Font Size
Galatians 2:15-21
English Standard Version
Galatians 2:15-21
English Standard Version
Justified by Faith
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not (A)Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that (B)a person is not justified[a] by works of the law (C)but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, (D)because by works of the law no one will be justified.
17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found (E)to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I (F)died to the law, so that I might (G)live to God. 20 I have been (H)crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives (I)in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, (J)who loved me and (K)gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for (L)if righteousness[b] were through the law, (M)then Christ died for no purpose.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Galatians 2:16 Or counted righteous (three times in verse 16); also verse 17
- Galatians 2:21 Or justification
Galatians 2:15-21
New International Version
Galatians 2:15-21
New International Version
15 “We who are Jews by birth(A) and not sinful Gentiles(B) 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law,(C) but by faith in Jesus Christ.(D) So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in[a] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.(E)
17 “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners,(F) doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!(G) 18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.
19 “For through the law I died to the law(H) so that I might live for God.(I) 20 I have been crucified with Christ(J) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.(K) The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,(L) who loved me(M) and gave himself for me.(N) 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law,(O) Christ died for nothing!”[b]
Footnotes
- Galatians 2:16 Or but through the faithfulness of … justified on the basis of the faithfulness of
- Galatians 2:21 Some interpreters end the quotation after verse 14.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.