Wrong Verses Right: Galatians 2:16 KJV

“… a man is not justified by the works of the law…”

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. ~Galatians 2:16 KJV

Wrong Interpretation:

Many Christians use this scripture to justify that works are no longer necessary after being saved.

Right Interpretation:

Paul is specifically referencing Peter’s hypocrisy because Peter left the uncircumcised Gentiles and sat with the circumcised Jews because he felt the Gentiles were unclean because they did not have the Jewish circumcision made with hands. Paul was scolding Peter’s act of returning to the former circumcision of the flesh. Being under Christ’s circumcision, which is the cutting out of wicked works from the heart and mind, comes through having faith by following the commands of God and the doctrine of Christ given by the apostle Paul.  So Paul is saying, “Men, trusting in cutting the skin off of your private part to make you clean puts you back under the law (which you will be judged by) and frustrates the grace you’ve been given because you are then rejecting the new circumcision of Christ.” Therefore, this scripture is not actually about working for salvation, but more about losing grace. We still do good works after we obtain salvation and are told to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.” 1 This post was updated and expanded on 9/6/2018 for greater clarity.