What is the meaning of Galatians 2:5?

We did not give in to them

Paul is recounting the moment when “false brothers” (Galatians 2:4) demanded that Titus be circumcised.

• Acts 15:1-2 records the same clash in Jerusalem, where certain men insisted, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved”.

• Paul’s refusal echoes his resolve in 2 Corinthians 11:13, where he exposes “false apostles, deceitful workers.”

• The deliberate stand models James 4:7—“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”. Paul resisted deceptive teaching with equal firmness.

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for a moment

• The phrase highlights immediacy and totality—no negotiations, no delay.

• Ephesians 4:27 warns, “Do not give the devil an opportunity”. Paul applies this by granting zero opportunity to legalism.

• 1 Timothy 4:16 reinforces the urgency: “Pay close attention to your life and your doctrine”. A single concession would have compromised both.

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so that the truth of the gospel

• “The gospel” is the good news that we are “justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28).

• Paul’s clarity mirrors Jesus’ words in John 8:32: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”.

• In Galatians 1:8-9 he had already warned that any distortion of this truth is “accursed.” Protecting gospel purity is non-negotiable.

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would remain with you

• Paul’s concern is pastoral—he defends the gospel not for his own sake but to safeguard the Galatians’ freedom.

• Philippians 1:27 urges believers to “stand firm in one spirit, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel”.

• Jude 3 urges the church to “contend earnestly for the faith once for all entrusted to the saints”. Paul is doing exactly that, ensuring the unaltered message endures in their community.

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summary

Paul’s brief but decisive refusal to yield to legalistic pressure preserved the gospel’s integrity for the Galatians—and for us. By giving no ground, even momentarily, he ensured that salvation by grace through faith stayed crystal clear. His example calls believers to the same vigilant, uncompromising defense of the good news.