Galatians 1:11

Paul’s Vindication of His Apostleship

1:11 Now ¹  I want you to know, brothers and sisters, ²  that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. ³ 

Galatians 3:15

Inheritance Comes from Promises and not Law

3:15 Brothers and sisters, ⁴  I offer an example from everyday life: ⁵  When a covenant ⁶  has been ratified, ⁷  even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it.

Galatians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁸  an apostle (not from men, nor by human agency, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead)

Galatians 3:3

3:3 Are you so foolish? Although you began ⁹  with ¹⁰  the Spirit, are you now trying to finish ¹¹  by human effort? ¹² 

Galatians 1:16

1:16 to reveal his Son in ¹³  me so that I could preach him ¹⁴  among the Gentiles, I did not go to ask advice from ¹⁵  any human being, ¹⁶ 

Galatians 1:12

1:12 For I did not receive it or learn it from any human source; ¹⁷  instead I received it ¹⁸  by a revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁹ 

Galatians 5:14

5:14 For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, ²⁰  namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” ²¹ 

Galatians 5:16

5:16 But I say, live ²²  by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. ²³ 

Galatians 5:24

5:24 Now those who belong to Christ ²⁴  have crucified the flesh ²⁵  with its passions ²⁶  and desires.

Galatians 4:23

4:23 But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, ²⁷  while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise.

Galatians 1:10

1:10 Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, ²⁸  or of God? Or am I trying to please people? ²⁹  If I were still trying to please ³⁰  people, ³¹  I would not be a slave ³²  of Christ!

Galatians 5:17

5:17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires ³³  that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to ³⁴  each other, so that you cannot do what you want.

Galatians 2:16

2:16 yet we know ³⁵  that no one ³⁶  is justified by the works of the law ³⁷  but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. ³⁸  And ³⁹  we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ ⁴⁰  and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one ⁴¹  will be justified.

[1:11]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ tn Grk “is not according to man.”

[3:15]  ⁴ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[3:15]  ⁵ tn Grk “I speak according to man,” referring to the illustration that follows.

[3:15]  ⁶ tn The same Greek word, διαθήκη (diaqhkh), can mean either “covenant” or “will,” but in this context the former is preferred here because Paul is discussing in vv. 16-18 the Abrahamic covenant.

[3:15]  ⁷ tn Or “has been put into effect.”

[1:1]  ⁷ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[3:3]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “Having begun”; the participle ἐναρξάμενοι (enarxamenoi) has been translated concessively.

[3:3]  ¹¹ tn Or “by the Spirit.”

[3:3]  ¹² tn The verb ἐπιτελεῖσθε (epiteleisqe) has been translated as a conative present (see ExSyn 534). This is something the Galatians were attempting to do, but could not accomplish successfully.

[3:3]  ¹³ tn Grk “in/by [the] flesh.”

[1:16]  ¹³ tn Or “to me”; the Greek preposition ἐν (en) can mean either, depending on the context.

[1:16]  ¹⁴ tn This pronoun refers to “his Son,” mentioned earlier in the verse.

[1:16]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “from flesh and blood.”

[1:12]  ¹⁶ tn Or “I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it.”

[1:12]  ¹⁷ tn The words “I received it” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[1:12]  ¹⁸ tn It is difficult to determine what kind of genitive ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Ihsou Cristou) is. If it is a subjective genitive, the meaning is “a revelation from Jesus Christ” but if objective genitive, it is “a revelation about Jesus Christ.” Most likely this is objective since the explanation in vv. 15-16 mentions God revealing the Son to Paul so that he might preach, although the idea of a direct revelation to Paul at some point cannot be ruled out.

[5:14]  ¹⁹ tn Or “can be fulfilled in one commandment.”

[5:14]  ²⁰ sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.

[5:16]  ²² tn Grk “walk” (a common NT idiom for how one conducts one’s life or how one behaves).

[5:16]  ²³ tn On the term “flesh” (once in this verse and twice in v. 17) see the note on the same word in Gal 5:13.

[5:24]  ²⁵ tc ‡ Some mss (א A B C P Ψ 0122¹ 0278 33 1175 1739 pc co) read “Christ Jesus” here, while many significant ones (Ì⁴⁶ D F G 0122*^,2 latt sy), as well as the Byzantine text, lack “Jesus.” The Byzantine text is especially not prone to omit the name “Jesus”; that it does so here argues for the authenticity of the shorter reading (for similar instances of probably authentic Byzantine shorter readings, see Matt 24:36 and Phil 1:14; cf. also W.-H. J. Wu, “A Systematic Analysis of the Shorter Readings in the Byzantine Text of the Synoptic Gospels” [Ph.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 2002]). On the strength of the alignment of Ì⁴⁶ with the Western and Byzantine texttypes, the shorter reading is preferred. NA²⁷ includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[5:24]  ²⁶ tn See the note on the word “flesh” in Gal 5:13.

[5:24]  ²⁷ tn The Greek term παθήμασιν (paqhmasin, translated “passions”) refers to strong physical desires, especially of a sexual nature (L&N 25.30).

[4:23]  ²⁸ tn Grk “born according to the flesh”; BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 4 has “Of natural descent τὰ τέκνα τῆς σαρκός children by natural descent Ro 9:8 (opp. τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας). ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης κατὰ σάρκα γεγέννηται Gal 4:23; cp. vs. 29.”

[1:10]  ³¹ tn Grk “of men”; but here ἀνθρώπους (anqrwpou") is used in a generic sense of both men and women.

[1:10]  ³² tn Grk “men”; but here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is used in a generic sense of both men and women.

[1:10]  ³³ tn The imperfect verb has been translated conatively (ExSyn 550).

[1:10]  ³⁴ tn Grk “men”; but here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is used in a generic sense of both men and women.

[1:10]  ³⁵ tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[5:17]  ³⁴ tn The words “has desires” do not occur in the Greek text a second time, but are repeated in the translation for clarity.

[5:17]  ³⁵ tn Or “are hostile toward” (L&N 39.1).

[2:16]  ³⁷ tn Grk “yet knowing”; the participle εἰδότες (eidotes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[2:16]  ³⁸ tn Grk “no man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.

[2:16]  ³⁹ sn The law is a reference to the law of Moses.

[2:16]  ⁴⁰ 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]  ⁴¹ 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]  ⁴² tn Or “by faith in Christ.” See comment above on “the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.”

[2:16]  ⁴³ tn Or “no human being”; Grk “flesh.”