SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:15
Nosotros que somos judíos naturaleza, y no pecadores de los gentiles,
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Galatians 2:15
Verse 15. We who are Jews by nature] We who belong to the Jewish nation-who have been born, bred, and educated Jews. And not sinners of the Gentiles] amartwloi? Not without the knowledge of God, as they have been. amartwlov often signifies a heathen, merely one who had no knowledge of the true God. But among the nations or Gentiles many Jews sojourned; who in Scripture are known by the name of Hellenists, and these were distinguished from those who were termed ex eqnwn amartwloi, sinners of the Gentiles-heathens, in our common sense of the word; while the others, though living among them, were worshippers of the true God, and addicted to no species of idolatry. Some have translated this passage thus: We Jews, and not Gentiles, by nature sinners; for it is supposed that fusei here refers to that natural corruption which every man brings into the world. Now, though the doctrine be true, (and the state of man, and universal experience confirm it,) yet it can neither be supported from this place, nor even from Eph. ii. 3. See the note on Rom. ii. 16. It appears, from the use of this word by some of the best Greek authors, that fusei did not signify by nature, as we use the word, but expressed the natural birth, family, or nation of a man; to distinguish him from any other family or nation. I can give a few instances of this, which are brought to my hand in a small elegant pamphlet, written by Dr. Munter, the present bishop of Zealand, entitled Observationum ex marmouribus Graecis Sacrarum Specimen, and which has been lent to me by the right honourable Lord Teignmouth, to whose condescension, kindness, and learning, many of my studies have been laid under particular obligation.
The word in question is the xxviiith example in the above pamphlet, the substance of which is as follows: In an inscription on a Greek marble, given by Dr. Chandler, page 27, we find these words o gambrov mou lewn artemeisiou, o epikaloumenov iaswn, oikonei men meilhsiov, fusei de iaseuv? "My son-in-law, Leo, the son of Artemisius, who is called a Jasian, is of the house of Milesius, though by nature he is from Jaso." That is: Jaso being a town of Caria, this Leo is said to be fusei iaseuv, by nature a Jasian, although he sprang from the Milesian family. The following examples will place this in a clearer light.
Josephus, Ant. Jud., lib. xi. cap. vi. sec. 5, speaking of Amanes, the Amalekite, says: kai gar fusei toiv ioudaioiv aphcqaneto, oti kai to genov twn amalekitwn, ex wn hn autov, up autwn diefqarto? "For he was by nature incensed against the Jews, because the nation of the Amalekites, from whom he sprang, had been destroyed by them;" that is, he had a national prejudice or hatred to the Jewish people on the above account. The following example from Dio Chrysostom, Orat. xxxi., is also to the point: oige (aqhnaioi) ton deina men olumpion keklhkasi, oude fusei polithn eautwn? "For they (the Athenians) called this person an Olympian, though by nature he was not their citizen;" that is, he was called an Olympian, though he was not naturally of that city, or, in other words, he was not born there. From these examples, and the scope of the place, we may argue that the words, we who are Jews by nature, mean, we who were born in the land of Judea, and of Jewish parents. And hence the passage in Eph. ii. 3, which speaks most evidently of the heathens, "and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others," may be thus understood: Being Gentiles, and brought up in gross darkness, without any knowledge of God, abandoned to all sensual living, we were, from our very condition, and practical state, exposed to punishment. This sense is at least equally good with that given of the words in Rom. ii. 16, where it is proved that fusei, in several connections, means truly, certainly, incontestably; "we were, beyond all controversy, exposed to punishment, because we had been born among idolaters, and have lived as they did. Here both senses of the word apply.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. We who are Jews by nature , etc..] I Paul, and you Peter and Barnabas, and the rest of the Jews at Antioch. Some are Jews by grace, in a spiritual sense, as all are that are Christ's, that are true believers in him, that are born again, and have internal principles of grace formed in their souls, of whatsoever nation they be; (see Romans 2:28,29 Revelation 2:9). Others become Jews by being proselytes to the Jewish religion: such were the Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven, that were dwelling at Jerusalem, when the Spirit was poured down on the apostles on the day of Pentecost, ( Acts 2:5), but these here spoken of were such as were Jews by birth; they were born so, were descended of Jewish parents, and from their infancy were brought up in the Jewish religion, and under the law of Moses, and in the observance of it: and not sinners of the Gentiles : l[ih twmwa y[r , the wicked of the nations of the world, as the Jews call them. Not but that the Jews also were sinners both by nature and practice, were involved in the guilt of sin, under the power of it, and defiled with it, as the apostle elsewhere most fully proves: nor is this said with regard to the vain opinion the Jews had of themselves, as very holy and righteous persons, who in their own apprehension needed neither repentance nor remission; and who looked upon the Gentiles as very unholy and unfit for conversation with them: but this more particularly respects that part of the character of the Heathens, that they were without the law, and were under no restraints, but lived in all manner of wickedness, without hope and God in the world, and so were notorious sinners, filled with all unrighteousness, profligate and abandoned to every evil work, and are therefore called emphatically sinful men, ( Luke 24:7). And indeed the word eynov , Gentiles, among themselves is sometimes used for merov ti povhrotaton , a certain most wicked part of Gentiles in a city f36 , and so may here design such who lived the most dissolute lives and conversations, to which the Jews are opposed, who had a written law, and were under a better regulation and discipline.
The reason of this description, both in the positive and negative branch of it, is to observe, that since they, the apostles, and others, who were born Jews, and so under the law of Moses, and, until Christ came, were under obligation to observe it, but had now relinquished it, and wholly and alone believed in Christ for righteousness and life; then it was the most unreasonable thing in the world, by any means whatever, to lead the Gentiles, who never were under the law, to an observance of it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 15-19 - Paul, having thus shown he was not inferior to any apostle, not to Peter himself, speaks of the great foundation doctrine of the gospel For what did we believe in Christ? Was it not that we might be justified by the faith of Christ? If so, is it not foolish to go bac to the law, and to expect to be justified by the merit of moral works or sacrifices, or ceremonies? The occasion of this declaratio doubtless arose from the ceremonial law; but the argument is quite a strong against all dependence upon the works of the moral law, a respects justification. To give the greater weight to this, it is added, But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselve also are found sinners, is Christ the minister of sin? This would be very dishonourable to Christ, and also very hurtful to them. By considering the law itself, he saw that justification was not to be expected by the works of it, and that there was now no further need of the sacrifices and cleansings of it, since they were done away in Christ, by his offering up himself a sacrifice for us. He did not hop or fear any thing from it; any more than a dead man from enemies. But the effect was not a careless, lawless life. It was necessary, that he might live to God, and be devoted to him through the motives and grac of the gospel. It is no new prejudice, though a most unjust one, tha the doctrine of justification by faith alone, tends to encourage people in sin. Not so, for to take occasion from free grace, or the doctrin of it, to live in sin, is to try to make Christ the minister of sin, a any thought of which all Christian hearts would shudder.
Greek Textus Receptus
ημεις 2249 φυσει 5449 ιουδαιοι 2453 και 2532 ουκ 3756 εξ 1537 εθνων 1484 αμαρτωλοι 268
Vincent's NT Word Studies
15. We, etc. Continuation of Paul's address; not the beginning of an address to the Galatians. Under we Paul includes himself, Peter, and the Jewish Christians of Antioch, in contrast with the Gentile Christians. The Galatians were mostly Gentiles.
Who are Jews, etc. The who is wrong. Render we are Jews. The expression is concessive. We are, I grant, Jews. There is an implied emphasis on the special prerogatives and privileges of the Jews as such. See Rom. iii. 1 f.; ix. 1 ff.
Sinners of the Gentiles (ex eqnwn amartwloi). Lit. sinners taken from the Gentiles, or sprung from. Sinners, in the conventional Jewish sense; born heathen, and as such sinners; not implying that Jews are not sinners. The Jew regarded the Gentile as impure, and styled him a dog (Matt. xv. 27). See Rom. ii. 12; 1 Cor. vi. 1; ix. 21; Ephesians ii. 12; Luke xviii. 32; xxiv. 7. Possibly Paul here cites the very words by which Peter sought to justify his separation from the Gentile Christians, and takes up these words in order to draw from them an opposite conclusion. This is quite according to Paul's habit.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:15 {Not sinners of the Gentiles} (ouk ex eqnwn hamartwloi). The Jews regarded all Gentiles as "sinners" in contrast with themselves (cf. #Mt 26:45 "sinners" and #Lu 18:32 "Gentiles"). It is not clear whether verses #15-21 were spoken by Paul to Peter or whether Paul is now simply addressing the Galatians in the light of the controversy with Peter. Burton thinks that he is "mentally addressing Peter, if not quoting from what he said to him."
