GAL 2:15 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:11–21: Paul corrected Peter in Antioch

In this section, Paul told his readers what the true gospel is. It is salvation by faith in Christ alone. Obeying the law is not part of the true gospel. Doing what the law demands does not justify anyone.

Paul told how Peter had deserted the true gospel. He wanted the Galatians to understand how they too were deserting the true gospel. They had started to think that it was necessary to obey the law to be justified. Paul wanted them to read about his rebuke to Peter so that they could recognize how their own situation was similar. They must completely reject justification through the law. He emphasized that justification is by faith in Christ alone.

This section also shows that Paul’s authority as an apostle was at least as great as Peter’s was. This section is also an indirect rebuke of the false teachers who had come to the Galatian churches and required the non-Jews to adopt Jewish traditions to be accepted as true Christians.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Paul rebukes Peter

Paul defended the truth of the gospel

Paul shows how Peter was wrong

Paragraph 2:14–21

In this paragraph, Paul asked Peter and the other Jewish believers to live according to the true gospel. This meant that they had to reject the idea that they were justified by obeying the law. Paul emphasized that justification is by faith in Christ alone. Peter’s actions had implied that it was also necessary to keep the law. That would make Christ’s death meaningless and nullify the grace of God.

In 2:14c, Paul began to speak directly to Peter. There are at least three ways to interpret where Paul’s direct speech to Peter ends:

It ends after verse 21. (NIV, NASB, CEV)
It ends after verse 14. In verses 15–21, what Paul said to Peter is indirect speech. (BSB, ESV, NET, RSV, JBP, GNT, NJB, GW, NCV)
It ends after verse 16. (NLT)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). In 2:15, it is possible that Paul began to also talk to the other people who were there. But he was still also talking to Peter. So Paul’s speech does not end until verse 21.Schreiner on page 150 says, “The first question to be asked is where Paul’s words to Peter, which began in 2:11, end. Since quotation marks are lacking in the original manuscripts, certainty eludes us. Possibly the words directed to Peter conclude after 2:14, 2:15, 2:16, 2:18, or 2:21. I personally argue that it makes most sense to see all of 2:14–21 as addressed to Peter. At least four pieces of evidence support this conclusion. (1) Verse 15 is not clearly set off from 2:11–14. (2) The first person plural pronouns in 2:15–17 most naturally refer to Jewish Christians and would speak to such people in Antioch. (3) Verse 17 may reflect the charges against Peter. (4) A new subject commences on 3:1, where the Galatians are addressed directly.”

If you choose option (2), your translation should still show that Paul is indirectly speaking to Peter in 2:15–21. For example, at the beginning of 2:15, the JBP says:

And then I went on to explain that (JBP)

2:15–16

In these verses, Paul reminded Peter of the issues that they had already agreed upon. They agreed that Christ accepted both Jews and non-Jews through faith in him. It is impossible to be justified by obeying the law.

2:15

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

We^(incl) were born Jews and are not Gentile sinners.
We^(incl) were born Jews and know God. We are not Gentiles, those people who do not know God.
We^(incl) are Jews because our parents were Jews. We are not people who do not follow the law that God gave to Moses.

We who: The Greek pronoun that the BSB translates as We who is emphatic.

Another way to translate this Greek word is:

As for us, we

Paul used this pronoun to identify those who know God. He included himself, Peter, and all Jewish Christians.

We: Note that if you consider verses 15–21 to be direct speech, the pronoun We here is inclusive. If you consider these verses to be indirect speech, then the We is exclusive, since Paul would be reporting to the Galatians what he went on to tell Peter.

are Jews by birth: The Greek word that the BSB translates as by birth implies that being born a Jew was a special privilege. It was special because it was only to the Jews that God had given the law.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

were born Jews

were born Jews and had the law

are Jews and know God because our parents are Jews

and not Gentile “sinners”: The Jews commonly used the expression “Gentile sinners” to show their disdain for anyone who was not a Jew. This phrase referred to those who did not know God and lived without the law.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

and not Gentile sinners who do not know God

we do not have evil behavior like those who do not know the law of God

This traditional attitude of the Jews was not something that Paul would agree with after he met Jesus and understood the gospel. One way to make this clear is:

and not “Gentile sinners,” as they are called (GNT)

Gentile: Here the word Gentile refers to those who did not know God. This is in contrast to the Jews who did know God.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

ἡμεῖς

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἡμεῖς φύσει Ἰουδαῖοι καί οὐκ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἁμαρτωλοί)

When Paul says We, it could be: (1) inclusive if Paul is still addressing Peter. If you decide that this verse is a continuation of the quotation that began in [2:14](../02/14.md), then We is inclusive because Paul is still addressing Peter and would be including Peter and the Jewish Christians in Antioch. Your language may require you to mark these forms. (2) exclusive if you decide that Paul’s quotation of his words to Peter ended at the end [2:14](../02/14.md).

ἡμεῖς φύσει Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἁμαρτωλοί

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἡμεῖς φύσει Ἰουδαῖοι καί οὐκ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἁμαρτωλοί)

Alternate translation: [We had Jewish parents and are not Gentiles]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἁμαρτωλοί

of ˓the˒_pagans sinners

The word sinners was used by Jews as a synonym for non-Jews because non-Jews did not have or adhere to the law of Moses. Paul is not saying that only non-Jewish people are sinners. The rest of this letter will make clear that both Jews and non-Jews are sinners and need God’s forgiveness. If it would help your readers, you could indicate explicitly that the term sinners is what Jews called non-Jews. Alternatively, you could state the meaning in plain language. Alternate translation: [non-Jews who do not have or follow the law of Moses]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear GAL 2:15

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 2:11–21: Paul corrected Peter in Antioch

Paragraph 2:14–21

2:15–16

2:15

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)