The Ten Commandments^(A)

20 And God spoke^(B) all these words:^(C)

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^{[a](A) 38} This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^{[b](B) 40} All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”^(C)

¹⁹ Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions^(A) until the Seed^(B) to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels^(C) and entrusted to a mediator.^{(D) 20} A mediator,^(E) however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

²¹ Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not!^(F) For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.^{(G) 22} But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin,^(H) so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Children of God

²³ Before the coming of this faith,^[a] we were held in custody^(I) under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.^{(J) 24} So the law was our guardian until Christ came^(K) that we might be justified by faith.^(L)

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says,^(A) it says to those who are under the law,^(B) so that every mouth may be silenced^(C) and the whole world held accountable to God.^{(D) 20} Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;^(E) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.^(F)

Righteousness Through Faith

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God^(G) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.^{(H) 22} This righteousness^(I) is given through faith^(J) in^[a] Jesus Christ^(K) to all who believe.^(L) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,^{(M) 23} for all have sinned^(N) and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified^(O) freely by his grace^(P) through the redemption^(Q) that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[b](R) through the shedding of his blood^(S)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished^(T)— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

³ What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^[a](A)

⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift^(B) but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.^{(C) 6} David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: