New International Version
Galatians 2:16
16know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
Galatians 2:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
- English Standard Version (ESV)yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law 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, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
- New King James Version (NKJV)knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, 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 shall be justified.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
Context of Galatians 2:16
14When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? 15“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. 17“But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.
Read all of Galatians 2Galatians 2:16 word by word
εἰδότες δὲ ὅτι οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου ἐὰν μὴ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐπιστεύσαμεν, ἵνα δικαιωθῶμεν ἐκ πίστεως Χριστοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου· ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὐ δικαιωθήσεται πᾶσα σάρξ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Knowingεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- isδικαιόωdikaioō · to justifyG1344
- notοὐou · noG3756
- byἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- the worksἔργονergon · workG2041
- of the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- butἐάνean · ifG1437
- ·μήmē · notG3361
- byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- the faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
- of JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
- evenκαίkai · andG2532
- weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- have believedπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
- inεἰςeis · towardG1519
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- for byδιότιdioti · becauseG1360
- fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- ·πᾶςpas · allG3956
Cross-references for Galatians 2:16
- Galatians 2:19“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.
- Galatians 3:10For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
- Galatians 5:4You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
- Job 9:2“Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?
- Job 25:4How then can a mortal be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure?
- Psalms 130:3If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
- Luke 10:25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
- Acts 13:38“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
- Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
- Romans 4:2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.
- Philippians 3:9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
- Galatians 3:13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”
- Galatians 4:5to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
- Romans 1:17For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
- Romans 3:21But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
- Romans 4:5However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.
Commentaries on Galatians 2:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Knowing that a man is not justified - See the notes on Romans 1:17; Romans 3:24; (note), Romans 3:27; (note); Romans 8:3; (note). And see on Acts 13:38; (note) and Acts 13:39; (note), in which places the subject of this verse is largely discussed. Neither the works of the Jewish law, nor of any other law, could justify any man; and if justification or pardon could not have been attained in some other way, the world must have perished. Justification by…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Knowing - We who are Jews by nature, or by birth. This cannot mean that all the Jews knew this, or that he who was a Jew knew it as a matter of course, for many Jews were ignorant of it, and many opposed it. But it means that the persons here referred to, those who had been born Jews, and who had been converted to Christianity, had had an opportunity to learn and understand this, which the Gentiles had not. This gospel had been preached to them, and they…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-19Verses 15-19 Paul, having thus shown he was not inferior to any apostle, not to Peter himself, speaks of the great foundation doctrine of the gospel. For what did we believe in Christ? Was it not that we might be justified by the faith of Christ? If so, is it not foolish to go back to the law, and to expect to be justified by the merit of moral works, or sacrifices, or ceremonies? The occasion of this declaration doubtless arose from the ceremonial law…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16Both Jews and non-Jews are sinners. The good news requires everyone to admit their sins (see Romans 2:1–5; 3:1–20) and seek God's grace (Romans 3:21–26). Peter later showed he agreed with this message (Acts 15:7–11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1615-16. Connect these verses together, and read with most of the oldest manuscripts "But" in the beginning of Ga 2:16: "We (I and thou, Peter) by nature (not by proselytism), Jews, and not sinners as (Jewish language termed the Gentiles) from among the Gentiles, YET (literally, 'BUT') knowing that ... even we (resuming the 'we' of Ga 2:15, 'we also,' as well as the Gentile sinners; casting away trust in the law), have believed," &c.Read the comment
Topics related to Galatians 2:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Galatians 2
- 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
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