Galatians 2 · Verse 5

Galatians 2:5

To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

Galatians 2:5, King James Version

Galatians 2:5 in other translations

BSB	We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.
WEB	to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.
ASV	to whom we gave place in the way of subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
YLT	to whom not even for an hour we gave place by subjection, that the truth of the good news might remain to you.
DARBY	to whom we yielded in subjection not even for an hour, that the truth of the glad tidings might remain with you.
BBE	To whom we gave way not even for an hour; so that the true words of the good news might still be with you.
Webster	To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

What does Galatians 2:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

5. Greek, "To whom not even for an hour did we yield by subjection." Alford renders the Greek article, "with THE subjection required of us." The sense rather is, We would willingly have yielded for love [Bengel] (if no principle was at issue), but not in the way of subjection, where "the truth of the Gospel" (Ga 2:14; Col 1:5) was at stake (namely, the fundamental truth of justification by faith only, without the works of the law, contrasted with another Gospel, Ga 1:6). Truth precise, unaccommodating, abandons nothing that belongs to itself, admits nothing that is inconsistent with it [Bengel]. might continue with you--Gentiles. We defended for your sakes your true faith and liberties, which you are now renouncing.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 5. To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour. We did not submit to this at all. We did not yield even for the shortest tune. We did not waver in our opposition to their demands, or in the slightest degree become subject to their wishes. We steadily opposed their claims, in order that the great principle might be for ever settled that the laws of Moses were not to be imposed as obligatory on the Gentile converts. This I take to be the clear and obvious sense of this passage, though there has been a great variety of opinions on it. A considerable number of Mss. omit the words οιςουδε, "to whom neither," (see Mill, Koppe, and Griesbach,) and then the sense would be reversed, that Paul did yield to them for or after a short time, in order that he might in this way better consult the permanent interests of the gospel. This opinion has been gaining ground for the last century, that the passage here has been corrupted; but it is by no means confirmed. The ancient versions, the Syriac, the Vulgate, and the Arabic, accord with the usual reading of the text. So also do by far the largest portion of Mss.; and such, it seems to me, is the sense demanded by the connexion. Paul means, in the whole passage, to say, that a great principle was settled. That the question came up fairly whether the Mosaic rites were to be imposed on Gentile converts. That false brethren were introduced who demanded it; and that he steadily maintained his ground. He did not yield a moment. He felt that a great principle was involved; and though on all proper occasions he was willing to yield and to become all things to all men, yet here he did not court them, or temporize with them in the least. The phrase "by subjection" here means, that he did not suffer himself to be compelled to yield. The phrase "for an hour" is equivalent to the shortest period of time. He did not waver or yield at all.

That the truth of the gospel might continue with you. That the great principle of the Christian religion which had been taught you might continue, and that you might enjoy the full benefit of the pure gospel, without its being intermingled with any false views. Paul had defended these same Jews among the Galatians, and he now sought that the same views might be confirmed by the clear decision of the college of apostles at Jerusalem.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 5 To whom we gave place by subjection - So fully satisfied was he with his Divine call, and that he had in preaching among the Gentiles acted in strict conformity to it, that he did not submit in the least to the opinion of those Judaizing teachers; and therefore he continued to insist on the exemption of the Gentiles from the necessity of submitting to Jewish rites; that the truth of the Gospel - this grand doctrine, that the Gentiles are admitted by the Gospel of Christ to be fellow-heirs with the Jews, might continue; and thus the same doctrine is continued with you Gentiles.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Galatians 2:1-10

Observe the apostle's faithfulness in giving a full account of the doctrine he had preached among the Gentiles, and was still resolved to preach, that of Christianity, free from all mixture of Judaism. This doctrine would be ungrateful to many, yet he was not afraid to own it. His care was, lest the success of his past labours should be lessened, or his future usefulness be hindered. While we simply depend upon God…

Read the full comment on Galatians 2:1-10 →

Galatians 2:5 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

οἷςhoisto whomG3739

οὐδὲoudenot evenG3761

πρὸςprosforG4314

ὥρανhōranan hourG5610

εἴξαμενeixamendid we yieldG1502

τῇtēa<the>G3588

ὑποταγῇ,hupotagēain subjection,G5292

ἵναinaso thatG2443

ἡhētheG3588

ἀλήθειαalētheiatruthG225

τοῦtouof theG3588

εὐαγγελίουeuangeliougospelG2098

διαμείνῃdiameinēmay continueG1265

πρὸςproswithG4314

ὑμᾶς.humasyou.G4771

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Galatians 2:5

Galatians 4:16
Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
Galatians 2:14
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
Colossians 2:4-8
And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. …
Colossians 1:5
For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
Jude 1:3
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Galatians 3:1-2
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Ephesians 1:13
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
1 Thessalonians 2:13
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Acts 15:2
When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

we.
3:1,2; Ac 15:2; Col 2:4-8; Jude 1:3
that.
14; 4:16; Eph 1:13; Col 1:5; 1Th 2:13

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Galatians 2:4
And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
Galatians 2:5
To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
Galatians 2:6
But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:

Read all of Galatians 2

Galatians 2:5 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	A los cuales ni aun por una hora cedimos sujetándonos, para que la verdad del evangelio permaneciese con vosotros.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	auxquels nous n’avons pas cédé par soumission, non pas même un moment, afin que la vérité de l’évangile demeure avec vous.
German Elberfelder 1871	denen wir auch nicht eine Stunde durch Unterwürfigkeit nachgegeben haben, auf daß die Wahrheit des Evangeliums bei euch verbliebe.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Quibus neque ad horam cessimus subjectione, ut veritas Evangelii permaneat apud vos: