We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
Parallel translations
- WEB “We, being Jews by nature, and not Gentile sinners,
- KJV We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
- BSB We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile “sinners”
- NASB “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from the Gentiles;
- NLT “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul notes that he and Peter are Jews by birth, not Gentile sinners. He begins from common ground before stating the gospel truth.
Overview
This verse opens Paul's summary of justification, addressed first to fellow Jews. He concedes the Jewish sense of privilege as a starting point, only to overturn reliance on it. Even those born into the covenant people, he will argue, are justified by faith, not heritage or law.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Eph 2:3among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
- Titus 3:3For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
- Rom 3:9What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.
- Eph 2:11–12Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision”, (in the flesh, made by hands);
- Phil 3:4though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:
- Rom 4:16For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, to the end that the promise may be sure to all the offspring, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
- John 8:39–41They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.
- Matt 3:7–9But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
- 1 Sam 15:18and Yahweh sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’
- Matt 9:11When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
- Mark 7:26–28Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter.
- Acts 22:21“He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Christ became a curse for us to redeem us from the law's curse, that we might receive the Spirit and be sons — justified by faith in him, not by works.
How Galatians 2:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.