo quia qui ex fide sunt, ii sunt filii Abrahæ.
8. Providens autem Scriptura quia ex fide justificat gentes Deus, prænuntiavit Abrahæ: Quia benedicentur in te omnes gentes.
9. Igitur qui ex fide sunt, benedicentur cum fideli Abraham.
10. Quicumque enim ex operibus legis sunt, sub maledicto sunt. Scriptum est enim: Maledictus omnis qui non permanserit in omnibus quæ scripta sunt in libro legis ut faciat ea.
11. Quoniam autem in lege nemo justificatur apud Deum, manifestum est: quia justus ex fide vivit.
12. Lex autem non est ex fide, sed: Qui fecerit ea, vivet in illis.
13. Christus nos redemit de maledicto legis, factus pro nobis maledictum: quia scriptum est: Maledictus omnis qui pendet in ligno:
14. ut in gentibus benedictio Abrahæ fieret in Christo Jesu, ut pollicitationem Spiritus accipiamus per fidem.
15. Fratres (secundum hominem dico) tamen hominis confirmatum testamentum nemo spernit, aut superordinat.
16. Abrahæ dictæ sunt promissiones, et semini ejus. Non dicit: Et seminibus, quasi in multis: sed quasi in uno: Et semini tuo, qui est Christus.
17. Hoc autem dico, testamentum confirmatum a Deo: quæ post quadringentos et triginta annos facta est lex, non irritum facit ad evacuandam promissionem.
18. Nam si ex lege hæreditas, jam non ex promissione. Abrahæ autem per repromissionem donavit Deus.
19. Quid igitur lex? Propter transgressiones posita est donec veniret semen, cui promiserat, ordinata per angelos in manu mediatoris.
20. Mediator autem unius non est: Deus autem unus est.
21. Lex ergo adversus promissa Dei? Absit. Si enim data esset lex, quæ posset vivificare, vere ex lege esset justitia.
22. Sed conclusit Scriptura omnia sub peccato, ut promissio ex fide Jesu Christi daretur credentibus.
23. Prius autem quam veniret fides, sub lege custodiebamur conclusi in eam fidem quæ revelanda erat.
24. Itaque lex pædagogus noster fuit in Christo, ut ex fide justificemur.
25. At ubi venit fides, jam non sumus sub pædagogo.
26. Omnes enim filii Dei estis per fidem, quæ est in Christo Jesu.
27. Quicumque enim in Christo baptizati estis, Christum induistis.
28. Non est Judæus, neque Græcus: non est servus, neque liber: non est masculus, neque femina. Omnes enim vos unum estis in Christo Jesu.
29. Si autem vos Christi, ergo semen Abrahæ estis, secundum promissionem hæredes.

## Catechism of the Catholic Church

Paragraph numbers and the Catechism's own section headings (never quoted); text at vatican.va.
- cf. CCC ¶ 59: The Stages of Revelation ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 580: Jesus and Israel ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 578: Jesus and Israel ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 706: God's Spirit and Word in the Time of the Promises ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 693: The Name, Titles, and Symbols of the Holy Spirit ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 708: God's Spirit and Word in the Time of the Promises ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 582: Jesus and Israel ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 1963: The Old Law ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 791: The Church - People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy Spirit ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 1227: Baptism in the Economy of Salvation ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 1243: How is the Sacrament of Baptism Celebrated? ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 1425: Why a Sacrament of Reconciliation after Baptism? ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 2348: The Vocation to Chastity ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))

## Bishop Challoner's notes

Bp. Richard Challoner, notes on the Douay-Rheims (1750); they comment on its older wording.
- Verse 19: “Because of transgressions” … To restrain them from sin, by fear and threats.
- Verse 19: “Ordained by angels” … The law was delivered by angels, speaking in the name and person of God to Moses, who was the mediator, on this occasion, between God and the people.
- Verse 22: that is, hath declared all to be under sin, from which they could not be delivered but by faith in Jesus Christ, the promised seed.
- Verse 24: That is, schoolmaster, conductor, or instructor.
- Verse 28: “Neither Jew” … That is, no distinction of Jew, etc.

## Read at Mass (US)

- Sun, Jun 25, 2028 (computed): Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time — Second Reading, Galatians 3:26-29
- Thu, Oct 12, 2028 (computed): Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time — First Reading, Galatians 3:1-5
- Fri, Oct 13, 2028 (computed): Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time — First Reading, Galatians 3:7-14
- Sat, Oct 14, 2028 (computed): Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time — First Reading, Galatians 3:22-29

Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).