GAL 2:11-21

Paul Confronts Cephas

11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. [2:12] For before certain ones came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came, he was drawing back and separating himself, fearing those of the circumcision. [2:13] And the rest of the Jews also acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their shared pretense. [2:14] But when I saw that they were not walking with straight feet toward the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before all: 'If you, being a Jew, are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how do you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?' [2:15] We are Jews by nature and not sinners from the Gentiles. [2:16] Yet knowing that a person is not justified from works of the law but only through faith in Jesus Christ — we also believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified from faith in Christ and not from works of the law, because from works of the law all flesh will not be justified. [2:17] But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Absolutely not. [2:18] For if I build up again what I tore down, I demonstrate myself to be a transgressor. [2:19] For I through the law died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified together with Christ — [2:20] and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith — the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me. [2:21] I do not set aside the grace of God — for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

In the world it was spoken into

In Antioch, a major urban center of the Roman Empire, the early Christian community included both Jewish and Gentile believers. Jewish dietary laws and table fellowship were deeply ingrained markers of Jewish identity, separating Jews from Gentiles. Peter, a Jewish Christian, initially ate with Gentiles, disregarding these purity boundaries, which signaled a radical inclusion in the new covenant. However, when men from James, representing a more conservative Jewish-Christian faction, arrived, Peter withdrew and separated himself from the Gentiles, fearing criticism from the circumcision party. This act of hypocrisy influenced others, including Barnabas, to follow suit. Paul confronted Peter publicly, emphasizing that such behavior undermined the gospel’s truth—that justification comes through faith in Christ, not adherence to Jewish law. For Gentile believers, this incident highlighted the tension between Jewish customs and the inclusive nature of the gospel, while Jewish Christians grappled with the implications of their newfound freedom in Christ.

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How other translations render this

GAL 2:11

KJV: But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
BSB: When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned.
Koinōnos: But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

GAL 2:12

KJV: For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
BSB: For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group.
Koinōnos: For before certain ones came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came, he was drawing back and separating himself, fearing those of the circumcision.

GAL 2:13

KJV: And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
BSB: The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
Koinōnos: And the rest of the Jews also acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their shared pretense.

GAL 2:14

KJV: But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
BSB: When I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Koinōnos: But when I saw that they were not walking with straight feet toward the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before all: 'If you, being a Jew, are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how do you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

GAL 2:15

KJV: We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
BSB: We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile “sinners”
Koinōnos: We are Jews by nature and not sinners from the Gentiles.

GAL 2:16

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.
BSB: know 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.
Koinōnos: Yet knowing that a person is not justified from works of the law but only through faith in Jesus Christ — we also believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified from faith in Christ and not from works of the law, because from works of the law all flesh will not be justified.

GAL 2:17

KJV: But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
BSB: But 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!
Koinōnos: But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Absolutely not.

GAL 2:18

KJV: For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
BSB: If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker.
Koinōnos: For if I build up again what I tore down, I demonstrate myself to be a transgressor.

GAL 2:19

KJV: For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
BSB: For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God.
Koinōnos: For I through the law died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified together with Christ —

GAL 2:20

KJV: I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
BSB: I 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.
Koinōnos: and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith — the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.

GAL 2:21

KJV: I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
BSB: I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.
Koinōnos: I do not set aside the grace of God — for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

GAL 2:12

he was drawing back:The word translated 'he was drawing back' implies a deliberate, cautious withdrawal, like a ship furling its sails or an animal tucking its tail, suggesting a calculated retreat from a situation.
he was separating:The term used here for 'he was separating' carries the sense of marking off or setting apart with clear boundaries, like dividing property, rather than just a casual distancing.

GAL 2:13

acted hypocritically:The word translated 'acted hypocritically' suggests joining in a pretense or playing a part alongside others, indicating a shared or collaborative deception.

GAL 2:14

they are walking uprightly:The phrase 'they are walking uprightly' literally means to walk with straight feet, implying a direct, consistent, and honest course of action, not just general moral rectitude.