3 ¹⁵ My brothers, let me give you an illustration. Even in ordinary life, when a man's will and testament has been duly executed, no one else can set it aside or add a codicil. 3 ^{16 [ Gn.12.7, Gn.13.15, Gn.17.7. ]} Now the promises were pronounced to Abraham and to his 'issue'. It does not say 'issues' in the plural, but in the singular, 'and to your issue'; and the 'issue' intended is Christ. 3 ¹⁷ What I am saying is this: a testament, or covenant, had already been validated by God; it cannot be invalidated, and its promises rendered ineffective, by a law made four hundred and thirty years later. 3 ¹⁸ If the inheritance is by legal right, then it is not by promise; but it was by promise that God bestowed it as a free gift on Abraham.

3 ¹⁹ Then what of the law? It was added to make wrong-doing a legal offence. Or: added because of offences. It was a temporary measure pending the arrival of the 'issue' to whom the promise was made. It was promulgated through angels, and there was an intermediary; 3 ²⁰ but an intermediary is not needed for one party acting alone, and God is one.