New Living Translation
Galatians 2:3
3And they supported me and did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised, though he was a Gentile.
Galatians 2:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:
- New International Version (NIV)Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
Context of Galatians 2:3
1Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. 2I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure that we were in agreement, for fear that all my efforts had been wasted and I was running the race for nothing. And they supported me and did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised, though he was a Gentile. 4Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. 5But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you.
Read all of Galatians 2Galatians 2:3 word by word
ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ Τίτος ὁ σὺν ἐμοί, Ἕλλην ὤν, ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butἀλλάalla · butG235
- neitherοὐδέoude · norG3761
- TitusΤίτοςTitos · TitusG5103
- who wasὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- withσύνsun · withG4862
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- beingεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- a GreekἝλλην=ἝλληνHellēn · Greek, GentileG1672
- was compelledἀναγκάζωanagkazō · to compelG315
- to be circumcisedπεριτέμνωperitemnō · to circumciseG4059
Cross-references for Galatians 2:3
- Galatians 5:2Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you.
- Acts 15:24“We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but we did not send them!
- Acts 16:3so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek.
- 1 Corinthians 9:20When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.
Commentaries on Galatians 2:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3But neither Titus, who was with me - The apostle proceeds to state that his account was so satisfactory to the apostles, that they not only did not require him to insist on the necessity of circumcision among the Gentiles, but did not even require him to have Titus, who was a Greek, circumcised; though that might have appeared expedient, especially at Jerusalem, to have prevented false brethren from making a handle of his uncircumcision, and turning it to…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3But neither Titus, who was with me - Paul introduces this case of Titus undoubtedly to show that circumcision was not necessary for salvation. It was a case just in point. He had gone up to Jerusalem with the express reference to this question. Here was a man whom he had admitted to the Christian church without circumcising him. He claimed that he had a right to do so; and that circumcision was not necessary in order for salvation. If it were necessary…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The apostles in Jerusalem fully agreed with Paul's message. They all believed the same good news: God's grace comes through faith in Christ, not by following the law. The Jerusalem apostles clearly did not believe that circumcision was necessary for a non-Jew like Titus.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. But--So far were they from regarding me as running in vain, that "not even Titus who was with me, who was a Greek (and therefore uncircumcised), was compelled to be circumcised." So the Greek should be translated. The "false brethren," Ga 2:4 ("certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed," Ac 15:5), demanded his circumcision. The apostles, however, constrained by the firmness of Paul and Barnabas (Ga 2:5), did not compel or insist on his being…Read the comment
Topics related to Galatians 2:3
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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