Old Testament Law Abolished

Galatians 3:1-14

Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
[KJV]

Paul was unhappy that the Galatians had been fooled by somebody into trying to obey the law. He asked them if they received the Holy Spirit by obeying the law, or through their faith. He asked them if they believed that after receiving the Spirit through faith, whether they thought that they could be "made perfect by the flesh". By this he meant the works of the flesh, or in other words by keeping the law.

Paul asked the Galatians if the miracles that the they had seen were done by God because they obeyed the law, or because they had faith. He then told them that it was faith that saved them, not obeying the law. He told them about Abraham, who was considered righteous by God because he believed God.

In Galatians 3:10, Paul states that everybody who is under the law is under the curse. In 3:13, he writes that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. The blessing of Abraham mentioned in 3:14 is further discussed in Galatians 3:14-29.

It is clear that Paul was saying that nobody will be justified by the law. The just shall live by faith.