Galatians 2:15
““We, being Jews by nature, and not Gentile sinners,”
What does Galatians 2:15 mean?
Paul is starting to describe a turning point in his own thinking. He's acknowledging that he and other Jewish believers once saw themselves as naturally superior to non-Jewish people, viewing Gentiles as outsiders to God's covenant. This reflected the common Jewish perspective of the time, where following the law was seen as the marker of being right with God. What makes this verse powerful is that Paul isn't saying this to affirm the division, but to set it up for what comes next: he's about to explain how even Jews like himself realized that faith in Jesus breaks down these barriers. Nobody, Jewish or Gentile, is made right with God by their background or rule-keeping alone. By naming this old way of thinking, he opens the door to showing how the gospel transforms it entirely.