2 Corinthians 1:24

1:24 I do not mean that we rule over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm. ¹ 

Galatians 2:4

2:4 Now this matter arose ²  because of the false brothers with false pretenses ³  who slipped in unnoticed to spy on ⁴  our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves. ⁵ 

Galatians 4:3

4:3 So also we, when we were minors, ⁶  were enslaved under the basic forces ⁷  of the world.

Galatians 4:9

4:9 But now that you have come to know God (or rather to be known by God), how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless ⁸  basic forces? ⁹  Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? ¹⁰ 

Galatians 4:25

4:25 Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

Galatians 5:1

Freedom of the Believer

5:1 For freedom ¹¹  Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke ¹²  of slavery.

Galatians 5:10

5:10 I am confident ¹³  in the Lord that you will accept no other view. ¹⁴  But the one who is confusing ¹⁵  you will pay the penalty, ¹⁶  whoever he may be.

Galatians 6:12

6:12 Those who want to make a good showing in external matters ¹⁷  are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do so ¹⁸  only to avoid being persecuted ¹⁹  for the cross of Christ.

[1:24]  ¹ tn Or “because you stand firm in the faith.”

[2:4]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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.

[4:3]  ⁶ tn See the note on the word “minor” in 4:1.

[4:3]  ⁷ tn Or “basic principles,” “elemental things,” or “elemental spirits.” Some interpreters take this as a reference to supernatural powers who controlled nature and/or human fate.

[4:9]  ⁸ tn Or “useless.” See L&N 65.16.

[4:9]  ⁹ tn See the note on the phrase “basic forces” in 4:3.

[4:9]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “basic forces, to which you want to be enslaved…” Verse 9 is a single sentence in the Greek text, but has been divided into two in the translation because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence.

[5:1]  ¹¹ tn Translating the dative as “For freedom” shows the purpose for Christ setting us free; however, it is also possible to take the phrase in the sense of means or instrument (“with [or by] freedom”), referring to the freedom mentioned in 4:31 and implied throughout the letter.

[5:1]  ¹² sn Here the yoke figuratively represents the burdensome nature of slavery.

[5:10]  ¹³ tn The verb translated “I am confident” (πέποιθα, pepoiqa) comes from the same root in Greek as the words translated “obey” (πείθεσθαι, peiqesqai) in v. 7 and “persuasion” (πεισμονή, peismonh) in v. 8.

[5:10]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “that you will think nothing otherwise.”

[5:10]  ¹⁵ tn Or “is stirring you up”; Grk “is troubling you.” In context Paul is referring to the confusion and turmoil caused by those who insist that Gentile converts to Christianity must observe the Mosaic law.

[5:10]  ¹⁶ tn Or “will suffer condemnation” (L&N 90.80); Grk “will bear his judgment.” The translation “must pay the penalty” is given as an explanatory gloss on the phrase by BDAG 171 s.v. βαστάζω 2.b.β.

[6:12]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “in the flesh.” L&N 88.236 translates the phrase “those who force you to be circumcised are those who wish to make a good showing in external matters.”

[6:12]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “to be circumcised, only.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started with the words “They do so,” which were supplied to make a complete English sentence.

[6:12]  ¹⁹ tc ‡ Grk “so that they will not be persecuted.” The indicative after ἵνα μή (Jina mh) is unusual (though not unexampled elsewhere in the NT), making it the harder reading. The evidence is fairly evenly split between the indicative διώκονται (diwkontai; Ì⁴⁶ A C F G K L P 0278 6 81 104 326 629 1175 1505 pm) and the subjunctive διώκωνται (diwkwntai; א B D Ψ 33 365 1739 pm), with a slight preference for the subjunctive. However, since scribes would tend to change the indicative to a subjunctive due to syntactical requirements, the internal evidence is decidedly on the side of the indicative, suggesting that it is original.