Focused Passage

Galatians 2:15-21

Justified by Faith: Gospel Unity, Apostolic Confrontation, and Life in Christ

Paul shows that the Jerusalem leaders confirmed his Gentile gospel, narrates his confrontation with Peter over conduct out of step with that gospel, and declares that sinners are justified by faith in Christ, living now by union with the crucified and risen Son of God.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

15We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile “sinners”

16know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

17But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not!

18If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker.

19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God.

20I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

21I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

We [who are]ἩμεῖςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person PluralJewsἸουδαῖοιG2453Adjective - Nominative Masculine Pluralby birthφύσειG5449Noun - Dative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionnotοὐκG3756AdverbvvvἐξG1537PrepositionGentileἐθνῶνG1484Noun - Genitive Neuter PluralsinnersἉμαρτωλοίG268Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Verse 16

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionknowεἰδότεςG1492Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralthatὅτιG3754Conjunctiona manἄνθρωποςG444Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvοὐG3756Adverbis not justifiedδικαιοῦταιG1344Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularbyἐξG1537PrepositionworksἔργωνG2041Noun - Genitive Neuter Pluralof [the] lawνόμουG3551Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularbutἐὰνG1437Conjunction. . .μὴG3361AdverbbyδιὰG1223PrepositionfaithπίστεωςG4102Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularin JesusἸησοῦG2424Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularChristΧριστοῦG5547Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularSo we, tooκαὶG2532Conjunction. . .ἡμεῖςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Pluralhave believedἐπιστεύσαμενG4100Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralinεἰςG1519PrepositionChristΧριστὸνG5547Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦνG2424Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularthatἵναG2443Conjunctionwe may be justifiedδικαιωθῶμενG1344Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 1st Person PluralbyἐκG1537PrepositionfaithπίστεωςG4102Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularin ChristΧριστοῦG5547Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionnotοὐκG3756AdverbbyἐξG1537PrepositionworksἔργωνG2041Noun - Genitive Neuter Pluralof the lawνόμουG3551Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularbecauseὅτιG3754ConjunctionbyἐξG1537PrepositionworksἔργωνG2041Noun - Genitive Neuter Pluralof the lawνόμουG3551Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularno oneοὐG3756Adverb. . .πᾶσαG3956Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular. . .σάρξG4561Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularwill be justifiedδικαιωθήσεταιG1344Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 17

Original words

ButδὲG1161ConjunctionifΕἰG1487Conjunctionwhile we seekζητοῦντεςG2212Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Pluralto be justifiedδικαιωθῆναιG1344Verb - Aorist Infinitive PassiveinἐνG1722PrepositionChristΧριστῷG5547Noun - Dative Masculine Singularwe ourselvesαὐτοὶG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Plural. . .καὶG2532Conjunctionare found to beεὑρέθημενG2147Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 1st Person PluralsinnersἁμαρτωλοίG268Adjective - Nominative Masculine Pluraldoes that makeἆραG686ConjunctionChristΧριστὸςG5547Noun - Nominative Masculine Singulara ministerδιάκονοςG1249Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularof sinἁμαρτίαςG266Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularvvvμὴG3361AdverbCertainly notγένοιτοG1096Verb - Aorist Optative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 18

Original words

-γὰρG1063ConjunctionIfεἰG1487ConjunctionI rebuildοἰκοδομῶG3618Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular. . .πάλινG3825AdverbwhatταῦταG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural-G3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter PluralI have already torn downκατέλυσαG2647Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularI proveσυνιστάνωG4921Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularmyselfἐμαυτὸνG1683Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 1st Person Singular[to be] a lawbreakerπαραβάτηνG3848Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 19

Original words

ForγὰρG1063ConjunctionthroughδιὰG1223Preposition[the] lawνόμουG3551Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularIἐγὼG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person SingulardiedἀπέθανονG599Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singularto [the] lawνόμῳG3551Noun - Dative Masculine Singularso thatἵναG2443ConjunctionI might liveζήσωG2198Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Singularto GodΘεῷG2316Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 20

Original words

I have been crucified withσυνεσταύρωμαιG4957Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person SingularChristΧριστῷG5547Noun - Dative Masculine SingularandδὲG1161ConjunctionIἐγώG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singularno longerοὐκέτιG3765AdverbliveζῶG2198Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularbutδὲG1161ConjunctionChristΧριστόςG5547Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularlivesζῇG2198Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionmeἐμοὶG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular-δὲG1161ConjunctionThe [life]G3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter SingularvvvνῦνG3568AdverbI liveζῶG2198Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularinἐνG1722Preposition[the] bodyσαρκίG4561Noun - Dative Feminine SingularI liveζῶG2198Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularbyἐνG1722PrepositionfaithπίστειG4102Noun - Dative Feminine Singular-τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine Singularin theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularSonΥἱοῦG5207Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularwhoτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularlovedἀγαπήσαντόςG25Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Genitive Masculine SingularmeμεG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctiongave Himself upπαραδόντοςG3860Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular. . .ἑαυτὸνG1438Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person SingularforὑπὲρG5228PrepositionmeἐμοῦG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Verse 21

Original words

vvvΟὐκG3756AdverbI do not set asideἀθετῶG114Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingulartheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingulargraceχάρινG5485Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularForγὰρG1063ConjunctionifεἰG1487Conjunctionrighteousness [comes]δικαιοσύνηG1343Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularthroughδιὰG1223Prepositionthe lawνόμουG3551Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularthenἄραG686ConjunctionChristΧριστὸςG5547Noun - Nominative Masculine SingulardiedἀπέθανενG599Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularfor nothingδωρεὰνG1432Adverb

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.