Galatians 2:15

We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Connect these verses, and read, with most of the oldest manuscripts, "But," Galatians 2:16: 'We (I and thou, Peter) by birth (not by proselytism), Jews, and therefore not sinners (as Jewish language termed the Gentiles) from among the Gentiles, YET' (B C Delta G 'Aleph (') read BUT, which A omits,) KNOWING THAT ... - even we (resuming the "we" of Galatians 2:15, 'we also,' as well as the Gentile sinners; casting away trust in the law) "have believed," etc. NOT JUSTIFIED BY [ ek (G1537 ), 'FROM'] THE WORKS OF THE LAW (required by the law) - as the GR...

15._We who are Jews by nature_. Some, I am aware, think that this is stated in the form of an objection, ( ἀνθυποφορὰ,) anticipating what might be urged on the other side, that the Jews possessed higher privileges; not that they would boast of exemption from the law, (for it would have been highly absurd, that they to whom the Law was given should make this their boast,) but that there was a propriety in retaining some points of distinction between them and the Gentiles. I do not entirely reject, and yet, as will afterwards appear, I do not altogether adopt this view. Some, again, consider that it is Paul himself who uses this argument, “If you were to lay upon the Jews the burden of the law, it would be more reasonable, because it is theirs by inheritance.” But neither do I approve of this view. He is now proceeding to the second part of his speech, which commences with an anticipation....

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; but the argument is quite as strong against all dependence upon the works of the moral law, as respects justification. To give the greater weight to this, it is added, But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ the minister of sin? This would be very dishonourable to Christ, and also very hurtful to them. By considering the law itself, he saw that justification was not to be expected by the w...

Verse 15. _WE_ WHO ARE _JEWS BY NATURE_] We who belong to the Jewish _nation_-who have been _born, bred_, and _educated_ Jews. _AND NOT SINNERS OF THE GENTILES_] αμαρτωλοι. Not _without the_ _knowledge of God_, as they have been. αμαρτωλος often signifies a _heathen_, merely one who had no knowledge of the true God. But among the _nations_ or _Gentiles_ many _Jews_ sojourned; who in Scripture are known by the name of _Hellenists_, and these were distinguished from those who were termed εξ εθνων αμαρτωλοι, _sinners of the Gentiles-heathens_, in our common sense of the word; while the others, though living among them, were worshippers of the true God, and addicted to no species of idolatry. Some have translated this passage thus: _We Jews, and not Gentiles, by nature_ _sinners_; for it is supposed that φυσει here refers to that _natural_ corrupti

WE WHO ARE JEWS BY NATURE - It has long been a question whether this and the following verses are to be regarded as a part of the address of Paul to Peter, or the words of Paul as a part of the Epistle to the Galatians. A great variety of opinion has prevailed in regard to this. Grotius says, “Here the narrative of Paul being closed, he pursues his argument to the Galatians.” In this opinion Bloomfield and many others concur. Rosenmuller and many others suppose that the address to Peter is continued to Galatians 2:21. Such seems to be the most obvious interpretation, as there is no break or change in the style, nor any vestige of a transfer of the argument to the Galatians. But, on the other hand, it may be urged: (1) That Paul in his writings often changes his mode of address without indicating it - Bloomfield....

EXPOSITION In the preceding chapter, St. Paul has been concerned to make clear the position that neither the gospel which he preached nor the commission which he held was derived from the older apostles- the history of the first years of his ministry showed this. The apostle is now addressing himself to a different subject; he wishes to show that his gospel, though not derived from the older apostles, had, however, while recognized as standing on an independent footing, received the sanction of their approval. This being his object, he had no occasion to refer in any way to visits which he may have made to Jerusalem between the one mentioned in Galatians 1:18 and the one here referred to. The tenor of his argument, therefore, so far, does not of itself determine whether this visit was either the one mentioned in...

WE WHO ARE JEWS BY NATURE,.... I Paul, and you Peter and Barnabas, and the rest of the Jews at Antioch. Some are Jews by grace, in a spiritual sense, as all are that are Christ's, that are true believers in him, that are born again, and have internal principles of grace formed in their souls, of whatsoever nation they be; see Romans 2:28. Others become Jews by being proselytes to the Jewish religion: such were the Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven, that were dwelling at Jerusalem, when the Spirit was poured down on the apostles on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:5, but these here spoken of were such as were Jews by birth; they were born so, were descended of Jewish parents, and from their infancy were brought up in the Jewish religion, and under the law of Moses, and in the observance of it:...

Galatians 2:1. _Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. And I went up by revelation,-_ He was sent by the church at Antioch, but the church there was guided by revelation, so that Paul is correct in saying, «I went up by revelation,» Galatians 2:2. _And communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: and that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:_ There were always some among the J

WE WHO ARE Paul here quotes from his words to Peter when he withstood him at Antioch to show the Galatians that, whatever the legalists may have pretended, Peter and he were in perfect accord doctrinally. Paul appealed to the common belief of Peter and himself as a rebuke of Peter's inconsistent practice. SINNERS SIN (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 3:23). _...

CHAPTER 2 _ 1. How Jerusalem had Confirmed the Gospel Paul Preached. (Galatians 2:1)_ 2. Peter's Failure; Paul's Rebuke and Testimony. (Galatians 2:11) Fourteen years passed by before he ever saw Jerusalem again. What wonderful years of service these years were! The great servant of Christ had preached the divine message in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. The day of Christ will reveal the blessed results of these years. Acts 15:1 must be read to see why Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem. The same false teachers had visited the great Gentile center, Antioch, and taught “except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.” Then Paul and Barnabas were appointed to