Verse 14 is composed, in the Greek, of two dependent clauses, each introduced by a conjunction meaning either “so that” or “in order that”; that is, they are either purpose or result clauses. The first of these clauses depends on the main clause of verse 13 (Christ has redeemed us). The second could do the same, or it could depend on the first clause of verse 14. Good News Translation makes clear the connection of the first clause with verse 13 by adding the words Christ did this, thereby also making verse 14 a separate sentence (compare New American Bible “this has happened so that…”; New English Bible “and the purpose of it all was that…”; for a slightly different way of connecting the two verses, compare Phillips “God’s purpose is therefore plain…”).
The blessing which God promised to Abraham is literally “the blessing of Abraham.” It is possible to interpret this as “the blessing which Abraham has received from God” (New American Bible “the blessing bestowed on Abraham”; Twentieth Century “the blessing given to Abraham”). More likely, however, it refers to the blessing promised to Abraham. In a sense, however, both aspects of the blessing may be present in Paul’s thought. The blessing itself, in the light of verses 8-9, is God’s activity in putting the Gentiles into a right relationship with himself. The blessing which God promised to Abraham may be rendered in some languages as “the good that God promised to Abraham that he would do,” or “the favor that God said to Abraham he would be giving.”
Might be given to the Gentiles may be transformed from passive to active by saying “God might give this to the Gentiles.”
By means of Jesus Christ is literally “in Christ Jesus.” The same construction appears in 2.4,17. Some interpreters take the expression to be used in the sense of “fellowship with” or “union with” Christ Jesus. Many others, however, including Good News Translation, understand this phrase to be used here with the meaning of agency (compare Phillips “through Jesus Christ”; New American Bible “in Jesus Christ”).
In some languages it may be necessary to reorder the elements in the first purpose clause of this verse, for example, “In order that by means of what Christ Jesus did God would give to the Gentiles the blessing that he had promised to Abraham.” It is important in the rendering of this clause, and especially the expression “promised to Abraham,” to avoid an implication that God was going to take away the promise he had given to Abraham and give it instead to other people. The promise is that recorded in verse 8, that through Abraham God was going to bless all the people on earth. It may be necessary, in speaking of “what God had promised to Abraham,” to say “what God had said to Abraham that he would do.”
The second clause, as indicated above, can be understood as either dependent on or coordinate with the first clause. Good News Translation leans toward the dependent relationship (also New American Bible “thereby making it possible”; compare New English Bible); while some other translations favor the coordinate relationship (Jerusalem Bible “and so that”; Phillips “that the blessing promised to Abraham might reach the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, and the promise of the Spirit might become ours by faith”).
The phrase through faith may be rendered as “by our trusting God,” or “by our trusting in Jesus Christ.” In some languages this expression of means may be more appropriately indicated as cause, for example, “because we trusted in God.”
We should be understood not as “we Jews,” in contrast to Gentiles in the first clause, but as “we Christians,” including both Jews and Gentiles (Phillips “to us all”).
Might receive the Spirit is expressed in some languages as “might have the Spirit come upon us,” “… come into us,” or “might be controlled by the Spirit.” In a number of languages, however, it is not sufficient simply to speak of “the Spirit”; it may be necessary to indicate clearly that this is “God’s Spirit” or “the Holy Spirit.”
The Spirit promised by God is literally “the promise of the Spirit,” but it is understood as “the promised Spirit.” This may be understood either as equivalent to “the blessing of Abraham” (in which case the content of the blessing of Abraham would be the giving of the Spirit), or, as in most translations, a second result of Christ’s act of redeeming us from the curse of the Law. Understood in the latter way, there are two results of Christ’s act of redemption: (1) the blessing which consists in God’s acceptance of Gentiles by means of Christ Jesus, and (2) the receiving of the Spirit by all who believe.
Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .