Galatians 2:18
New International Version
If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

New Living Translation
Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down.

English Standard Version
For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

Berean Standard Bible
If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker.

Berean Literal Bible
For if I build again these things that I had torn down, I prove myself a transgressor.

King James Bible
For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

New King James Version
For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

New American Standard Bible
For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a wrongdoer.

NASB 1995
“For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

NASB 1977
“For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

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

Amplified Bible
For if I [or anyone else should] rebuild [through word or by practice] what I once tore down [the belief that observing the Law is essential for salvation], I prove myself to be a transgressor.

Christian Standard Bible
If I rebuild those things that I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If I rebuild the system I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker.

American Standard Version
For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a transgressor.

Contemporary English Version
But if I tear down something and then build it again, I prove that I was wrong at first.

English Revised Version
For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a transgressor.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If I rebuild something that I've torn down, I admit that I was wrong to tear it down.

Good News Translation
If I start to rebuild the system of Law that I tore down, then I show myself to be someone who breaks the Law.

International Standard Version
For if I rebuild something that I tore down, I demonstrate that I am a wrongdoer.

Majority Standard Bible
If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker.

NET Bible
But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God's law.

New Heart English Bible
For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker.

Webster's Bible Translation
For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

Weymouth New Testament
Why, if I am now rebuilding that structure of sin which I had demolished, I am thereby constituting myself a transgressor;

World English Bible
For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For if the things I threw down, these again I build up, I set myself forth [as] a transgressor;

Berean Literal Bible
For if I build again these things that I had torn down, I prove myself a transgressor.

Young's Literal Translation
for if the things I threw down, these again I build up, a transgressor I set myself forth;

Smith's Literal Translation
For if what I destroy, these I build again, I unite myself with the transgressor.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For if I build up again the things which I have destroyed, I make myself a prevaricator.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For if I rebuild the things that I have destroyed, I establish myself as a prevaricator.

New American Bible
But if I am building up again those things that I tore down, then I show myself to be a transgressor.

New Revised Standard Version
But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I will prove myself to be a transgressor of the law.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For if I build those things again that I once destroyed, I have shown about myself that I violate The Covenant.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
For if I build again those things which I have destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

Godbey New Testament
For if I again build the things which I have destroyed, I constitute myself a transgressor.

Haweis New Testament
For if I build up again the very same things which I have pulled down, I stamp myself a transgressor.

Mace New Testament
on the contrary, if I re-establish what I have demolish'd, I show myself a prevaricator.

Weymouth New Testament
Why, if I am now rebuilding that structure of sin which I had demolished, I am thereby constituting myself a transgressor;

Worrell New Testament
For, if I am building up again, what I pulled down, I show myself to be a transgressor.

Worsley New Testament
God forbid. And if I build again the same things which I demolished, I shew myself a transgressor: for I through the law am dead to the law,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul Confronts Cephas
17But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker. 19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God.…

Cross References
Romans 6:1-2
What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? / Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?

Romans 7:4-6
Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. / For when we lived according to the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, bearing fruit for death. / But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

Romans 7:15-20
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do. / And if I do what I do not want to do, I admit that the law is good. / In that case, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. ...

Romans 8:1-2
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. / For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.

Philippians 3:7-9
But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. / More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ / and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.

Hebrews 10:26-29
If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, / but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries. / Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ...

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

Colossians 2:20-23
If you have died with Christ to the spiritual forces of the world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its regulations: / “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”? / These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. ...

Ephesians 2:15
by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace

James 2:10-11
Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. / For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

Acts 15:10-11
Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? / On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Romans 3:19-20
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. / Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.

Romans 3:31
Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds. / For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. / If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, ...

Matthew 5:17-18
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. / For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.


Treasury of Scripture

For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

Galatians 2:4,5,12-16,21
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 4:9-12
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? …

Galatians 5:11
And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

Jump to Previous
Build Constitute Demolished Destroyed Destruction Forth Law-Breaker Once Prove Rebuild Rebuilding Sin Structure Thereby Threw Thrown Tore Transgressor Wrongdoer
Jump to Next
Build Constitute Demolished Destroyed Destruction Forth Law-Breaker Once Prove Rebuild Rebuilding Sin Structure Thereby Threw Thrown Tore Transgressor Wrongdoer
Galatians 2
1. He shows when he went up again to Jerusalem, and for what purpose;
3. and that Titus was not circumcised;
11. and that he resisted Peter, and told him the reason;
14. why he and others, being Jews, believe in Christ to be justified by faith, and not by works;
20. and that they live not in sin, who are so justified.














If I rebuild
The phrase "If I rebuild" suggests a hypothetical scenario that Paul is presenting to the Galatians. The Greek word for "rebuild" is "οἰκοδομέω" (oikodomeó), which means to construct or build up again. In the context of Galatians, Paul is addressing the issue of returning to the Jewish law after having embraced the freedom found in Christ. The act of rebuilding here symbolizes reverting to the old covenant of the law, which Paul had previously dismantled through his teachings of grace and faith in Jesus Christ. This serves as a warning against regression in spiritual growth and a return to legalism.

what I have already torn down
The phrase "what I have already torn down" refers to the dismantling of the old covenant's legalistic requirements. The Greek word "καταλύω" (kataluó) means to dissolve or destroy. Paul had worked diligently to tear down the barriers of the law that separated Jews and Gentiles, emphasizing that salvation is through faith in Christ alone. Historically, this tearing down was a radical shift from the Jewish customs and laws that had been deeply ingrained in the culture. Paul’s mission was to establish a new foundation based on grace, not works, which was a cornerstone of the early Christian church.

I prove myself
The phrase "I prove myself" indicates a self-evident truth or demonstration. The Greek word "συνίστημι" (synistémi) means to commend or establish. Paul is emphasizing personal accountability and the inherent contradiction that would arise if he were to revert to the law. This phrase underscores the importance of consistency in one's faith journey. By rebuilding the law, Paul would be contradicting his own teachings and the truth of the gospel he preached. It serves as a reminder that actions must align with beliefs, and that believers are called to live out the truth of the gospel consistently.

to be a lawbreaker
The term "lawbreaker" is derived from the Greek word "παραβάτης" (parabatés), meaning transgressor or violator. In the context of this verse, Paul is highlighting the irony that by attempting to adhere to the law after accepting Christ, one actually becomes a transgressor of the law. This is because the law was fulfilled in Christ, and returning to it negates the grace that has been freely given. Historically, the Jewish law was seen as a guide to righteousness, but Paul argues that it is through faith in Christ that one is justified. This phrase serves as a powerful reminder of the futility of legalism and the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice.

(18) But Christ is not a minister of sin. The thought is not to be tolerated. For, on the contrary, the sin is seen, not in leaving the Law for Christ, but in going back from Christ to the Law. The sin is seen doubly: for on one theory--the theory that the Law is valid--it was wrong to give it up; while on the other theory, that Christianity has taken its place, it is still more wrong to restore the fabric that has once been broken down.

For.--The connection is with the words immediately preceding: "God forbid that Christ should be the minister of sin." The idea is absurd as well as profane. For, instead of the Pauline Christian (who follows Christianity to its logical results) being the sinner, it is really the Judaising Christian who stands self-condemned--i.e., in returning to what he has forsaken.

If I build again.--The first person is used out of delicate consideration for his opponents. The Apostle is going to put a supposed case, which really represents what they were doing; but in order to soften the directness of the reference he takes it, as it were, upon himself.

St. Paul is fond of metaphors taken from building. Comp. Romans 15:20 (building upon another man's foundation), 1Corinthians 3:10-14 (Christ the foundation), Ephesians 2:20-22 (the Church built on the foundation of Apostles and prophets), and the words "edify" and "edification" wherever they occur. The idea of "pulling down" or "destroying" is also frequently met with. So in Romans 14:20 ("for meat destroy not the work of God," the same word as here used, in opposition to "edify," immediately before); 2Corinthians 5:1 ("if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved"--pulled down or destroyed); 2Corinthians 10:4 ("mighty to the pulling down of strongholds")--a different word in the Greek, but similar in meaning. . . .

Verse 18. - For if I build again the things which I destroyed (εἰ γὰρ α} κατέλυσα ταῦτα πάλιν οἰκοδομῶ); for if I am building up again the things which I pulled down. I make myself a transgressor (παραβάτην ἐμαυτὸν συνίστημι [or, συνιστάνω another form of the same verb]); a transgressor is what I am showing my own self to be. I must be wrong one way or the other; if I am right now, was wrong then; and from the very nature of the case now in hand, wrong exceedingly; no less than an absolute transgressor. This word "transgressor" denotes, not one who merely happens to break, perchance inadverdently, some precept of the Law, but one who, perhaps in consequence of even one act of wilful transgression, is to be regarded as trampling upon the authority of the Law altogether (comp. Romans 2:25, 27; James 2:9, 11, which are the only places of the New Testament in which the word occurs; it is therefore a full equivalent to the word "sinner" of ver. 17). The Greek verb συνιστάνω, "to put forward in a clear light," is used similarly in 2 Corinthians 6:4; 2 Corinthians 7:11. It is much debated, and is certainly nowise clear, how far down in the chapter the rebuke addressed to St. Peter extends. If it does not reach to the end of the chapter, as some think it does, the break may be very well placed at the end of this verse. For this verse clearly relates to St. Peter, whether actually addressed to him or not; notwithstanding that the verbs are in the hypothetical first person singular, they cannot be taken as referred to St. Paul, not being at all applicable to his case. On the other hand, with the nineteenth verse the first person is plainly used by St. Paul with reference to his own self, which is indeed marked by the emphatic ἐγὼ with which it opens.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
If
εἰ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

I rebuild
οἰκοδομῶ (oikodomō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3618: From the same as oikodome; to be a house-builder, i.e. Construct or confirm.

what
ταῦτα (tauta)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

I have already torn down,
κατέλυσα (katelysa)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2647: From kata and luo; to loosen down, i.e. to demolish; specially to halt for the night.

I prove
συνιστάνω (synistanō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 4921: To place together, commend, prove, exhibit; instrans: I stand with; To be composed of, cohere.

myself
ἐμαυτὸν (emauton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1683: Genitive case compound of emou and autos; of myself so likewise the dative case emautoi em-ow-to', and accusative case emauton em-ow-ton'.

[to be] a lawbreaker.
παραβάτην (parabatēn)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3848: A transgressor, law-breaker. From parabaino; a violator.


Links
Galatians 2:18 NIV
Galatians 2:18 NLT
Galatians 2:18 ESV
Galatians 2:18 NASB
Galatians 2:18 KJV

Galatians 2:18 BibleApps.com
Galatians 2:18 Biblia Paralela
Galatians 2:18 Chinese Bible
Galatians 2:18 French Bible
Galatians 2:18 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: Galatians 2:18 For if I build up again those (Gal. Ga)
Galatians 2:17
Top of Page
Top of Page