1.2 KiB
Did you suffer … for nothing?
Paul asks a rhetorical question to remind the Galatians of the hardships they had suffered. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion.)
suffer so many things
This can be translated as 1) "experience so many good and bad things" (see UDB) or 2) "suffer so much" persecution because of their original commitment to Christ or 3) "work so hard" to keep the law
if indeed they were for nothing
This can be translated as 1) "they would have been of no value at all if you had not been trusting in him" (UDB) or 2) assuming the Galatians were working hard to keep the law, "if the work you did were only for nothing," meaning that they were depending on works, not on Christ, and God would not count them as believers.
does he … do it by the works of the law or by the hearing with faith?
Paul asks another rhetorical question to remind the Galatians how people receive the Spirit. This can be translated as "he … does not do it by the works of the law; he does it by the hearing with faith."
by the works of the law
"when we do what the law tells us to do"
by the hearing with faith
"when we listen to the message and put our trust in Jesus"