Galatians 2:17
But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
Original Language Analysis
ζητοῦντες
while we seek
G2212
ζητοῦντες
while we seek
Strong's:
G2212
Word #:
3 of 16
to seek (literally or figuratively); specially, (by hebraism) to worship (god), or (in a bad sense) to plot (against life)
δικαιωθῆναι
to be justified
G1344
δικαιωθῆναι
to be justified
Strong's:
G1344
Word #:
4 of 16
to render (i.e., show or regard as) just or innocent
καὶ
also
G2532
καὶ
also
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
8 of 16
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
αὐτοὶ
ourselves
G846
αὐτοὶ
ourselves
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
9 of 16
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
διάκονος
the minister
G1249
διάκονος
the minister
Strong's:
G1249
Word #:
14 of 16
an attendant, i.e., (genitive case) a waiter (at table or in other menial duties); specially, a christian teacher and pastor (technically, a deacon)
Cross References
Historical Context
For Jews to abandon distinctive covenant markers like circumcision, food laws, and Sabbath observance was culturally unthinkable—it meant becoming like Gentile "sinners." The Judaizers argued that faith in Christ couldn't require abandoning these identity markers without making Christ an accomplice to lawlessness. Paul's response revolutionizes the entire framework: these markers never produced righteousness, so abandoning them for Christ is not spiritual regression but gospel clarity.
Questions for Reflection
- What religious practices or moral achievements might you equate with righteousness itself rather than seeing them as responses to grace?
- How does recognizing that you were always a sinner needing grace change your view of Christian growth and sanctification?
- In what ways might you subtly accuse Christ of promoting sin by His gospel of free grace apart from works?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. The conditional ei de zētountes dikaiōthēnai en Christō (εἰ δὲ ζητοῦντες δικαιωθῆναι ἐν Χριστῷ, "if while seeking to be justified in Christ") introduces a Judaizer objection: if Jews who abandon law-keeping for faith in Christ are thereby reckoned as hamartōloi (ἁμαρτωλοί, "sinners")—the category previously reserved for lawless Gentiles—then doesn't this make Christos hamartias diakonos (Χριστὸς ἁμαρτίας διάκονος, "Christ a minister/servant of sin")? The logic: if trusting Christ leads Jews to abandon law-keeping, and law-keeping defines righteousness, then Christ promotes sin.
Paul's emphatic response: mē genoito (μὴ γένοιτο, "God forbid!")—his strongest negative, literally "may it never be!" This optative construction expresses abhorrence at the suggestion. The objection reveals fundamental misunderstanding: righteousness never came through law-keeping but always through faith. Being "found sinners" doesn't mean Christ made Jews into sinners; it means recognizing what they always were—sinners needing grace, just like Gentiles.
The verse exposes the Judaizers' category error: they equate abandoning law-works with abandoning righteousness itself. But if law-keeping could never justify (v. 16), then abandoning it to trust Christ doesn't promote sin—it acknowledges the truth that all are sinners needing divine righteousness. Christ doesn't serve sin; He reveals our sin and provides the only remedy.