Galatians 2:17 (YLT)

Passage

And if, seeking to be declared righteous in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, <FI>is<Fi> then Christ a ministrant of sin? let it not be!

Nearby Context

Galatians 2:15 we by nature Jews, and not sinners of the nations,

Galatians 2:16 having known also that a man is not declared righteous by works of law, if not through the faith of Jesus Christ, also we in Christ Jesus did believe, that we might be declared righteous by the faith of Christ, and not by works of law, wherefore declared righteous by works of law shall be no flesh.'

Galatians 2:17 And if, seeking to be declared righteous in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, <FI>is<Fi> then Christ a ministrant of sin? let it not be!

Galatians 2:18 for if the things I threw down, these again I build up, a transgressor I set myself forth;

Galatians 2:19 for I through law, did die, that to God I may live;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "seeking", "declared", "righteous", "christ", "ourselves", "found", and "sinners". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "seeking" and "declared", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "having known also that a man is..." into verse 18's "for if the things I threw down...", so "seeking" and "declared" belong inside that flow. In Galatians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "seeking" and "declared" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.