God’s Word Translation
Galatians 5:2
2I, Paul, can guarantee that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
Galatians 5:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
- New International Version (NIV)Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.
Context of Galatians 5:2
1Christ has freed us so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. Therefore, be firm ⌞in this freedom⌟, and don’t become slaves again. I, Paul, can guarantee that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3Again, I insist that everyone who allows himself to be circumcised must realize that he obligates himself to do everything Moses’ Teachings demand. 4Those of you who try to earn God’s approval by obeying his laws have been cut off from Christ. You have fallen out of God’s favor.
Read all of Galatians 5Galatians 5:2 word by word
Ἴδε ἐγὼ Παῦλος λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε, Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Beholdὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
- sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto youσύsu · youG4771
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- ifἐάνean · ifG1437
- ye be circumcisedπεριτέμνωperitemnō · to circumciseG4059
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
- shall profitὠφελέωōpheleō · to helpG5623
- nothingοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
Cross-references for Galatians 5:2
- 1 Corinthians 16:21I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand.
- 2 Corinthians 10:1I, Paul, make my appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ. I’m the one who is humble when I’m with you but forceful toward you when I’m not with you.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:18We wanted to visit you. I, Paul, wanted to visit you twice already, but Satan made that impossible.
- Philemon 1:9However, I would prefer to make an appeal on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an old man and now a prisoner for Christ Jesus,
- Galatians 5:4Those of you who try to earn God’s approval by obeying his laws have been cut off from Christ. You have fallen out of God’s favor.
- Galatians 2:3Titus was with me, and although he is Greek, no one forced him to be circumcised.
- Acts 15:1Some men came from Judea and started to teach believers that people can’t be saved unless they are circumcised as Moses’ Teachings require.
- Acts 16:3Paul wanted Timothy to go with him. So he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in those places and because he knew that Timothy’s father was Greek.
- Romans 9:31The people of Israel tried to gain God’s approval by obeying the laws in Moses’ Teachings, but they did not reach their goal.
- Romans 10:2I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God, but they are misguided.
- Hebrews 4:2We have heard the same Good News that your ancestors heard. But the message didn’t help those who heard it in the past because they didn’t believe.
Commentaries on Galatians 5:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2If ye be circumcised - By circumcision you take on you the whole obligation of the Jewish law, and consequently profess to seek salvation by means of its observances; and therefore Christ can profit you nothing; for, by seeking justification by the works of the law, you renounce justification by faith in Christ.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Behold, I Paul say unto you - I, who at first preached the gospel to you; I, too, who have been circumcised, and who was formerly a strenuous assertor of the necessity of observing the laws of Moses; and I, too, who am charged (see Galatians 5:11) with still preaching the necessity of circumcision, now solemnly say to you, that if you are circumcised with a view to being justified by that in whole or in part, it amounts to a rejection of the doctrine of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Paul reminded the Galatians who it was that was speaking to them. He was the apostle of Jesus Christ who represented the Lord to non-Jewish people and first preached the good news to them.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Behold--that is, Mark what I say. I Paul--Though you now think less of my authority, I nevertheless give my name and personal authority as enough by itself to refute all opposition of adversaries. if ye be circumcised--not as Alford, "If you will go on being circumcised." Rather, "If ye suffer yourselves to be circumcised," namely, under the notion of its being necessary to justification (Ga 5:4; Ac 15:1). Circumcision here is not regarded simply by…Read the comment
Topics related to Galatians 5:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Galatians 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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