Albert Barnes Commentary Galatians 2:15

"We being Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles," — Galatians 2:15 (ASV)

We who are Jews by nature. It has long been a question whether this and the following verses are to be regarded as part of Paul's address to Peter, or as Paul's words as part of the epistle to the Galatians. A great variety of opinion has prevailed regarding this. Grotius says, "Here, Paul's narrative being closed, he pursues his argument to the Galatians." Bloomfield and many others concur in this opinion. Rosenmuller and many others suppose that the address to Peter is continued to Galatians 2:21. This seems to be the most obvious interpretation, as there is no break or change in the style, nor any vestige of a transfer of the argument to the Galatians. But on the other hand, it may be urged:

1. That Paul in his writings often changes his mode of address without indicating it. — Bloomfield.

2. That it is rather improbable that he would have gone into so long a discourse with Peter on the subject of justification. His purpose was answered by the reproof of Peter for his dissimulation. Moreover, it is said there is something incongruous in his instructing Peter at such length on the subject of man's justification.

Still, it appears to me probable that this is to be regarded as part of Paul's discourse to Peter, to the close of Galatians 2:21. The following reasons seem to me to require this interpretation:

1. It is the most natural and obvious interpretation—usually a safe rule of interpretation. The discourse proceeds as if it were an address to Peter.

2. There is a change at the beginning of the next chapter, where Paul expressly addresses himself to the Galatians.

3. As to the impropriety of Paul's addressing Peter at length on the subject of justification, we are to bear in mind that he did not address him alone. The reproof was addressed to Peter particularly, but it was before them all, (Galatians 2:14); that is, before the assembled church, or before the persons who had been led astray by Peter's conduct and who were in danger of error on the subject of justification.

Nothing, therefore, was more proper than for Paul to continue his discourse for their benefit and to state to them fully the doctrine of justification. And nothing was more pertinent or proper for him at that time than to report this to the Galatians as a part of his argument to them. This report would show that he had always, since his conversion, held and defended the same doctrine on the subject of the way in which men are to be justified in the sight of God. It is therefore, I understand, to be regarded as an address to Peter and the other Jews who were present: "We who were born Jews."

By nature. By birth; or, we were born Jews. We were not born in the condition of the Gentiles.

And not sinners of the Gentiles. This cannot mean that Paul did not regard the Jews as sinners, for he has fully expressed his views on that subject in Romans 2 and Romans 3.

But it must mean that the Jews were not born under the disadvantages of the Gentiles regarding the true knowledge of the way of salvation. They were not left wholly in ignorance about the way of justification, as the Gentiles were.

It was also true that they were under more restraint than the Gentiles were. And though they were sinners, they were not abandoned to such gross and open sensuality as was the Gentile world. They were not idolaters and wholly ignorant of God's law.