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Galatians 2
Worldwide English (New Testament)
Galatians 2
Worldwide English (New Testament)
2 Fourteen years later I went to Jerusalem again. This time I went with Barnabas and I took Titus with me.
2 God showed me that I should go. And I told them about the good news which I tell to people who are not Jews. I told those who seemed to be church leaders when I was alone with them. I did not want my work to come to nothing - the work I had done or the work I was doing.
3 Titus was with me. He was not a Jew, but they did not force him to be circumcised [have the mark of a Jew made on his body].
4 But some men got in who were not true brothers. They came in secretly to spy on us to find out things about us. They did not want us to be free the way Christ Jesus has made us free. But they wanted to make us obey the old laws again [which were given to Moses by God].
5 But we did not let them tell us what to do, no, not even for one minute. In that way the real good news will be yours always.
6 Those men who seemed to be leaders did not teach me anything new. It does not matter to me who they were. God does not love some people more than others.
7 No, the leaders saw that God called me to take the good news to those who are not circumcised [not Jews], just as he called Peter to take the good news to those who are circumcised [Jews].
8 The same God who made Peter an apostle to the Jews made me an apostle to those who are not Jews.
9 The leaders saw that God had blessed me. James, Peter, and John seemed to be leaders in the church. They saw that God had blessed me. So they accepted Barnabas and me as fellow workers. They agreed that we should go to the people who were not Jews and they themselves would go to the Jews.
10 One thing they asked us to do was to help the poor Christians. I was very glad to do this.
11 One day Peter came to the city of Antioch. Then I had to tell him face to face that he had done wrong. He really was wrong!
12 Here is what happened. Peter ate with those who were not Jews. Then some men came whom James had sent. When they came he stopped eating with those who were not Jews. He was afraid of what the Jews might think.
13 All the other Jewish Christians did the same as Peter did. They acted as if it was not right to eat with those who were not Jews. Even Barnabas did the same.
14 But I saw they were not doing right. They were not obeying the true teaching of the good news. So I said to Peter in front of them all, `You are a Jew. But you live the way people do who are not Jews. How then can you force those who are not Jews to live the way the Jews do?'
15 We ourselves were born Jews. We are not of those who still follow wrong ways, those who are not Jews.
16 Yet we know that God does not call a man good because he tries to obey the law of the Jews. But we know that God puts a man right because he believes in Jesus Christ. So we also believed in Jesus Christ. And we are put right with God because we believe in Christ and not because we obey the law. No person will ever be called good by God just because he tries to obey the law of the Jews.
17 We came to Christ to be put right with God. That showed us how much we had been bad men. Was it Christ who made us bad men? No, surely not!
18 If I build up again what I once broke down, I do wrong.
19 Through the law I died. Now the law has no power over me so that I may live for God.
20 I died when Christ died on a cross. I do not live now, but Christ lives in me. Now while I still live in my body, I live by believing in the Son of God. He loved me and gave himself for me.
21 So I do not make the love of God useless. But if a person can be made good by the law, then Christ died for nothing.
Galatians 2
English Standard Version
Galatians 2
English Standard Version
Paul Accepted by the Apostles
2 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 (though privately before those (A)who seemed influential) the gospel that (B)I proclaim among the Gentiles, (C)in order to make sure I was not running or had not (D)run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, (E)was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 (F)Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who (G)slipped in to spy out (H)our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, (I)so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that (J)the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those (K)who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; (L)God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential (M)added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been (N)entrusted with (O)the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, (P)who seemed to be (Q)pillars, perceived the (R)grace that was given to me, they (S)gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, (T)the very thing I was eager to do.
Paul Opposes Peter
11 But (U)when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him (V)to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, (W)he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing (X)the circumcision party.[a] 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their (Y)conduct was not in step with (Z)the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas (AA)before them all, “If you, though a Jew, (AB)live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Justified by Faith
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not (AC)Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that (AD)a person is not justified[b] by works of the law (AE)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, (AF)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 (AG)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 (AH)died to the law, so that I might (AI)live to God. 20 I have been (AJ)crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives (AK)in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, (AL)who loved me and (AM)gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for (AN)if righteousness[c] were through the law, (AO)then Christ died for no purpose.
Footnotes
- Galatians 2:12 Or fearing those of the circumcision
- Galatians 2:16 Or counted righteous (three times in verse 16); also verse 17
- Galatians 2:21 Or justification
Galatians 2
New Matthew Bible
Galatians 2
New Matthew Bible
He withstands Peter to his face, and asserts that the law and circumcision are not necessary to salvation.
2 Then fourteen years after that, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took with me Titus also. 2 Yea, and I went up by revelation, and discussed with them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles (but between ourselves, with those who were counted chief), lest it be thought that I should run or had run in vain.
3 Also Titus who was with me, though he was a Greek, was not compelled to be circumcised. 4 The issue arose because of incomers, being false brethren, who came in among others to spy out the liberty that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into bondage. 5 To whom we gave no ground, no, not for the space of an hour, as concerning to be brought into subjection – and that in order that the truth of the gospel may continue with you.
6 Of those who seemed to be great (what they were in time past does not matter to me; God looks on no man’s person) – nevertheless, those who seemed great contributed nothing to me. 7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel over the uncircumcision was committed to me, as the gospel over the circumcision was to Peter 8 (for he who was mighty in Peter in the apostleship over the circumcision was mighty in me among the Gentiles), 9 and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, then James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands, and agreed with us that we should preach among the heathen, and they among the Jews – 10 warning only that we should remember the poor, which thing also I was diligent to do.
11 And when Peter came to Antioch, I withstood him to the face. For he was worthy to be blamed. 12 For before certain men came from James, he ate with the Gentiles. But when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise, insomuch that Barnabas was brought into their simulation also.
14 But when I saw that they did not go the right way after the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, If you being a Jew live according to the customs of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 know that a person is not justified by the deeds of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. And therefore we have believed on Jesus Christ, so that we may be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the deeds of the law – because no flesh can be justified by the deeds of the law.
17 If then, while we seek to be made righteous by Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, is Christ then the minister of sin? God forbid. 18 For if I build again that which I destroyed, then I make myself a trespasser. 19 But I through the law am dead to the law, so that I may live unto God. 20 I am crucified with Christ. I live indeed – yet now not I, but Christ lives in me. For the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of 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 comes by the law, then Christ died in vain.
Galatians 2
New International Version
Galatians 2
New International Version
Paul Accepted by the Apostles
2 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem,(A) this time with Barnabas.(B) I took Titus(C) along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation(D) and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles.(E) I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race(F) in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus,(G) who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.(H) 4 This matter arose because some false believers(I) had infiltrated our ranks to spy on(J) the freedom(K) we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel(L) might be preserved for you.
6 As for those who were held in high esteem(M)—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism(N)—they added nothing to my message.(O) 7 On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task(P) of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised,[a](Q) just as Peter(R) had been to the circumcised.[b] 8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle(S) to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle(T) to the Gentiles. 9 James,(U) Cephas[c](V) and John, those esteemed as pillars,(W) gave me and Barnabas(X) the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.(Y) They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles,(Z) and they to the circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor,(AA) the very thing I had been eager to do all along.
Paul Opposes Cephas
11 When Cephas(AB) came to Antioch,(AC) I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James,(AD) he used to eat with the Gentiles.(AE) But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.(AF) 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas(AG) was led astray.
14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,(AH) I said to Cephas(AI) in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.(AJ) How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?(AK)
15 “We who are Jews by birth(AL) and not sinful Gentiles(AM) 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law,(AN) but by faith in Jesus Christ.(AO) So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in[d] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.(AP)
17 “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners,(AQ) doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!(AR) 18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.
19 “For through the law I died to the law(AS) so that I might live for God.(AT) 20 I have been crucified with Christ(AU) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.(AV) The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,(AW) who loved me(AX) and gave himself for me.(AY) 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law,(AZ) Christ died for nothing!”[e]
Footnotes
- Galatians 2:7 That is, Gentiles
- Galatians 2:7 That is, Jews; also in verses 8 and 9
- Galatians 2:9 That is, Peter; also in verses 11 and 14
- 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.
Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
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English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New Matthew Bible (NMB)
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
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.