Galatians 2:3

Easy-to-Read Version

Titus, who was with me, is a Greek. But these leaders still did not force him to be circumcised.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.

King James Version (1611)
But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greeke, was compelled to be circumcised:

King James Version
But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

English Standard Version
But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.

New American Standard Bible
But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

New Century Version
Titus was with me, but he was not forced to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.

Amplified Bible
But [all went well, for] not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled [as some had anticipated] to be circumcised, despite the fact that he was a Greek.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

Legacy Standard Bible
But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

Berean Standard Bible
Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.

Contemporary English Version
Titus went to Jerusalem with me. He was a Greek, but still he wasn't forced to be circumcised.

Complete Jewish Bible
But they didn't force my Gentile companion Titus to undergo b'rit-milah.

Darby Translation
(but neither was Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, compelled to be circumcised;)

Geneva Bible (1587)
But neither yet Titus which was with me, though he were a Grecian, was compelled to be circumcised,

George Lamsa Translation
And Titus, also, who was with me, being Syrian, was not compelled to be circumcised,

Good News Translation
My companion Titus, even though he is Greek, was not forced to be circumcised,

Lexham English Bible
But not even Titus who was with me, although he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

Literal Translation
But not even Titus, the one with me, a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

American Standard Version
But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

Bible in Basic English
But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was made to undergo circumcision:

Hebrew Names Version
But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Yevanit, was compelled to be circumcised.

International Standard Version
But not even Titus, who was with me, was forced to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.

Etheridge Translation
Titos also who was with me, who was an Aramoya, was not constrained to be circumcised.

Murdock Translation
Also Titus, who was with me, and was a Gentile, was not compelled to be circumcised.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But neither Titus which was with me, beyng a Greke, was compelled to be circumcised,

English Revised Version
But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

World English Bible
But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
(But neither was Titus, who was with me,

Weymouth's New Testament
But although my companion Titus was a Greek they did not insist upon even his being circumcised.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And nother Tite, that hadde be with me, while he was hethene, was compellid to be circumsidid;

Update Bible Version
But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

Webster's Bible Translation
But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

New English Translation
Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek.

New King James Version
Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

New Living Translation
And they supported me and did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised, though he was a Gentile.

New Life Bible
Titus was with me. Even being a Greek, he did not have to go through the religious act of becoming a Jew.

New Revised Standard
But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised; -

Douay-Rheims Bible
But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Gentile, was compelled to be circumcised.

Revised Standard Version
But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Also Titus which was with me though he were a Greke yet was not compelled to be circumcised

Young's Literal Translation
but not even Titus, who [is] with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised --

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Titus which was also with me, was not compelled to be circucysed, though he was a Greke:

Mace New Testament (1729)
however, Titus who was then with me, being a Greek, was not compelled to be circumcised:

Simplified Cowboy Version
They all agreed with me. They didn't even ask Titus, who was a Gentile outsider, to have his pickle clipped.

Contextual Overview

¹ After 14 years I went back to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me. ² I went there because God showed me that I should go. I explained to them the message that I tell the non-Jewish people. I also met alone with those who were considered to be the leaders. I wanted to be sure we were in agreement so that my past work and the work I do now would not be wasted. ³ Titus, who was with me, is a Greek. But these leaders still did not force him to be circumcised. ⁴ We needed to talk about these problems, because some who pretended to be our brothers had come into our group secretly. They came in like spies to find out about the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to make us slaves, ⁵ but we did not agree with anything those false brothers wanted. We wanted the truth of the Good News to continue for you. ⁶ Those men who were considered to be important did not change the Good News message I tell people. (It doesn't matter to me if they were "important" or not. To God everyone is the same.) ⁷ But these leaders saw that God had given me a special work, the same as Peter. God gave Peter the work of telling the Good News to the Jews. But God gave me the work of telling the Good News to the non-Jewish people. ⁸ God gave Peter the power to work as an apostle for the Jewish people. God gave me the power to work as an apostle too, but for those who are not Jews. ⁹ James, Peter, and John seemed to be the leaders. And they saw that God had given me this special gift of ministry, so they accepted Barnabas and me. They said to us, "We agree that you should go to those who are not Jews, and we will go to the Jews." ¹⁰ They asked us to do only one thing—to remember to help those who are poor. And this was something that I really wanted to do.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Galatians 5:2-6, Acts 15:24, Acts 16:3, 1 Corinthians 9:20, 1 Corinthians 9:21

Reciprocal: Proverbs 28:4 - but John 12:20 - Greeks Acts 14:1 - Greeks Acts 15:1 - ye 1 Corinthians 2:15 - yet 2 Corinthians 2:13 - Titus Galatians 2:1 - Titus Galatians 2:14 - why Galatians 5:11 - if Galatians 6:12 - they constrain Philippians 3:2 - the Philippians 4:21 - The Titus 1:4 - Titus

Cross-References

Genesis 2:2
God finished the work he was doing, so on the seventh day he rested from his work.

Genesis 2:3
God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day. He made it special because on that day he rested from all the work he did while creating the world.

Genesis 2:4
This is the story about the creation of the sky and the earth. This is what happened when the Lord God made the earth and the sky.

Genesis 2:7
Then the Lord God took dust from the ground and made a man. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nose, and the man became a living thing.

Genesis 2:8
Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East, in a place named Eden. He put the man he made in that garden.

Genesis 2:10
A river flowed from Eden and watered the garden. The river then separated and became four smaller rivers.

Genesis 2:11
The name of the first river was Pishon. This river flowed around the entire country of Havilah.

Genesis 2:12
(There is gold in that country, and that gold is pure. A kind of expensive perfume and onyx are also found there.)

Genesis 2:13
The name of the second river was Gihon. This river flowed around the whole land of Cush.

Genesis 2:14
The name of the third river was Tigris. This river flowed east of Assyria. The fourth river was the Euphrates.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek,.... There was such an agreement between the apostle, and his fellow apostles at Jerusalem, even about this article of the necessity of circumcision, and other rituals of the law of Moses, to salvation; that Titus, whom he brought along with him, an intimate companion of his in his travels, a fellow labourer with him in the ministry, and now upon the spot, though he was a Gentile, an uncircumcised person, yet even not he

was compelled to be circumcised: the elders did not urge it, or insist upon it, as proper and necessary; they looked upon it as a thing indifferent, left him to his liberty, and made use of no forcible methods to oblige him to it; yea, were of opinion, as Peter and James in the synod declared, that such a yoke ought not to be put upon the necks of the disciples, and that those who turned to God from among the Gentiles, should not be troubled with these things.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But neither Titus, who was with me - Paul introduces this case of Titus undoubtedly to show that circumcision was not necessary for salvation. It was a case just in point. He had gone up to Jerusalem with the express reference to this question. Here was a man whom he had admitted to the Christian church without circumcising him. He claimed that he had a right to do so; and that circumcision was not necessary in order for salvation. If it were necessary, it would have been proper that Titus should have been compelled to submit to it. But Paul that says this was not demanded; or if demanded by anyone, the point was yielded, and he was not compelled to be circumcised. It is to be remembered that this was at Jerusalem; that it was a case submitted to the apostles there; and that consequently the determination of this case settled the whole controversy about the obligation of the Mosaic laws on the Gentile converts.

It is quite evident from the whole statement here that Paul did not intend that Titus should be circumcised; that he maintained that it was not necessary; and that he resisted it when it was demanded; Galatians 2:4-5. Yet on another occasion he himself performed the act of circumcision upon Timothy; Acts 16:3. But there is no inconsistency in Paul’s conduct. In the case of Titus, it was demanded as a matter of right and as obligatory upon him, and Paul resisted the principle as dangerous. In the case of Timothy, it was a voluntary compliance on his part with the usual customs of the Jews, where it was not pressed as a matter of obligation, and where it would not be understood as indispensable to salvation. No danger would follow from compliance with the custom, and it might do much to conciliate the favor of the Jews, and he therefore submitted to it. Paul would not have hesitated to have circumcised Titus in the same circumstances in which it was done to Timothy; but the circumstances were different; and when it was insisted upon as a matter of principle and of obligation, it became a matter of principle and of obligation with him to oppose it.

Being a Greek - Born of Gentile parents, of course he had not been circumcised. Probably both his parents were Greeks. The case with Timothy was somewhat different. His mother was a Jewess, but his father was a Greek Acts 16:3.

Was compelled to be circumcised - I think it is implied here that this was demanded and insisted on by some that he should be circumcised. It is also implied that Paul resisted it, and the point was yielded, thus settling the great and important principle that it was not necessary in order for salvation; see Galatians 2:5.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Galatians 2:3. But neither Titus, who was with me — The apostle proceeds to state that his account was so satisfactory to the apostles, that they not only did not require him to insist on the necessity of circumcision among the Gentiles, but did not even require him to have Titus, who was a Greek, circumcised; though that might have appeared expedient, especially at Jerusalem, to have prevented false brethren from making a handle of his uncircumcision, and turning it to the prejudice of the Gospel in Judea.

To spy out our liberty — The Judaizing brethren got introduced into the assembly of the apostles, in order to find out what was implied in the liberty of the Gospel, that they might know the better how to oppose St. Paul and his fellows in their preaching Christ to the Gentiles, and admitting them into the Church without obliging them to observe circumcision and keep the law. The apostle saw that while such men were in the assembly it was better not to mention his mission among the Gentiles, lest, by means of those false brethren, occasion should be given to altercations and disputes; therefore he took the opportunity, by private conferences, to set the whole matter, relative to his work among the Gentiles, before the chief of the apostles.