Galatians 2:16

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.
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• 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.

Context of Galatians 2:16

14But when I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter in front of everyone, “If you—being a Jew—live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” 15We are Jews by birth and not sinners from among the Gentiles. Yet we know that a person is set right not by deeds based on Torah, but rather through putting trust in Messiah Yeshua. So even we have put our trust in Messiah Yeshua, in order that we might be set right based on trust in Messiah and not by deeds based on Torah—because no human will be justified by deeds based on Torah. 17But if, while seeking to be justified in Messiah, we ourselves also were found to be sinners, is Messiah then an agent of sin? May it never be! 18For if I rebuild the very things I tore down, I prove myself to be a law-breaker.

Galatians 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 2:19For through law I died to law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Messiah;
• Galatians 3:10For all who rely on the deeds of Torah are under a curse—for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep doing everything written in the scroll of the Torah.”
• Galatians 5:4You who are trying to be justified by Torah have been cut off from Messiah; you have fallen away from grace.
• Job 9:2“Truly I know it is so, but how can one be righteous before God?
• Job 25:4How then can a man be righteous with God? How can one born of a woman be pure?
• Psalms 130:3If You, Adonai, kept a record of iniquities— my Lord, who could stand?
• Luke 10:25Now a certain Torah lawyer stood up to entrap Yeshua, saying, “Teacher, what should I do to gain eternal life?”
• Acts 13:38“Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers, that through this One is proclaimed to you the removal of sins, including all those from which you could not be set right by the Torah of Moses.
• Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the Torah says, it says to those within the Torah, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become accountable to God.
• Romans 4:2For if Abraham was set right by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God.
• Philippians 3:9and be found in Him not having my righteousness derived from Torah, but one that is through trusting in Messiah—the righteousness from God based on trust.
• Galatians 3:13Messiah liberated us from Torah’s curse, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)—
• Galatians 4:5to free those under law, so we might receive adoption as sons.
• Romans 1:17In it the righteousness of God is revealed, from trust to trust. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by emunah.”
• Romans 3:21But now God’s righteousness apart from the Torah has been revealed, to which the Torah and the Prophets bear witness—
• Romans 4:5But to the one who does not work, but trusts in Him who justifies the ungodly, his trust 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

• Faith
• Jesus Continued
• Justification
• Salvation
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Jesus
• Christ, Messiah
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Jesus Christ
• Add
• Blame
• Bondage
• Conference
• Crucify

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