Galatians 2:16

Context

The verse belongs to the passage in Galatians, the letter Paul sent to the churches of the region of Galatia, in which he recalls an incident in the church at Antioch (Galatians 2:11-21). Peter (Cephas) had been eating with Gentile believers but withdrew out of fear of those who had come from Jerusalem, and Paul rebuked him publicly. Verse 16 is the central argument of that rebuke: even believers of Jewish background are justified not by the law but by faith in Christ. Scholars differ over where Paul's words to Peter end and his address to the Galatian believers begins. The closing phrase, "by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified," echoes Psalm 143:2; "no flesh" means "no one."

Interpretation

• The Reformation reading: Since Martin Luther, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Reformed churches have read this verse as a basis for justification. Justification is God's act of declaring a sinner righteous, and this tradition holds that it comes about by faith alone rather than by human merit. Here "the works of the law" is understood broadly as any human effort to gain righteousness before God.
• The Catholic reading: The Catholic Church likewise holds that justification begins with God's grace and with faith. It understands justification, however, as a process in which a person is actually transformed and made righteous through faith that works by love (Galatians 5:6).
• The Wesleyan reading: Methodist and Holiness churches follow the Reformation reading in holding that justification is received by faith. At the same time, they emphasize the sanctification that follows justification (see Wesleyan theology).
• The "New Perspective on Paul": Since the 1970s, some scholars, including E. P. Sanders, James Dunn, and N. T. Wright, have appealed to the context of the Antioch incident to read "the works of the law" as the markers that separated Jews from Gentiles, such as circumcision, food laws, and the Sabbath. Proponents of the traditional interpretation criticize this reading for downplaying the question of how an individual is made righteous before God.

Debates and Issues

• Translating "faith in Christ": The Greek expression rendered by this phrase can be read either as "faith in Christ" or as "the faithfulness of Christ." The Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version adopt the former sense, while some English translations give the latter in the text or in a footnote.
• Relationship to James: There has been long-standing discussion over whether this verse conflicts with James 2:24: "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." Many denominations explain that the two passages use "works" and "justified" in different senses.
• Ecumenical dialogue: In 1999 the Lutheran World Federation and the Holy See signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. The two churches stated that they had reached agreement on the basic truths of justification.

In the Korean Church

Along with Romans 3:28, the verse is frequently cited as a representative text when explaining justification by faith. It is also widely treated in Reformation Sunday sermons, new members' classes, and doctrinal instruction.

Related Passages

• Romans 3:28
• Romans 3:21-26
• Galatians 3:10-14
• Galatians 5:6
• James 2:21-24