Galatians 2


Galatians 2 is the second chapter of the Epistle to the Galatians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle for the churches in Galatia, written between 49–58 CE. This chapter contains the meeting account of Paul, Barnabas and Christians in Jerusalem, considered as "one of the most momentous events in the earliest Christianity", and the dispute between Paul and Peter.

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 21 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
Scholars generally connect the meeting described in this part with the accounts in and/or, although the details are unclear.

Verse 1

The disagreement between Paul and Peter recorded in this part is a contrast to their amicable meeting in Jerusalem. The absence of the outcome report indicates that this issue has influenced the tensions in the Galatians churches, which is addressed in this epistle.

Verse 11

This serves as a summary of the confrontation between Paul and Peter, which leads to the discussion of the main issue in 2:15–21.

Works of Law or Faith? (2:15–21)

In this part, Paul details the theological reasons of his dispute with Peter. In verse 17 Paul uses the word 'we'/'our' to show that both he and Peter actually agreed about the justification by faith only, and based on this mutual conviction Paul confronted Peter when Peter became inconsistent.

Verse 16

"Justified": "declared righteous".

Verse 20

In Paul's belief, a believer 'dies to the law' through the crucifixion and death of Christ, and has the new life that is "no longer self-centered, but Christ-centered", the resurrection life where the risen Christ lives in.

Verse 21