Galatians 2:17

Galatians 2:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
• New International Version (NIV)“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!
• English Standard Version (ESV)But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not!
• New King James Version (NKJV)“But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!

Context of Galatians 2:17

15We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16Knowing 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 may 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. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? By no means. 18For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19For I through the law am dead to the law, that I may live to God.

Galatians 2:17 word by word

εἰ δὲ ζητοῦντες δικαιωθῆναι ἐν Χριστῷ εὑρέθημεν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἁμαρτωλοί, ἆρα Χριστὸς ἁμαρτίας διάκονος; μὴ γένοιτο.Read the interlinear

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• seekζητέωzēteō · to seekG2212
• justifiedδικαιόωdikaioō · to justifyG1344
• byἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• weεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
• ourselvesαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• sinnersἁμαρτωλόςhamartōlos · sinfulG268
• thereforeἆραara · no?G687
• ministerδιάκονοςdiakonos · servantG1249
• sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• meansμήmē · notG3361
• meansγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096

Cross-references for Galatians 2:17

• Romans 9:30What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith.
• Romans 11:7What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
• Galatians 2:11But when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
• Romans 6:1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
• 1 John 3:8He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
• Matthew 1:21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
• Romans 15:8Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers:
• 2 Corinthians 3:7But if the ministration of death, written and engraven on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
• Hebrews 7:24But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
• Hebrews 8:2A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
• 1 John 3:5And ye know that he appeared to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
• Romans 3:4By no means: verily, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mayest be justified in thy sayings, and mayest overcome when thou art judged.

Commentaries on Galatians 2:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17But if while we seek to be justified - If, while we acknowledge that we must be justified by faith in Christ, we ourselves are found sinners, enjoining the necessity of observing the rites and ceremonies of the law, which never could and never can justify, and yet, by submitting to circumcision, we lay ourselves under the necessity of fulfilling the law, which is impossible, we thus constitute ourselves sinners; is, therefore, Christ the minister of sin?…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ - The connection here is not very clear, and the sense of the verse is somewhat obscure. Rosenmuller supposes that this is an objection of a Jew, supposing that where the Law of Moses is not observed there is no rule of life, and that therefore there must be sin; and that since the doctrine of justification by faith taught that there was no necessity of obeying the ceremonial law of Moses, therefore Christ…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. 17-21Some false teachers were spreading false ideas about Paul's good news. They likely argued that if people did not have to follow the Jewish laws, they would just do whatever sinful things they wanted. Jesus would then be seen as leading people into sin (2:17). Paul explains how this is not true. Those who trust in Jesus receive strength from the Holy Spirit to live holy lives that honor God (see 5:13–26).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. Greek, "But if, seeking to be justified IN (that is, in believing union with) Christ (who has in the Gospel theory fulfilled the law for us), we (you and I) ourselves also were found (in your and my former communion with Gentiles) sinners (such as from the Jewish standpoint that now we resume, we should be regarded, since we have cast aside the law, thus having put ourselves in the same category as the Gentiles, who, being without the law, are, in the…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 2:17

• Holiness
• Justification

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Christ, Messiah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Add
• Blame
• Bondage
• Conference
• Crucify
• Forward

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