Galatians 3:17
 
Galatians 3:17
(KJV) And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
(1611 KJV) And this I say, that the Couenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the Lawe which was foure hundred and thirtie yeres after, cannot disanul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
(1568 Bishops Bible) This I say, that the lawe which began afterwarde, beyonde foure hundred and thirtie yeres, doth not disanull the testament that was confirmed afore of God, vnto Christe warde, to make the promise of none effect.
(1526 Tyndale) This I saye that the lawe which beganne afterwarde beyonde .iiii.C and .xxx. yeares doth not disanull the testament that was confermed afore of God vnto Christ ward to make the promes of none effect.
 
Counterfeit Versions
(CSB) My point is this: The law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously established by God and thus cancel the promise.
(NIV) What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.
(NASV) What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.
(THE MESSAGE) 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.
(AMP) This is my argument: The Law, which began 430 years after the covenant [concerning the coming Messiah], does not and cannot annul the covenant previously established (ratified) by God, so as to abolish the promise and make it void.
(NLT) This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise.
(ESV) This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.
(CEV) What I am saying is that the Law cannot change or cancel God's promise that was made 430 years before the Law was given.
(1901 ASV) Now this I say: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of none effect.
(NLV) This is what I am saying: The Law which came 430 years later could not change the promise. The promise had already been made by God. The Law could not put that promise aside.
(HCSB) And I say this: the law, which came 430 years later, does not revoke a covenant that was previously ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise.
(NCV) This is what I mean: God had an agreement with Abraham and promised to keep it. The law, which came four hundred thirty years later, cannot change that agreement and so destroy God's promise to Abraham.
(RSV) This is what I mean: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.
(NAB-Roman Catholic) This is what I mean: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise.
(DOUY-RHEIMS Roman Catholic) Now this I say, that the testament which was confirmed by God, the law which was made after four hundred and thirty years, doth not disannul, to make the promise of no effect.
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) Further, I say this: As to the covenant previously validated by God, the Law that has come into being four hundred and thirty years later does not invalidate it, so as to abolish the promise.
 
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
touto de legw diaqhkhn prokekurwmenhn upo tou qeou eiV criston o meta eth tetrakosia kai triakonta gegonwV nomoV ouk akuroi eiV to katarghsai thn epaggelian
 
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
touto de legw diaqhkhn prokekurwmenhn upo tou qeou o meta tetrakosia kai triakonta eth gegonwV nomoV ouk akuroi eiV to katarghsai thn epaggelian
 
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
P 025 - Ninth century
P 46 - circa 200 AD
33 (Miniscule) - Ninth Century
 
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
D 06 - Paris: Claromontanus - Sixth century
K 018 - Ninth century
L 020 - Ninth century
 
Affected Teaching
This is one of the most subtle yet serious deletions in the New Testament. Galatians 3:17 is teaching us plainly that the covenant of Grace that God made with Abraham, before the law was given, would never be affected by the Law. God had already named those whom He was going to save before the foundation of the world. (Rev 17:8 KJV) The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
 
Therefore Grace would never be annulled by the Law. Here is the subtle omission. The modern versions leave out the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was through Him that Grace came. This also gives us insight into the salvation of the Old Testament Saints. Many Christians get tripped up thinking that the Old Testament Saints were saved in a different manner than those on the New Testament side of the cross. God saves only through Grace and that Grace came through the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches us that the Lord Jesus Christ was slain in principle from before the foundations of the world. This means that everyone who was saved from the Old Testament and New Testament eras, were saved only through the grace of God which came through the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rev 13:8 KJV) And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8 teaches us plainly that Christ was crucified, in principle, before the foundation of the world. (Eph 1:4 KJV) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Ephesians 1:4 confirms the fact that all God’s believers were chosen, in Christ, before the foundation of the world. It is shame that the modern versions omit the name of Jesus Christ as God’s only channel of grace for the true believer. By mutilating this verse, the translators and editors of the modern versions show they have no understanding of God’s salvation program and are only out to make money. Surely their place is secure in Hell!

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