1 Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, accompanied by Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I spoke privately to those recognized as leaders, for fear that I was running or had already run in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 This issue arose because some false brothers had come in under false pretenses to spy on our freedom in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. 6 But as for the highly esteemed—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism —those leaders added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. 8 For the One who was at work in Peter’s apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in my apostleship to the Gentiles. 9 And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas, and John—those reputed to be pillars—gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. 10 They only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. 11 When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 14 When I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” 15 We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile “sinners” 16 know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker. 19 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, Christ died for nothing.
Galatians · Berean Standard Bible
Galatians 2 Berean Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Titus
A Greek coworker of Paul, not compelled to be circumcised, who carried Paul's letters to Corinth, and whom Paul left in Crete to set things in order.
Cited in the guide: 2 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 8:23; Galatians 2:3
Places
Antioch (Syrian)
The empire's third-largest city and the first major Gentile church — the launching base for Paul's journeys. (Distinct from Pisidian Antioch.)
Cited in the guide: Acts 11:26; Acts 13:1-3; Galatians 2:11
Cross references (21)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Galatians 2:3; Acts 15:2–4; Acts 14:12; 2 Corinthians 8:16; Galatians 2:13
- 2 Galatians 2:6; Philippians 2:16; 1 Thessalonians 3:5; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Corinthians 9:26
- 3 Acts 16:3; Galatians 5:2–6; 1 Corinthians 9:20–21; 2 Corinthians 2:13; Acts 15:24
- 4 Galatians 5:1; Jude 4; 2 Peter 2:1–2; 1 John 4:1; Galatians 5:12–13
- 5 Galatians 4:16; Galatians 2:14; Colossians 2:4–8; Colossians 1:5; Jude 3
- 6 Galatians 2:2; Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; 2 Corinthians 12:11; 2 Corinthians 11:5
- 7 1 Thessalonians 2:4; Acts 9:15; 1 Timothy 2:7; Galatians 1:16; Acts 13:46–48
- 8 Acts 22:21; Acts 9:15; Acts 15:12; Acts 2:14–41; Acts 21:19
- 9 Romans 12:3; Revelation 3:12; Ephesians 3:8; Galatians 2:2; Acts 15:22–30
- 10 1 John 3:17; Hebrews 13:16; Acts 24:17; 2 Corinthians 8:1–9; 1 Corinthians 16:1–2
- 11 1 Timothy 5:20; Galatians 2:14; Acts 15:1; 2 Corinthians 5:16; Galatians 2:5
- 12 Acts 10:28; Luke 15:2; Ephesians 3:6; Acts 11:2–3; Matthew 26:69–75
- 13 1 Corinthians 15:33; Hebrews 13:9; Ephesians 4:14; Ecclesiastes 10:1; Genesis 12:11–13
- 14 Acts 10:28; Galatians 2:5; Acts 15:10–11; 1 Timothy 5:20; Proverbs 2:7
- 15 Ephesians 2:3; Titus 3:3; Romans 3:9; Ephesians 2:11–12; Philippians 3:4
- 16 Philippians 3:9; Psalm 143:2; Romans 3:19–28; Romans 9:30; 1 Peter 1:18–21
- 17 Romans 6:1–2; 1 John 3:8–10; 1 John 3:5; Galatians 2:15; Matthew 1:21
- 18 Galatians 4:9–12; Galatians 2:4–5; Galatians 2:12–16; Romans 14:15; Galatians 2:21
- 19 Romans 7:4; Romans 6:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:10; Romans 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:15
- 20 Galatians 5:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Romans 6:4–6; Colossians 3:3–4; 2 Corinthians 4:10–11
- 21 Romans 11:6; Galatians 3:21; Hebrews 7:11; 1 Corinthians 15:14; Galatians 2:16
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… that Paul alone knew the truth, and that to him the mystery was manifested by revelation, let Paul himself convict them, when he says, that one and the same God wrought in Peter for the apostolate of the circumcision, and in himself for the Gentiles. Peter, therefore, was an apostle of that very God whose was also Paul; and Him …
… the Son is the work of the Father, since it is written, "Who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all;" and that the Passion of the Son was His own work also, "Who loved me, and gave Himself for me." The Father delivered up the Son, and the Son delivered up Himself.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
"For He that wrought effectually in Peter," it is said, "to the apostleship of the circumcision, was mighty also in me towards the Gentiles." For since on seeing the Son, they were wroth and slew Him, He bids them again by His servants.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
But I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that Gospel which I preached among the Gentiles." And again he says, "For an hour we did give place to subjection, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you." If, then, any one shall, from the Acts of the Apostles, carefully scrutinize the time concerning which it is …
But the Apostle says, "If righteousness come by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain." What the Apostle says of the Law, that say we of nature to these men.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)