1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles. I spoke privately to those who seemed to be important, in order to make sure that I was not running—or had not run—in vain. 3 But not even Titus, who was with me and who was a Greek, was forced to be circumcised. 4 The false brothers came in secretly to spy on the liberty we have in Christ Jesus. They desired to make us slaves, 5 but we did not yield in submission to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. 6 But those who seemed to be important (whatever they were does not matter to me, God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed important added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to those who are uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to those who are circumcised. 8 For God, who worked in Peter for the apostleship to those who are circumcised, also worked in me to the Gentiles. 9 When James, Cephas, and John, who were recognized as those who built up the church, understood the grace that had been given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me. They did this so that we should go to the Gentiles, and so that they should go to those who are circumcised. 10 They requested only that we remember the poor, the very thing that I was eager to do. 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he was declared to be in the wrong. 12 Before certain men came from James, Cephas was eating with the Gentiles. But when these men came, he stopped and kept away from the Gentiles. He was afraid of those who were demanding circumcision. 13 Also the rest of the Jews joined in this hypocrisy. Even Barnabas was led astray with them by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their behavior was not following the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of all of them, “If you are a Jew but are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” 15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that no person is justified by the works of the law but through faith in Christ Jesus. We also came to faith in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law no flesh will be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we too, were found to be sinners, does Christ then promote sin? Absolutely not! 18 For if I rebuild those things I once destroyed, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, then Christ died for nothing!
Galatians · Unlocked Literal Bible
Galatians 2 Unlocked Literal 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)