A BIBLE VERSE THAT CONTRADICTS ITSELF

[Eddie Ramos]

A BIBLE VERSE THAT CONTRADICTS ITSELF.

Galatians 2:16 is just one evidence that shows us that whatever doctrine someone holds to be true, supersedes the necessity for faithfulness. This is especially true when it comes to those who have undertaken the task to translate the scriptures. The modern translations, of which, I will only list a few, have translated Galatians 2:16 based on their own doctrinal positions rather than on faithfulness and harmony of the scriptures as a whole. As a result, they (perhaps ignorantly) have translated Galatians 2:16 in a way which directly contradicts itself. Let's first take a look at the way the KJV has translated this passage:

Galatians 2:16 (KJV 1900)
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.

Before moving on, I think it's important to first understand what this passage is saying. God, here, is emphasizing on the fact that obedience to ANY commandment of the Bible IS A WORK OF THE LAW that could have never justified someone (made someone righteous) before God, who is the judge of all the earth. And because that is the case, justification only came by way of the faith OF Jesus Christ, meaning by His work of salvation.

In other words, no one should have ever expected to be made righteous (justified) by keeping any of the commandments of the Bible. And this biblical fact is indeed known and understood by most church-going Christians today.
But therein lies the problem, that they (especially the translators of the modern Bibles) understand the principle of obedience to any commandment given in the Bible equating to works of the law and never being able to justify someone.

Yet, this very principle is ignored in their own doctrine as the modern translations of Galatians 2:16 attest to without having been questioned by those reading it because they share the same doctrinal position of salvation by their own faith IN Jesus Christ.
And so, when the translators decided to translate Galatians 2:16 by only understanding the part about no justification by the works of the law, they contradicted themselves when they translated the part about being justified BY THEIR FAITH ***IN*** JESUS CHRIST. Let's examine out first modern translation that demonstrates this contradiction.

Galatians 2:16 (NLT)
Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith IN Jesus Christ, NOT by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of OUR FAITH IN Christ, NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE OBEYED THE LAW. For NO ONE will ever be made right with God BY OBEYING THE LAW.

Again, in the NLT (New Living Translation) we can see correct understanding to the principle of NO ONE being justified ("made right with God") by obeying the law of God (any commandment found in the Bible). But then the contradiction comes in when they translate that man IS made right with God (justified) by their own faith IN Christ.
Now, how is that a contradiction? Well, to have faith in, is to believe. And the Bible clearly spells out for us that to believe in Jesus Christ, IS A COMMANDMENT and thus a work of the law.

1 John 3:23 (KJV)
And THIS IS HIS COMMANDMENT, That we should BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF HIS SON Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us COMMANDMENT.

Oddly enough, you would think that when the same modern translators arrived at 1 John 3:23 and began to translate it, that a red flag would've been raised by someone as they spotted the contradiction, because they translated 1 John 3:23 correctly.

1 John 3:23 (NLT)
AND THIS IS HIS COMMANDMENT: We must BELIEVE in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, JUST AS HE COMMANDED US.

Since they translated this verse correctly, one wonders why they could not see that this verse directly states that to believe (have faith) on Jesus Christ is certainly a commandment, just as is the commandment to love one another, and then go back to Galatians 2:16 and make correction.
The first answer is of course spiritual blindness, but also because this would have altered and affected their entire doctrinal position on salvation by faith. Since love is a commandment, and we know that no one ever became saved by loving his neighbor as himself, then why separate "to believe" as not being a commandment when the Bible clearly tells us that it is, which is precisely why God included believing with loving one another, because they are both commandments. And since we cannot be saved by loving anyone, then neither could we be made righteous (justified) by believing in Jesus Christ, or by placing OUR faith IN Jesus Christ.

Therefore, to "believe" is a work of the law, and as Galatians 2:16 correctly confirmed, no person could have ever been justified by the works of the law, meaning, by keeping any commandment of God. This teaches us that the KJV has had this verse translated correctly all along, that man is justified by the faith (meaning by the WORK) OF Jesus Christ and not by our own faith (meaning, our OWN work of the law).
So, the modern translations have translated Galatians 2:16 as a verse which directly contradicts itself and regretfully, have never felt the need to make correction.

Galatians 2:16 (ESV)
16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith IN Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith IN Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 2:16 (NIV)
know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith IN Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith IN Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 2:16 (NASB)
nevertheless, knowing that a person is not justified by works of the Law but through faith IN Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith IN Christ and not by works of the Law; since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

The question for debate is, since "believing in Jesus" is a work of the law (obedience to a commandment of the Bible), then how can anyone ignore that they have done a work of the law by claiming to have been justified through their belief (faith) in Jesus Christ? When all along, salvation was through the faith OF Jesus Christ accompanied by his work of atonement.

[1213]

... Well, to have faith in, is to believe. ...

Why do you think so? I think faith means faithfulness, which means loyalty.

Also, I don't think law is the same as commandments of Jesus.

However, I think the point in the Bible is, righteousness is like a state of mind. If you have that right state of mind, it comes visible also in actions. Actions or works are only like a fruit of a tree, they can tell what kind of person one is. But still, they are only result of a mind.

Works don't define mind, mind defines works. Therefore no work can ever turn person righteous. This is why, if I would obey the law to look like righteous, I would be just a pretender. It would not make me righteous. But, if I do what the law says, because I understand it is good and right, not because I try to earn something, then I could be seen righteous. That righteousness doesn't come from my actions, I believe it comes from God who gives the right understanding. And I think Jesus was sent to show the way to righteousness. His words can make the change in persons mind so that he becomes righteous. And I think one sign of it is that person is loyal to Jesus.