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Galatians Chapter 2

Galatians Chapter 2

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Note: this glossary is currently a work in progress; entries that do not expand will be added as time permits

Ages/of ages
“ages” and “of ages” are the Greek words “αἰών” (aión, noun form) and “αἰώνιος” (aiónios, adjective form) respectively.  The adjective form is typically translated “eternal”, as in “eternal life”. The noun form refers to a whole time period, (Keizer, “Life Time Entirety”) such as a person’s lifetime (an older Greek sense), an age/epoch (e.g., 2 Cor 4:4), or even time in its entirety, making its meaning similar to “forever” (e.g., John 14:16). The adjective form is similarly context-dependent, and the New Testament context often dictates a meaning similar to “forever” (but not always: e.g. 2 Tim 1:9).  Alternately or additionally, it can indicate the quality of a time period — indicating greatness/severity — like the English idiom “of ages” (e.g. “battle of the ages”). Thus, “of ages” was chosen for the adjective form so that both the time and quality senses remain visible.

Clean/unclean

Covenant

Faith

Flesh

Forgive/forgiveness

Grace
The Greek word is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace”, “gift”, or “thanks”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful” by giving thanks in this way. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. New Testament usage typically casts God the Father as a Heavenly Patron, to whom Christians should be grateful and faithful because of the gifts He has given us. (e.g. salvation, provision, protection, etc.)

Holy

Justification

Law (Torah)

Make purification

Pure/Impure

Purification offering
In the Old Testament, this is typically the Hebrew “חַטָּ֖את” (khat-tat); in the New Testament, it’s typically “περὶ ἁμαρτίας” (peri hamartias), which is what the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek) used to translate the Hebrew. It’s traditionally translated “sin offering”, but that translation has less support in high-level scholarship. The Hebrew word can mean “sin”, but it can also mean “purification” (e.g. Numbers 8:7). This offering was used to purify uncleanness, whether or not a sin was committed. Thus, it was required even when no sin was committed, such as after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8), for certain diseases (Leviticus 14), etc. High-level, peer-reviewed scholarship dedicated to the field (e.g. Milgrom, Levine, Gane, Sklar, Wright, Gorman, etc.) is largely united on the “purification offering” understanding. The BOS Bible has aligned itself with that high-level, peer-reviewed scholarship in its translation.

Ransom

Redemption

Repent/repentance

Righteous/righteousness

Salvation/save

Soul
“soul” is the Greek word “ψυχή/psuché” and Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. The BOS Bible translates these words as “soul” for consistency, and so the full meaning of “soul” isn’t obscured by different translations in different places. They closely overlap in meaning and are typically translated “soul” or “life”. They refer to the animating force of a living thing, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Revelation 8:9 and Genesis 1). They are frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has significant overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). The adjective forms of soul and spirit are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; see also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Sin

Click to Collapse the Glossary
Paul’s story continues
  • 1 Then after fourteen years I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas, having taken Titus with me also.
  • 2 And I went up because of a revelation and related to them the good news that I preach among the gentiles (but did so privately to the esteemed men) lest in some way I run — or ran — in vain.
  • 3 But not even Titus who was with me – though being a Greek – was compelled to be circumcised,
  • 4 also because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who infiltrated us to spy on our liberty which we have in Jesus the Anointed so that they will enslave us,
  • 5 to whom we didn’t yield in obedience even for an hour so that the truth of the good news might remain for you.
  • 6 And from the men esteemed to be something (what sort of men they were before makes no difference to me; God shows no partialityfnquotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 10:17; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Job 34:19 (which are also quoted/alluded to by Acts 10:34 and Romans 2:11). “God shows no partiality” is more literally “God doesn’t accept the face of man”. To “accept the face” is a Hebrew idiom meaning to show partiality or favoritism to someone.) for the esteemed men added nothing to my message.
  • 7 But on the contrary, having seen that I have been entrusted to spread the good news to the uncircumcised (just as Peter is to the circumcised,
  • 8 for the One who worked in Peter’s apostleship to the circumcised also worked in me toward the gentiles)
  • 9 and having known the grace which was given to me, James and Cephasfn“Cephas” is Aramaic for “a rock”, and is another name for the disciple/apostle Peter. and John – the men esteemed to be pillars – gave Barnabas and me the right handfn“hand” is literally “hands” of partnership so that we might go to the gentiles, but they might go to the circumcised.
  • 10 They only asked that we remember the poor, and this is the same thing that I was eager to do.
Paul Confronts Peter

(Parallel teachings: Romans 3:21-28; Philippians 3:4-11; Ephesians 2:1-10)

  • 11 But when Cephasfn“Cephas” is Aramaic for “a rock”, and is another name for the disciple/apostle Peter. Many later manuscripts read “Peter” here. came to Antioch, I firmly opposed him to his face because he was standing *condemned.
  • 12 For he was eating with the gentiles before some men came from James.  But when they came, he was withdrawing and was separating himself, fearing the circumcised men.
  • 13 And the rest of the Jews also acted hypocritically with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.
  • 14 But when I saw that they aren’t walking uprightly toward the truth of the good news, I told Cephasfn“Cephas” see note on verse 11. in front of all: “If you (being a Jew) live like a gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the gentiles to live like Jews?”
  • 15 We’re Jews by birth and aren’t sinners from among the gentiles.
  • 16 But *knowing that a man isn’t made righteous by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus the Anointed, we also believed in Jesus the Anointed so that we might be made righteous by faith in the Anointed and not by works of the law, because no flesh will be made righteous by works of the law.fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 143:2 (which is also quoted/alluded to by Romans 3:20)
  • 17 But if we’re seeking to be made righteous in the Anointed and we ourselves were found sinners, then is the Anointed a servant of sin?  May it never be!
  • 18 For if I build again those things which I tore down, I establish myself as a deliberate sinner.
  • 19 For through the law, I died to the law so that I might live to God.
  • 20 I have been crucified with the Anointed, and I no longer live, but the Anointed lives in me.  And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, the One who ^loved me and gave Himself for my sake.
  • 21 I don’t set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law then the Anointed died for nothing.

 

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