Galatians 2:16 nasb — nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we hav…

NASB

"nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified."

— Galatians 2:16, NASB

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Galatians 2:16 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

  • ASV

    “yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. ”

  • WEB

    “yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.”

  • NET

    “yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”

  • DRB

    “But knowing that man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, we also believe in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”

  • BBE

    “Being conscious that a man does not get righteousness by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we had faith in Christ Jesus, so that we might get righteousness by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law will no flesh get righteousness.”

  • KJVA

    “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Galatians 2 — Context

13

The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

14

But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

15

"We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;

16

nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

17

"But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!

18

"For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

19

"For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.

Galatians 2:16 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Galatians 2:16 say?
Galatians 2:16 in the NASB reads: “nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”
Where is Galatians 2:16 in the Bible?
Galatians 2:16 is found in the New Testament, in the book of Galatians, chapter 2, verse 16.
Who wrote Galatians?
Galatians is traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle. It was written c. AD 48–55.
What is the book of Galatians about?
Galatians is Paul's fierce defense of justification by faith alone against teachers who would add the Law to the gospel. He argues that the Cross plus anything is no gospel — and that the freedom of the sons of God is not a license to sin but a Spirit-led life of love.
What are the major themes of Galatians?
Galatians explores themes including Justification by Faith, Freedom, Spirit vs. Flesh, Christian Liberty. These themes shape the meaning and context of Galatians 2:16.
What translation should I read Galatians 2:16 in?
Galatians 2:16 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Galatians 2:16?
Galatians 2:16 reads (NASB): “nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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