Galatians 2

by on Jan.10, 2010, under Exegesis notes, Translation

1 Ἔπειτα διὰ δεκατεσσάρων ἐτῶν πάλιν ἀνέβην εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα μετὰ Βαρναβᾶ συμπαραλαβὼν καὶ Τίτον· After fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem, taking along Barnabas and Titus. The ordering of πάλιν ἀνέβην is supported by P46 ℵ A B K P Ψ 81 614 1739 vg syr(p), h copsa arm, and is clearly the preferred reading on external evidence. The readings ἀνέβην πάλιν (D F G ar b) and πάλιν ἀνῆλθον (C) are later and secondary.
2 ἀνέβην δὲ κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν· καὶ ἀνεθέμην αὐτοῖς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ὃ κηρύσσω ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, κατ᾿ ἰδίαν δὲ τοῖς δοκοῦσιν, μή πως εἰς κενὸν τρέχω ἢ ἔδραμον. I went up according to a revelation. I set before them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but in private to the influential ones1, lest somehow I was running or had run in vain.
3 ἀλλ᾿ οὐδὲ Τίτος ὁ σὺν ἐμοί, Ἕλλην ὤν, ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι· But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was forced to be circumcised.
4 διὰ δὲ τοὺς παρεισάκτους ψευδαδέλφους, οἵτινες παρεισῆλθον κατασκοπῆσαι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἡμῶν ἣν ἔχομεν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἵνα ἡμᾶς καταδουλώσουσιν, But because of the inflitrating false brothers, who had snuck in to spy out our freedom we have in Christ, in order that they might enslave us, The insertion of μή after ἵνα in F G is narrowly supported, and does not seem consistent with the surrounding statements.
5 οἷς οὐδὲ πρὸς ὥραν εἴξαμεν τῇ ὑποταγῇ, ἵνα ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ εὐαγγελίου διαμείνῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς. We did not allow them obedience for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain for you.
  • Some MSS (syrp Marcion Greek mssacc. to Ambrosiaster Ephraem) omit οἷς – Metzger suggests that this was deliberate, in order to resolve anacoluthon.2 The omission of οὐδὲ, both with and without οἷς, is more serious in its implications. The resultant reading (‘Because of the false brothers… I yielded for a brief time’) seems at odds with both the literary context of this epistle and Paul’s own temperament. It is possible that this represents a deliberate emendation, along the lines of the principle articulated in 1 Cor 9:20-23 of being ‘all things to all men’ for the sake of the gospel, as well as the events of Acts 16:3 where Paul circumcised Timothy.
  • There is a minor variant (A F G) that substitutes the indicative διαμενη instead of the subjunctive διαμείνῃ, but this has only slender external support, and is most likely a substitution of the more familiar indicative.3
6 Ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν δοκούντων εἶναί τι, – ὁποῖοί ποτε ἦσαν οὐδέν μοι διαφέρει· πρόσωπον [ὁ] θεὸς ἀνθρώπου οὐ λαμβάνει – ἐμοὶ γὰρ οἱ δοκοῦντες οὐδὲν προσανέθεντο But from the influential ones – of whatever kind they were makes no difference to me; God does not receive the face of man – for to me the influential ones added nothing.
7 ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἰδόντες ὅτι πεπίστευμαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς ἀκροβυστίας καθὼς Πέτρος τῆς περιτομῆς, But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted the gospel of the uncircumcision just as Peter of the circumcision,
8 ὁ γὰρ ἐνεργήσας Πέτρῳ εἰς ἀποστολὴν τῆς περιτομῆς ἐνήργησεν καὶ ἐμοὶ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, (for the one working in Peter for apostleship of the circumcision, worked in me also for the Gentiles)
9 καὶ γνόντες τὴν χάριν τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι, Ἰάκωβος καὶ Κηφᾶς καὶ Ἰωάννης, οἱ δοκοῦντες στῦλοι εἶναι, δεξιὰς ἔδωκαν ἐμοὶ καὶ Βαρναβᾷ κοινωνίας, ἵνα ἡμεῖς εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, αὐτοὶ δὲ εἰς τὴν περιτομήν· and recognising the gift given to me, James and Cephas and John, the ones seeming to be pillars, gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, so that we to the Gentiles and they to the circumcision. Several MSS substitute the more familiar Greek Πετρος in place of the Aramaic Κηφᾶς (P46 D F G itd, g, r goth Marcion Origenlat Marius Victorinus Ephraem Ambrosiaster Jerome). Of these, all but P46 and itr give prominence to Peter by placing his name first. Given the strength of the external evidence, together with the greater likelihood of substituting the more familiar Greek rather than the less familiar Aramaic, the reading Ἰάκωβος καὶ Κηφᾶς is likely original.
10 μόνον τῶν πτωχῶν ἵνα μνημονεύωμεν, ὃ καὶ ἐσπούδασα αὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. Only of the poor, that they be remembered, which also I was eager to do.
11 Ὅτε δὲ ἦλθεν Κηφᾶς εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν, κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτῷ ἀντέστην, ὅτι κατεγνωσμένος ἦν. But when Cephas came into Antioch, I opposed him to his face, that he was being condemned.
  • κατεγνωσμένος could potentially be middle (‘having condemned himself’) or (divine?) passive (‘having been condemned’). cf. BDAG s.v. καταγινώσκω.
  • Once again, some MSS (D F G M it vgmss syh Ambst ) substitute the Greek Πετρος for the Aramaic Κηφᾶς. See notes above.
12 πρὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἐλθεῖν τινας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβου μετὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν συνήσθιεν· ὅτε δὲ ἦλθον, ὑπέστελλεν καὶ ἀφώριζεν ἑαυτὸν φοβούμενος τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς. For before certain ones came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and set himself apart, fearing those from the circumcision. A number of generally reliable MSS (P46vid ℵ B D* 33 330 2492 al) attest to the singular ἦλθεν rather than the plural ἦλθον (sometimes in combination with τινα substituted for τινας). Metzger suggests that the ‘singular number ἦλθεν is probably due to scribes who either imitated ὅτε δὲ ἦλθεν Κηφᾶς of ver. 11, or were unconsciously influenced by careless assonance with the immediately preceding and following verbs that end in -εν.’4 This offers the best explanation of how the various readings, although Metzger’s argument that ‘he sense of the passage seems to demand the plural’5 is less convincing. One or many emissaries from James, the point remains the same: Peter’s behaviour altered in response to the new arrival(s), to the detriment of Jewish/Gentile relations.
13 καὶ συνυπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ Ἰουδαῖοι, ὥστε καὶ Βαρναβᾶς συναπήχθη αὐτῶν τῇ ὑποκρίσει. And the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was being led astray by their hypocrisy. A number of MSS (P46 B 6. 630. 1739. 1881 pc ar f vg bo) omit the και following αύτῳ, however a slight majority of MSS include it. NA27/UBS4 include it in brackets to indicate that its marginality. In any case, little hangs on the difference, since it at most slightly intensifies the idea already implicit in the prefix ‘συν-‘.
14 ἀλλ᾿ ὅτε εἶδον ὅτι οὐκ ὀρθοποδοῦσιν πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, εἶπον τῷ Κηφᾷ ἔμπροσθεν πάντων· εἰ σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ὑπάρχων ἐθνικῶς καὶ οὐχὶ Ἰουδαϊκῶς ζῇς, πῶς τὰ ἔθνη ἀναγκάζεις ἰουδαΐζειν; But when I saw that he was not walking rightly toward the the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before everyone, “If you, a Jew, are existing as a Gentile and not living as a Jew, how are you compelling the Gentiles to live as Jews?
  • Several western texts substitute the familiar Greek Πέτρῷ for the Aramaic Κεφῷ. See notes above.
  • There are a number of variants on the phrase καὶ οὐχὶ Ἰουδαϊκῶς ζῇς:
    1. καὶ οὐκ Ἰουδαϊκῶς ζῇς (F G 6. 630. 1739 pc): The slightly diminished emphasis of the οὐκ (compared to οὐχὶ) does not match with the context. The Apostle’s point is that Peter is a Jew but not living as a Jew. This is probably a scribal omission, or assimilation to the earlier portion of the verse. The external support for this reading is slender and late.
    2. ζῇς καὶ οὐκ Ἰουδαϊκῶς (D2 M): Once again, the support for this reading is narrow and late. It is probably a stylistic correction to connect the verb more directly with the preceding clause, rendering the following clause subordinate. On the substitution of οὐκ for οὐχὶ see above.
    3. ζῇς καὶ οὐχὶ Ἰουδαϊκῶς (D✱ 326. 1241s. 1505. 2464 pc vgcl): Whilst enjoying marginally more external support than the previous readings this is probably also a stylistic amendment as per number 2 above.
    4. ζῇς (P46 1881 pc ar b d; Ambst): This shortened reading lessens the rhetorical force of Paul’s point. It is likely that this is an accidental scribal omission.
    5. καὶ οὐχὶ Ἰουδαϊκῶς ζῇς (ℵ A B C H P Ψ 0278. 33. 81. 104. 1175 pc): This is clearly the best attested variant, and preserves a strong emphasis consistent with the context. It is thus to be preferred.
15 Ἡμεῖς φύσει Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἁμαρτωλοί· We ourselves are by nature Jews and not sinners out of the Gentiles.
16 εἰδότες δὲ ὅτι οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου ἐὰν μὴ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐπιστεύσαμεν, ἵνα δικαιωθῶμεν ἐκ πίστεως Χριστοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὐ δικαιωθήσεται πᾶσα σάρξ. But we are knowing that a person is not made righteous out of works of the law except through faith in Jesus Christ, and we ourselves have believed into Christ Jesus, so that we are made righteous out of faith in Christ and not out of works of the law, because all flesh will not be made righteous out of works of the law.
  • A number of generally reliable MSS (P46 A D2 Ψ 0278✱. 33. 1739. 1881 M syh) omit the contrastive δὲ at the beginning of this verse, however it provides a contextually appropriate (if relatively weak) contrast with the preceding verse. It also has slightly stronger MS support (ℵ B C D✱ F G H 0278c. 81. 104. 1175. 1241s. 2464 pc lat ). These factors weigh in favour of its inclusion.
  • The transposition of Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ and Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν both have relatively narrow external support, and are of no significance.
  • Several late MSS (C D2 H Ψ M f vg) substitute διότι for the final ὅτι. This is probably a deliberate change, either for stylistic variation or, more likely, to distinguish it from the ὅτι at the beginning of the verse, which functions as a ‘marker of narrative or discourse content’6.
17 εἰ δὲ ζητοῦντες δικαιωθῆναι ἐν Χριστῷ εὑρέθημεν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἁμαρτωλοί, ἆρα Χριστὸς ἁμαρτίας διάκονος; μὴ γένοιτο. But if, seeking to be made righteous in Christ, we also are found to be sinners, is Christ, then, a servant of sin? By no means! Some witnesses (B2 H 0278. 365. 945. 1175. 1739. 1881 al it; Ambst) substitute the inferential ἄρα in place of the interrogative ἆρα, but this is both late and contextually improbable in the middle of a rhetorical question.
18 εἰ γὰρ ἃ κατέλυσα ταῦτα πάλιν οἰκοδομῶ, παραβάτην ἐμαυτὸν συνιστάνω. For if the things I destroyed these things I build again, I demonstrate myself a transgressor.
19 ἐγὼ γὰρ διὰ νόμου νόμῳ ἀπέθανον, ἵνα θεῷ ζήσω. Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι·7 For through the law I myself died to sin, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ.
20 ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγώ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός· ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ. But it is no longer I myself who lives, but Christ lives in me; that which I now live in flesh, in faith I live to the son of God, the one who loved me and gave himself for me. Several important witnesses (P46 B D* G itd, g Marius Victorinus Pelagius) support the reading θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ in place of τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. Metzger argument that this would be unusual since ‘Paul nowhere else expressly speaks of God as the object of a Christian’s faith’8 is unconvincing since Paul speaks of Abraham believing in God (Rom 4:3, 17; Gal 3:6) and speaks of believers trusting in God (Rom 15:13). Nevertheless, Metzger offers the most convincing reconstruction as to how this variant came about, arguing that the scribe’s eye skipped from the first to the second τοῦ, and later attempted to go back and correct by adding και Χριστοῦ.9
21 Οὐκ ἀθετῶ τὴν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ· εἰ γὰρ διὰ νόμου δικαιοσύνη, ἄρα Χριστὸς δωρεὰν ἀπέθανεν. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if through the law [came] righteousness, then Christ died in vain.

Endnotes

  1. cf. BDAG s.v. δοκέω 2.a.β. : ‘be influential, be recognized as being someth., have a reputation’
  2. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 522.
  3. διαμένω is found in the subjunctive only here in the NT, compared to three instances in the indicative (Luke 1:22; Heb 1:11; 2 Pet 3:4) and one participle (Luke 22:8).
  4. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 524.
  5. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 524.
  6. “ὅτι,” BDAG, 731.
  7. The clause Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι (‘I have been crucified with Christ’) is placed at the beginning of v. 20 in most English versions, but both NA27, UBS4 and the NRSV place it here.
  8. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 524.
  9. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2d, Accordance electronic ed. New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 524.
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