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!
Parallel translations
- WEB But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not!
- 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.
- NKJV “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!
- NASB But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Far from it!
- NLT But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not!
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
If seeking justification in Christ exposes us as sinners, that does not make Christ a promoter of sin. Paul firmly rejects such a conclusion.
Overview
Paul anticipates the objection that grace encourages sinning. He denies that Christ becomes 'a servant of sin' simply because believers, justified by faith, are still found to be sinners needing grace. The gospel acknowledges human sinfulness honestly without making Christ responsible for it.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Rom 6:1–2What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?
- 1 Jn 3:8–10The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.
- 1 Jn 3:5But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.
- Gal 2:15We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile “sinners”
- Matt 1:21She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
- Rom 11:7What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
- Rom 9:30–33What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
- Gal 3:21Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law.
- 2 Cor 3:7–9Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory,
- Heb 8:2and who ministers in the sanctuary and true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.
- Heb 7:24–28But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood.
- Rom 3:6Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world?
- Gal 2:11When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned.
- Rom 3:4Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”
- Rom 15:8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs,
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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 2:17 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.