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.
But {G1161} if {G1487}, while we seek {G2212} to be justified {G1344} by {G1722} Christ {G5547}, we {G2147} ourselves {G846} also {G2532} are found {G2147} sinners {G268}, is therefore {G687} Christ {G5547} the minister {G1249} of sin {G266}? God forbid {G3361}{G1096}.
But if, in seeking to be declared righteous by God through our union with the Messiah, we ourselves are indeed found to be sinners, then is the Messiah an aider and abettor of sin? Heaven forbid!
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!
But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a minister of sin? God forbid.
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Romans 6:1
¶ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? -
Romans 6:2
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? -
1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. -
1 John 3:10
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. -
Galatians 2:15
We [who are] Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, -
1 John 3:5
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. -
Romans 9:30
¶ What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
Context
Galatians 2:17 is a powerful rhetorical question posed by the Apostle Paul, addressing a critical misunderstanding about Christian liberty and the nature of justification. This verse is part of Paul's sharp rebuke of Peter (Cephas) in Antioch, as recorded in Galatians 2:11-14. Peter, initially eating with Gentiles, withdrew when certain Jewish believers arrived from James, fearing criticism from the circumcision party. This action implied that Gentiles needed to adhere to Jewish customs (like dietary laws) to be truly righteous, undermining the principle of justification by faith in Christ alone. Paul's question directly challenges the illogical conclusion that if believing in Christ doesn't immediately remove all sin *from the perspective of the law*, then Christ must be promoting sin.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
Practical Application
Galatians 2:17 calls believers to understand the true nature of their freedom in Christ. It's not a freedom *to* sin, but a freedom *from* sin's dominion and the condemnation of the Law. Our justification comes from Christ's perfect righteousness, imputed to us by faith (2 Corinthians 5:21). This verse reminds us that true faith leads to a desire for holiness, not lawlessness. If we struggle with sin after believing, it points to our ongoing need for Christ's sanctifying work, not a flaw in His saving power or a justification for sin. It encourages us to resist legalism (trying to earn God's favor through works) and antinomianism (believing grace allows for deliberate sin without consequence), holding fast to the biblical truth of grace that transforms.