Galatians 2 7

Galatians 2:7 kjv

But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

Galatians 2:7 nkjv

But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter

Galatians 2:7 niv

On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised.

Galatians 2:7 esv

On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised

Galatians 2:7 nlt

Instead, they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews.

Galatians 2 verses

Galatians 2 7 Meaning

Galatians 2:7 declares that the leading apostles in Jerusalem—James, Peter, and John—recognized and affirmed Paul's divinely appointed mission to bring the gospel to the uncircumcised, or Gentiles. This recognition paralleled Peter's specific entrustment with the gospel for the circumcised, or Jewish people, confirming distinct yet equally valid apostolic spheres of ministry.

Galatians 2 7 Context

Galatians chapter 2 details Paul's journey to Jerusalem and his interaction with the leaders of the early church. Paul undertook this journey to present the gospel he preached to the Gentiles, ensuring it was consistent with the gospel held by the pillars in Jerusalem (James, Peter, John), and to address false teachings advocating for Gentile circumcision. Verse 7 specifically refers to a private meeting where these influential leaders, having observed God's work through Paul's ministry and hearing his account, acknowledged and formally recognized his distinct apostolic call to the Gentiles. This recognition affirmed that Gentile converts did not need to be circumcised or follow the Mosaic Law, laying groundwork for future disputes, particularly the one culminating in Peter's public rebuke in Antioch. The broader historical context includes the nascent church's struggles to define its identity apart from Judaism, addressing issues like circumcision and food laws, which posed significant threats to Christian unity and the nature of salvation itself.

Galatians 2 7 Word analysis

• but on the contrary (ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον, alla tounantion): A strong adversative conjunction, emphasizing a distinct opposition or contrast to an unspoken or assumed notion (e.g., that Paul's message was invalid or inferior). It highlights that the outcome was the opposite of what some might have expected.
• when they saw (ἰδόντες, idontes): An aorist participle, indicating that the Jerusalem apostles not merely observed with their eyes, but understood, perceived, or recognized the truth about Paul's ministry. This implies divine evidence of effectiveness and spiritual insight.
• that I had been entrusted (πεπίστευμαι, pepisteumai): Perfect passive indicative of the verb πιστεύω (pisteuō). The perfect tense signifies a past action (the entrusting) with ongoing results, emphasizing a divine, enduring commission. The passive voice implies God as the entruster, removing human appointment from the equation. It means "to have been given a trust" or "to have been made responsible."
• with the gospel (τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, to euangelion): Refers to the singular Good News of Jesus Christ's saving work. This specifies the content of the sacred trust. The definitie article 'the' emphasizes that it is the unique gospel, not a different one.
• to the uncircumcised (τῆς ἀκροβυστίας, tēs akrobystias): Literally "of the foreskin," this is a metonymy referring to the Gentiles. This term clearly defines Paul's God-given mission field and target audience. It indicates a clear ethnic and religious division addressed by separate, divinely ordained apostolic assignments.
• just as Peter (καθὼς Πέτρος, kathōs Petros): The comparative "just as" establishes a parallelism and equality of authority and divine commissioning between Paul's ministry to Gentiles and Peter's to Jews. It implies equal divine sanction and effectiveness.
• had been entrusted with the gospel (πεπίστευτο τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, pepisteuto to euangelion): Pluperfect passive indicative of πιστεύω (pisteuō). The pluperfect tense signifies an action completed in the past before another past action (Paul's entrusting). It emphasizes that Peter's commission was already in place and continuing, reflecting an established divine mandate.
• to the circumcised (τῆς περιτομῆς, tēs peritomēs): Literally "of the circumcision," this is a metonymy referring to the Jews. This clearly defines Peter's God-given mission field and primary audience.

Words-group analysis:

• "I had been entrusted with the gospel / Peter had been entrusted with the gospel": This parallelism highlights that both apostles received the same singular gospel, and their commission for ministry was from the same divine source. The passive voice reinforces that their authority was God-given, not man-made, and this truth was perceived and acknowledged by the Jerusalem leaders.
• "to the uncircumcised / to the circumcised": This distinction defines the primary spheres of apostolic activity for Paul and Peter, respectively. It underlines the geographical and ethnic division of their initial, divinely ordained responsibilities, yet affirms that one gospel effectively bridged these divides. It indicates the divine plan to reach both Jew and Gentile through specific agents.

Galatians 2 7 Bonus section

• The affirmation in Galatians 2:7, alongside verse 8 (which explicitly states God's working through both Paul and Peter), provided Paul with significant vindication against the Judaizers who challenged his authority and the authenticity of his Gentile gospel. It demonstrated a unity of spirit among the apostolic leadership despite distinct ministries.
• This verse undergirds the principle of a singular, unchanging gospel while allowing for diverse expressions and applications in different cultural and social contexts, managed by God's chosen vessels.
• The use of "uncircumcised" and "circumcised" serves as powerful theological shorthand for Gentiles and Jews, emphasizing the profound boundary that Christ alone has abolished. The acknowledgment here confirms that the gospel does not create two separate churches (Jewish-Christian and Gentile-Christian), but rather integrates all believers into one body through Christ.
• This passage underscores divine sovereignty in missionary calling, emphasizing that apostles are "entrusted" with their ministry by God Himself, highlighting the weight and sacredness of such a commission.

Galatians 2 7 Commentary

Galatians 2:7 marks a crucial point in the early church's development. It concisely states the Jerusalem leaders' authoritative recognition of Paul's apostolic calling to the Gentiles. This was not a human conferment of authority upon Paul, as he constantly asserted his apostleship came directly from Christ (Gal 1:1, 11-12). Instead, it was an acknowledgment by those recognized as "pillars" in Jerusalem (James, Peter, and John) of God's manifest work through Paul, confirming his message was truly the gospel and his mission was divinely appointed. This mutual recognition was vital for early Christian unity, affirming that Gentiles were saved by faith alone without needing to convert to Judaism, thus validating the core of Paul's preaching. The verse highlights the singular gospel preached, even as distinct apostles were commissioned for different demographics, underscoring both unity and diversity in the Great Commission. This historical event profoundly impacted the direction of the nascent church, solidifying the theological foundation for the inclusion of Gentiles on equal footing with Jews in the body of Christ.