Galatians 2:4 - Forerunner Commentary

Galatians 2:4

2 And I went up¹ by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but ^aprivately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means ^bI might run, or had run, in vain.

3 Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

4 And this occurred because of ^afalse brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our ^bliberty which we have in Christ Jesus, ^cthat they might bring us into bondage),

5 to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that ^athe truth of the gospel might continue with you.

6 But from those ^awho seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; ^bGod shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something ^cadded nothing to me.

7 But on the contrary, ^awhen they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised ^bhad been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter

8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the ^acircumcised ^balso ^cworked effectively in me toward the Gentiles),

9 and when James,¹ Cephas, and John, who seemed to be ^apillars, perceived ^bthe grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, ^cthat we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

10 They desired only that we should remember the poor, ^athe very thing which I also was eager to do.

No Return to the Law

11 ^aNow when¹ Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;

12 for before certain men came from James, ^ahe would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing¹ those who were of the circumcision.

Verse Comparison: Galatians 2:4

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American Standard Version
and that because of the false brethren privily brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

Amplified® Bible
[My precaution was] because of false brethren who had been secretly smuggled in [to the Christian brotherhood]; they had slipped in to spy on our liberty {and} the freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might again bring us into bondage [under the Law of Moses].

Contemporary English Version
We went there because of those who pretended to be followers and had sneaked in among us as spies. They had come to take away the freedom that Christ Jesus had given us, and they were trying to make us their slaves.

Darby English Version
and [it was] on account of the false brethren brought in surreptitiously, who came in surreptitiously to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage;

Good News Bible
although some wanted it done. Pretending to be believers, these men slipped into our group as spies, in order to find out about the freedom we have through our union with Christ Jesus. They wanted to make slaves of us,

International Standard Version
However, false brothers were secretly brought in. They slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus so that they might enslave us.

King James Version
And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

New American Standard Bible
But {it was} because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.

New International Version
This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.

New King James Version
And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage),

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
But because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.

Young's Literal Translation
and `that' because of the false brethren brought in unawares, who did come in privily to spy out our liberty that we have in Christ Jesus, that us they might bring under bondage,

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No Return to the Law

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