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Galatians 2

New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel

Galatians chapter 2 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.

1 patristic excerpt is attached to this chapter, from Saint John Chrysostom. The translator's notes for this chapter (1) follow the text.

Galatians 2

1Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, also taking Titus along.Ἔπειτα διὰ δεκατεσσάρων ἐτῶν πάλιν ἀνέβην εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα μετὰ Βαρνάβα, συμπαραλαβὼν καὶ Τίτον·

2And I went up by revelation, and I set before them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those with influence, lest somehow I might run, or had run, in vain.ἀνέβην δὲ κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν, καὶ ἀνεθέμην αὐτοῖς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ὃ κηρύσσω ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, κατ᾽ ἰδίαν δὲ τοῖς δοκοῦσι, μήπως εἰς κενὸν τρέχω ἢ ἔδραμον.

3But not even Titus who was with me, although he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised;Ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ Τίτος ὁ σὺν ἐμοί, Ἕλλην ὤν, ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι·

4and that was because of false brothers secretly brought in (who slipped in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might reduce us to slavery),διὰ δὲ τοὺς παρεισάκτους ψευδαδέλφους, οἵτινες παρεισῆλθον κατασκοπῆσαι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἡμῶν ἣν ἔχομεν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἵνα ἡμᾶς καταδουλώσωνται·

5to whom not even for an hour did we yield in subjection, that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.οἷς οὐδὲ πρὸς ὥραν εἴξαμεν τῇ ὑποταγῇ, ἵνα ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ εὐαγγελίου διαμείνῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς.

6But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows partiality to no man—so to me, those with influence contributed nothing,Ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν δοκούντων εἶναί τι—ὁποῖοί ποτε ἦσαν οὐδέν μοι διαφέρει· πρόσωπον Θεὸς ἀνθρώπου οὐ λαμβάνει—ἐμοὶ γὰρ οἱ δοκοῦντες οὐδὲν προσανέθεντο·

7but on the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter was with the gospel for the circumcised,ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον, ἰδόντες ὅτι πεπίστευμαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς ἀκροβυστίας, καθὼς Πέτρος τῆς περιτομῆς—

8(for He who worked with Peter in the apostleship to the circumcised, worked also with me in that for the Gentiles),ὁ γὰρ ἐνεργήσας Πέτρῳ εἰς ἀποστολὴν τῆς περιτομῆς, ἐνήργησε καὶ ἐμοὶ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη—

9and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace which was given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised;καὶ γνόντες τὴν χάριν τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι, Ἰάκωβος καὶ Κηφᾶς καὶ Ἰωάννης, οἱ δοκοῦντες στῦλοι εἶναι, δεξιὰς ἔδωκαν ἐμοὶ καὶ Βαρνάβᾳ κοινωνίας, ἵνα ἡμεῖς εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, αὐτοὶ δὲ εἰς τὴν περιτομήν·

10only they desired that we should remember the poor, which indeed I made every effort to do this very thing.μόνον τῶν πτωχῶν ἵνα μνημονεύωμεν, ὃ καὶ ἐσπούδασα αὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι.

11But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was to be blamed.Ὅτε δὲ ἦλθε Πέτρος εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν, κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτῷ ἀντέστην, ὅτι κατεγνωσμένος ἦν.

12For before certain men came from James, he would eat together with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to draw back and began to separate himself, fearing those of the circumcision party.Πρὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἐλθεῖν τινας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβου, μετὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν συνήσθιεν· ὅτε δὲ ἦλθον, ὑπέστελλε καὶ ἀφώριζεν ἑαυτόν, φοβούμενος τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς.

13And the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.Καὶ συνυπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ Ἰουδαῖοι, ὥστε καὶ Βαρνάβας συναπήχθη αὐτῶν τῇ ὑποκρίσει.

14But when I saw that they did not act rightly with respect to the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in Gentile fashion and not in Jewish fashion, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as Jews?”Ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε εἶδον ὅτι οὐκ ὀρθοποδοῦσι πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, εἶπον τῷ Πέτρῳ ἔμπροσθεν πάντων, Εἰ σύ, Ἰουδαῖος ὑπάρχων, ἐθνικῶς ζῇς καὶ οὐκ Ἰουδαϊκῶς, τί τὰ ἔθνη ἀναγκάζεις Ἰουδαΐζειν;

15We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,Ἡμεῖς φύσει Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἁμαρτωλοί,

16knowing 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, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law; because no flesh shall be justified by the works of the law.εἰδότες 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· διότι οὐ δικαιωθήσεται ἐξ ἔργων νόμου πᾶσα σάρξ.

17But if by seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? By no means!Εἰ δέ, ζητοῦντες δικαιωθῆναι ἐν Χριστῷ, εὑρέθημεν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἁμαρτωλοί, ἆρα Χριστὸς ἁμαρτίας διάκονος; Μὴ γένοιτο.

18For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.Εἰ γὰρ ἃ κατέλυσα, ταῦτα πάλιν οἰκοδομῶ, παραβάτην ἐμαυτὸν συνίστημι.

19For through the law I died to the law, that I might live to God.Ἐγὼ γὰρ διὰ νόμου νόμῳ ἀπέθανον, ἵνα Θεῷ ζήσω.

20I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι· ζῶ δέ, οὐκέτι ἐγώ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός· ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ.

21I do not annul the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.Οὐκ ἀθετῶ τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ· εἰ γὰρ διὰ νόμου δικαιοσύνη, ἄρα Χριστὸς δωρεὰν ἀπέθανεν.

Translator's Notes

These notes come from the printed edition of the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.

The Fathers on Galatians 2

Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.

On Galatians 2:1–2
Saint John Chrysostom
Eastern Fathers · c. 390 AD · Homilies on the Epistle to the Galatians

His first journey was owing to his desire to visit Peter, his second, he says, arose from a revelation of the Spirit

Read Homilies on the Epistle to the Galatians →
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