Galatians 2:3-7
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
3 Moreover, not even[a] Titus, who was with me, although he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised,(A) 4 but because of the false brothers[b] secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus,(B) that they might enslave us— 5 to them we did not submit even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel[c] might remain intact for you.(C) 6 But from those who were reputed to be important (what they once were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those of repute made me add nothing.(D) 7 [d]On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter to the circumcised,(E)
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- 2:3 Not even a Gentile Christian like Titus was compelled to receive the rite of circumcision. The Greek text could be interpreted that he voluntarily accepted circumcision, but this is unlikely in the overall argument.
- 2:4 False brothers: Jewish Christians who took the position that Gentile Christians must first become Jews through circumcision and observance of the Mosaic law in order to become Christians; cf. Acts 15:1.
- 2:5 The truth of the gospel: the true gospel, in contrast to the false one of the opponents (Gal 1:6–9); the gospel of grace, used as a norm (Gal 2:14).
- 2:7–9 Some think that actual “minutes” of the meeting are here quoted. Paul’s apostleship to the Gentiles (Gal 1:16) is recognized alongside that of Peter to the Jews. Moreover, the right to proclaim the gospel without requiring circumcision and the Jewish law is sealed by a handshake. That Paul and colleagues should go to the Gentiles did not exclude his preaching to the Jews as well (Rom 1:13–16) or Cephas to Gentile areas.
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