Galatians 2

Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me. 2I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the Injil1 which I preach among the nations, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. 3But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in AL-MASIH2 ‘ISA3, that they might bring us into bondage; 5to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Injil might continue with you. 

6But from those who were reputed to be important (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God4 does not show partiality to man)—they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me, 7but on the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Injil for the non-Jews5, even as Peter with the Injil for the Jews6 8(for he who appointed Peter to the apostleship of the Jews appointed me also to the nations); 9and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the nations, and they to the Jews7. 10They only asked us to remember the poor—which very thing I was also zealous to do.

11But when Peter came to Antioch, I resisted him to the face, because he stood condemned. 12For before some people came from James, he ate with the non-Jews. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing the Jews8. 13And the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy; so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. 

14But when I saw that they didn’t walk uprightly according to the truth of the Injil, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live as the non-Jews do, and not as the Jews do, why do you compel the non-Jews to live as the Jews do? 15We are Jews by nature, and not non-Jewish ‘sinners.’ 16Yet we know that a man cannot be justified by trying to obey the Taurat9, but only through faith in ‘ISA AL-MASIH. We believed in AL-MASIH ‘ISA that we might be justified by faith in AL-MASIH, and not by trying to obey the Taurat, because no one can be justified by trying to obey the Taurat. 

17“But if, while we sought to be justified in AL-MASIH, we ourselves also were found sinners, is AL-MASIH a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker. 19For I, through the Taurat, died to the Taurat, that I might live to God. 20I have been crucified with AL-MASIH, and it is no longer I that live, but AL-MASIH living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the SON OF GOD10, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. 21I do not nullify the grace of God. For if righteousness could come through obeying the Taurat, then AL-MASIH died for nothing!“

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  1. 2:2 Injil, this Arabic word is derived from Euangel (Greek) and means “good news” or “Gospel” (old English for ‘good news’). Depending on context, Injil can refer to, 
    1. the whole Christian New Testament containing 27 books, 
    2. the first 4 books of the New Testament, that is, the Injil according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, or,
    3. the message or “good news” of forgiveness of sins through ‘ISA AL-MASIH, revealed in the holy Injil (or New Testament). ↩︎
  2. 2:4 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH.  Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
  3. 2:4 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
  4. 2:6 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
  5. 2:7 the non-Jews, literally, “the uncircumcision.” ↩︎
  6. 2:7 the Jews, literally, “the circumcision.” ↩︎
  7. 2:9 the Jews, literally, “the circumcision.” ↩︎
  8. 2:12 the Jews, literally, “those who were of the circumcision.” ↩︎
  9. 2:16 Taurat, this Arabic word derived from Torah (Hebrew) literally means “instruction” or “teaching.” In the Injil, the Greek text says nomos (meaning, “law”). Depending on context, Taurat can refer to, 
    1. The whole Hebrew Bible contained here under the title Taurat, equivalent to what Jews today call Tanakh, and what Christians call the Old Testament.
    2. The revelation given to Prophet Musa, that is, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, sometimes called the Pentateuch. Pentateuch is a Greek word meaning “five books” and includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These five books are attributed to Prophet Musa himself. This is the traditional and most common meaning given to Taurat or Torah.
    3. The Law of Musa found within the Pentateuch, with its hundreds of rules and regulations covering many aspects of daily life for the people of Israel. The most famous of these laws are the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20.
    4. Taurat can also refer to divine instruction and teaching in general without reference to a particular book of the Hebrew Bible. ↩︎
  10. 2:20 SON OF GOD, a title of the Messiah, ‘ISA AL-MASIH, revealed through Prophet Dawud in the Zabur 2:7-9, which says: I will tell of the decree. YAHWEH said to me, “You are my SON. Today I have become your FATHER. Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, The ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” ↩︎