Galatia 4:17

4:17 They court you eagerly, ¹  but for no good purpose; ²  they want to exclude you, so that you would seek them eagerly. ³ 

Galatia 5:12

5:12 I wish those agitators ⁴  would go so far as to ⁵  castrate themselves! ⁶ 

Galatia 2:4

2:4 Now this matter arose ⁷  because of the false brothers with false pretenses ⁸  who slipped in unnoticed to spy on ⁹  our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves. ¹⁰ 

Galatia 1:16

1:16 to reveal his Son in ¹¹  me so that I could preach him ¹²  among the Gentiles, I did not go to ask advice from ¹³  any human being, ¹⁴ 

Galatia 1:11

Paul’s Vindication of His Apostleship

1:11 Now ¹⁵  I want you to know, brothers and sisters, ¹⁶  that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. ¹⁷ 

Galatia 2:5

2:5 But ¹⁸  we did not surrender to them ¹⁹  even for a moment, ²⁰  in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. ²¹ 

Galatia 2:10

2:10 They requested ²²  only that we remember the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do.

Galatia 4:5

4:5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights. ²³ 

Galatia 2:9

2:9 and when James, Cephas, ²⁴  and John, who had a reputation as ²⁵  pillars, ²⁶  recognized ²⁷  the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me ²⁸  the right hand of fellowship, agreeing ²⁹  that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ³⁰ 

Galatia 6:13

6:13 For those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your flesh. ³¹ 

Galatia 2:12

2:12 Until ³²  certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this ³³  and separated himself ³⁴  because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision. ³⁵ 

Galatia 2:16

2:16 yet we know ³⁶  that no one ³⁷  is justified by the works of the law ³⁸  but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. ³⁹  And ⁴⁰  we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ ⁴¹  and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one ⁴²  will be justified.

[4:17]  ¹ tn Or “They are zealous for you.”

[4:17]  ² tn Or “but not commendably” (BDAG 505 s.v. καλῶς 2).

[4:17]  ³ tn Or “so that you would be zealous.”

[5:12]  ⁴ tn Grk “the ones who are upsetting you.” The same verb is used in Acts 21:38 to refer to a person who incited a revolt. Paul could be alluding indirectly to the fact that his opponents are inciting the Galatians to rebel against his teaching with regard to circumcision and the law.

[5:12]  ⁵ tn Grk “would even.”

[5:12]  ⁶ tn Or “make eunuchs of themselves”; Grk “cut themselves off.” This statement is rhetorical hyperbole on Paul’s part. It does strongly suggest, however, that Paul’s adversaries in this case (“those agitators”) were men. Some interpreters (notably Erasmus and the Reformers) have attempted to soften the meaning to a figurative “separate themselves” (meaning the opponents would withdraw from fellowship) but such an understanding dramatically weakens the rhetorical force of Paul’s argument. Although it has been argued that such an act of emasculation would be unthinkable for Paul, it must be noted that Paul’s statement is one of biting sarcasm, obviously not meant to be taken literally. See further G. Stählin, TDNT 3:853-55.

[2:4]  ⁷ tn No subject and verb are expressed in vv. 4-5, but the phrase “Now this matter arose,” implied from v. 3, was supplied to make a complete English sentence.

[2:4]  ⁸ tn The adjective παρεισάκτους (pareisaktou"), which relates to someone joining a group with false motives or false pretenses, applies to the “false brothers.” Although the expression “false brothers with false pretenses” is somewhat redundant, it captures the emphatic force of Paul’s expression, which labels both these “brothers” as false (ψευδαδέλφους, yeudadelfou") as well as their motives. See L&N 34.29 for more information.

[2:4]  ⁹ tn The verb translated here as “spy on” (κατασκοπέω, kataskopew) can have a neutral nuance, but here the connotation is certainly negative (so F. F. Bruce, Galatians [NIGTC], 112-13, and E. Burton, Galatians [ICC], 83).

[2:4]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “in order that they might enslave us.” The ἵνα (Jina) clause with the subjunctive verb καταδουλώσουσιν (katadoulwsousin) has been translated as an English infinitival clause.

[1:16]  ¹¹ tn Or “to me”; the Greek preposition ἐν (en) can mean either, depending on the context.

[1:16]  ¹² tn This pronoun refers to “his Son,” mentioned earlier in the verse.

[1:16]  ¹³ tn Or “I did not consult with.” For the translation “I did not go to ask advice from” see L&N 33.175.

[1:16]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “from flesh and blood.”

[1:11]  ¹⁵ tc ‡ The conjunction δέ (de) is found in Ì⁴⁶ א*^,2 A D¹ Ψ 1739 1881 Ï sy bo, while γάρ (gar) is the conjunction of choice in א¹ B D*^,c F G 33 pc lat sa. There are thus good representatives on each side. Scribes generally tended to prefer γάρ in such instances, most likely because it was more forceful and explicit. γάρ is thus seen as a motivated reading. For this reason, δέ is preferred.

[1:11]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).

[1:11]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “is not according to man.”

[2:5]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “slaves, nor did we…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, οὐδέ (oude) was translated as “But…even” and a new sentence started in the translation at the beginning of v. 5.

[2:5]  ¹⁹ tn Or “we did not cave in to their demands.”

[2:5]  ²⁰ tn Grk “even for an hour” (an idiom for a very short period of time).

[2:5]  ²¹ sn In order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. Paul evidently viewed the demands of the so-called “false brothers” as a departure from the truth contained in the gospel he preached. This was a very serious charge (see Gal 1:8).

[2:10]  ²² tn Grk “only that we remember the poor”; the words “They requested” have been supplied from the context to make a complete English sentence.

[4:5]  ²³ tn The Greek term υἱοθεσία (Juioqesia) was originally a legal technical term for adoption as a son with full rights of inheritance. BDAG 1024 s.v. notes, “a legal t.t. of ‘adoption’ of children, in our lit., i.e. in Paul, only in a transferred sense of a transcendent filial relationship between God and humans (with the legal aspect, not gender specificity, as major semantic component).” Although some modern translations remove the filial sense completely and render the term merely “adoption” (cf. NAB), the retention of this component of meaning was accomplished in the present translation by the phrase “as sons.”

[2:9]  ²⁴ sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211).

[2:9]  ²⁵ tn Or “who were influential as,” or “who were reputed to be.” See also the note on the word “influential” in 2:6.

[2:9]  ²⁶ sn Pillars is figurative here for those like James, Peter, and John who were leaders in the Jerusalem church.

[2:9]  ²⁷ tn The participle γνόντες (gnontes) has been taken temporally. It is structurally parallel to the participle translated “when they saw” in v. 7.

[2:9]  ²⁸ tn Grk “me and Barnabas.”

[2:9]  ²⁹ tn Grk “so,” with the ἵνα (Jina) indicating the result of the “pillars” extending the “right hand of fellowship,” but the translation “they gave…the right hand of fellowship so that we would go” could be misunderstood as purpose here. The implication of the scene is that an agreement, outlined at the end of v. 10, was reached between Paul and Barnabas on the one hand and the “pillars” of the Jerusalem church on the other.

[2:9]  ³⁰ tn Grk “to the circumcision,” a collective reference to the Jewish people.

[6:13]  ³¹ tn Or “boast about you in external matters,” “in the outward rite” (cf. v. 12).

[2:12]  ³² tn The conjunction γάρ has not been translated here.

[2:12]  ³³ tn Grk “he drew back.” If ἑαυτόν (Jeauton) goes with both ὑπέστελλεν (Jupestellen) and ἀφώριζεν (afwrizen) rather than only the latter, the meaning would be “he drew himself back” (see BDAG 1041 s.v. ὑποστέλλω 1.a).

[2:12]  ³⁴ tn Or “and held himself aloof.”

[2:12]  ³⁵ tn Grk “the [ones] of the circumcision,” that is, the group of Jewish Christians who insisted on circumcision of Gentiles before they could become Christians.

[2:16]  ³⁶ tn Grk “yet knowing”; the participle εἰδότες (eidotes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[2:16]  ³⁷ tn Grk “no man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.

[2:16]  ³⁸ sn The law is a reference to the law of Moses.

[2:16]  ³⁹ tn Or “faith in Jesus Christ.” A decision is difficult here. Though traditionally translated “faith in Jesus Christ,” an increasing number of NT scholars are arguing that πίστις Χριστοῦ (pisti" Cristou) and similar phrases in Paul (here and in v. 20; Rom 3:22, 26; Gal 3:22; Eph 3:12; Phil 3:9) involve a subjective genitive and mean “Christ’s faith” or “Christ’s faithfulness” (cf., e.g., G. Howard, “The ‘Faith of Christ’,” ExpTim 85 [1974]: 212-15; R. B. Hays, The Faith of Jesus Christ [SBLDS]; Morna D. Hooker, “Πίστις Χριστοῦ,” NTS 35 [1989]: 321-42). Noteworthy among the arguments for the subjective genitive view is that when πίστις takes a personal genitive it is almost never an objective genitive (cf. Matt 9:2, 22, 29; Mark 2:5; 5:34; 10:52; Luke 5:20; 7:50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42; 22:32; Rom 1:8; 12; 3:3; 4:5, 12, 16; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 2 Cor 10:15; Phil 2:17; Col 1:4; 2:5; 1 Thess 1:8; 3:2, 5, 10; 2 Thess 1:3; Titus 1:1; Phlm 6; 1 Pet 1:9, 21; 2 Pet 1:5). On the other hand, the objective genitive view has its adherents: A. Hultgren, “The Pistis Christou Formulations in Paul,” NovT 22 (1980): 248-63; J. D. G. Dunn, “Once More, ΠΙΣΤΙΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ,” SBL Seminar Papers, 1991, 730-44. Most commentaries on Romans and Galatians usually side with the objective view.

[2:16]  sn On the phrase translated the faithfulness of Christ, ExSyn 116, which notes that the grammar is not decisive, nevertheless suggests that “the faith/faithfulness of Christ is not a denial of faith in Christ as a Pauline concept (for the idea is expressed in many of the same contexts, only with the verb πιστεύω rather than the noun), but implies that the object of faith is a worthy object, for he himself is faithful.” Though Paul elsewhere teaches justification by faith, this presupposes that the object of our faith is reliable and worthy of such faith.

[2:16]  ⁴⁰ tn In Greek this is a continuation of the preceding sentence, but the construction is too long and complex for contemporary English style, so a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[2:16]  ⁴¹ tn Or “by faith in Christ.” See comment above on “the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.”

[2:16]  ⁴² tn Or “no human being”; Grk “flesh.”