Galatians 6:14

THE MESSAGE

For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them!

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
I hope I will never boast about things like that. The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is my only reason for boasting. Through Jesus' death on the cross the world is dead to me, and I am dead to the world.

Revised Standard Version
But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
God forbyd that I shuld reioyce but in the crosse of oure Lorde Iesu Christ wherby the worlde is crucified as touchinge me and I as concerninge the worlde.

Hebrew Names Version
But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

New American Standard Bible
But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

New Century Version
I hope I will never brag about things like that. The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is my only reason for bragging. Through the cross of Jesus my world was crucified, and I died to the world.

Update Bible Version
But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Webster's Bible Translation
But may it never be that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.

English Standard Version
But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

World English Bible
But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world.

Weymouth's New Testament
But as for me, God forbid that I should glory in anything except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, upon which the world is crucified to me, and I am crucified to the world.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But fer be it fro me to haue glorie, no but in the crosse of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, bi whom the world is crucified to me, and Y to the world.

English Revised Version
But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Berean Standard Bible
But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Contemporary English Version
But I will never brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his cross, the world is dead as far as I am concerned, and I am dead as far as the world is concerned.

Amplified Bible
But far be it from me to boast [in anything or anyone], except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

American Standard Version
But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Bible in Basic English
But far be it from me to have glory in anything, but only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which this world has come to an end on the cross for me, and I for it.

Complete Jewish Bible
But as for me, Heaven forbid that I should boast about anything except the execution-stake of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah! Through him, as far as I am concerned, the world has been put to death on the stake; and through him, as far as the world is concerned, I have been put to death on the stake.

Darby Translation
But far be it from me to boast save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom [the] world is crucified to me, and I to the world.

International Standard Version
But may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:3,7-8;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
But to me let it not be that I shall glory except in the cross of our Lord Jeshu Meshiha, by which the world is crucified unto me, and I am crucified to the world.

Murdock Translation
But as for me, let me not glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus the Messiah; by whom the world is crucified to me, and I am crucified to the world.

King James Version (1611)
But God forbid that I should glory, saue in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified vnto me, & I vnto the world.

New Living Translation
As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died.

New Life Bible
I do not want to be proud of anything except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of the cross, the ways of this world are dead to me, and I am dead to them.

New Revised Standard
May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But God forbid that I should reioyce, but in ye crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ, whereby the world is crucified vnto me, & I vnto ye world.

George Lamsa Translation
But as for me, I have nothing on which to boast, except the cross of our LORD Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I am crucified unto the world.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
With me, however, far be it! to be boasting, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, - whereby, unto me, a world hath been crucified, and, I, unto a world;

Douay-Rheims Bible
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
God forbyd that I shoulde reioyce, but in the crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christe, wherby the world is crucified vnto me, and I vnto the worlde.

Good News Translation
As for me, however, I will boast only about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; for by means of his cross the world is dead to me, and I am dead to the world.

Christian Standard Bible®
But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world.

King James Version
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Lexham English Bible
But as for me, may it never be that I boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Literal Translation
But may it never be for me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Young's Literal Translation
And for me, let it not be -- to glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which to me the world hath been crucified, and I to the world;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But God forbyd that I shulde reioyse, saue onely in the crosse of oure LORDE Iesus Christ, wherby the worlde is crucified vnto me, and I vnto the worlde.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but far be it from me that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world is as contemptible to me, as I am to the world.

New English Translation
But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

New King James Version
But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [fn] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Simplified Cowboy Version
But me, I'm only going to brag about what Jesus did on the cross. My petty wants in this world died with him there. As a matter of fact, I did too.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Legacy Standard Bible
But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Contextual Overview

¹¹Now, in these last sentences, I want to emphasize in the bold scrawls of my personal handwriting the immense importance of what I have written to you. These people who are attempting to force the ways of circumcision on you have only one motive: They want an easy way to look good before others, lacking the courage to live by a faith that shares Christ's suffering and death. All their talk about the law is gas. They themselves don't keep the law! And they are highly selective in the laws they do observe. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast of their success in recruiting you to their side. That is contemptible! ¹⁴For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them! ¹⁷ Quite frankly, I don't want to be bothered anymore by these disputes. I have far more important things to do—the serious living of this faith. I bear in my body scars from my service to Jesus. ¹⁸ May what our Master Jesus Christ gives freely be deeply and personally yours, my friends. Oh, yes!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

God: Romans 3:4-6, Philippians 3:3, Philippians 3:7, Philippians 3:8

that I: 2 Kings 14:9-11, Job 31:24, Job 31:25, Psalms 49:6, Psalms 52:1, Jeremiah 9:23, Jeremiah 9:24, Ezekiel 28:2, Daniel 4:30, Daniel 4:31, Daniel 5:20, Daniel 5:21, 1 Corinthians 1:29-31, 1 Corinthians 3:21, 2 Corinthians 11:12, 2 Corinthians 12:10, 2 Corinthians 12:11

save: Isaiah 45:24, Isaiah 45:25, Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 1:23, 1 Corinthians 2:2, Philippians 3:3,*Gr: Philippians 3:7-11

by whom: or, whereby

the world: Galatians 1:4, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 5:24, Acts 20:23, Acts 20:24, Romans 6:6, 1 Corinthians 15:58, 2 Corinthians 5:14-16, Philippians 1:20, Philippians 1:21, Philippians 3:8, Philippians 3:9, Colossians 3:1-3, 1 John 2:15-17, 1 John 5:4, 1 John 5:5

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 21:3 - The Lord Ezra 5:11 - We are Psalms 62:7 - In God Psalms 64:10 - upright Psalms 105:3 - Glory Song of Solomon 8:1 - I would Matthew 13:46 - went Mark 8:34 - take Mark 8:38 - ashamed Luke 5:38 - General Luke 9:26 - whosoever John 16:33 - I Acts 5:42 - they Romans 4:2 - he hath Romans 6:2 - dead 1 Corinthians 1:31 - General 1 Corinthians 6:15 - God 2 Corinthians 10:17 - General Galatians 4:12 - be Colossians 2:20 - if Colossians 3:11 - but James 1:27 - to keep Revelation 11:1 - a reed Revelation 12:1 - and the

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But God forbid that I should glory,.... The apostle, on the contrary, expresses his aversion to glorying in anything these men did; not in his outward carnal privileges, as a Jew; nor in his moral, civil, and legal righteousness; nor in his gifts and attainments; nor in his labours and success, as of himself; nor in the flesh of others, or in any outward corporeal subjection to any ordinance, legal or evangelical; his glorying and rejoicing were rather in the spirituality, the faith, hope, love, patience, order, and steadfastness of the saints, than in anything in the flesh, either his own or others: and indeed he chose not to glory in any thing,

save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; meaning either the infirmities, reproaches, tribulations, and persecutions, which he endured for the sake of Christ, and the preaching of his Gospel; or the Gospel, the doctrine of the cross of Christ, and salvation by it: or rather a crucified Christ himself, whom he preached; though counted foolishness by some, and was a stumbling to others: he gloried in him, and determined to know, and make known, none but him, in the business of salvation; he gloried in him as crucified, and in his cross; not in the wood of the cross, but in the effects of his crucifixion; in the peace, pardon, righteousness, life, salvation, and eternal glory, which come through the death of the cross; he gloried in Christ as his wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption:

by whom the world is crucified to me: so that he feared not the worst men, and things in it, any more than he would one that was fastened to a cross, or dead; since Christ, by his crucifixion and death, had overcome the world, the prince of it, the men and malice of it, the sin that was in it, and had made him more than a conqueror also; his faith in a crucified Christ overcame the world likewise; so that he looked upon it as the Israelites saw the Egyptians, dead on the sea shore; nor did he affect and love, but trampled upon and despised, as crucified persons generally are, those things in it which are the most alluring to the flesh, the lusts of it; the doctrine of grace, of a crucified Christ, taught him to deny the riches, honours, pleasures, profits, and applause of the world; which were to him as dross, in comparison of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord: the ceremonial law also, the elements of the world, were dead unto him, being nailed to the cross of Christ, to be of no further use and service unto men:

and I unto the world; that is, am crucified to the world, as the Syriac and Arabic versions express it; that is, he was despised by the world for the sake of a crucified Christ, as the world was by him, in comparison of him; the world had no affection for him, as he had none for the world; and as the ceremonial law was dead to him, so he was dead to that, through the body of Christ, and had nothing to do with these beggarly elements, nor they with him, which sense is confirmed by the following words.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But God forbid - See the note at Romans 3:4. “For me it is not to glory except in the cross of Christ.” The object of Paul here is evidently to place himself in contrast with the judaizing teachers, and to show his determined purpose to glory in nothing else but the cross of Christ. Well they knew that he had as much occasion for glorying in the things pertaining to the flesh, or in the observance of external rites and customs, as any of them. He had been circumcised. He had had all the advantages of accurate training in the knowledge of the Jewish law. He had entered on life with uncommon advantages. He had evinced a zeal that was not surpassed by any of them; and his life, so far as conformity to the religion in which he had been trained was concerned, was blameless; Philippians 3:4-8. This must have been to a great extent known to the Galatians; and by placing his own conduct in strong contrast with that of the Judaizing teachers, and showing that he had no ground of confidence in himself, he designed to bring back the minds of the Galatians to simple dependence on the cross.

That I should glory - That I should boast; or that I should rely on any thing else. Others glory in their conformity to the laws of Moses; others in their zeal, or their talents, or their learning, or their orthodoxy; others in their wealth, or their accomplishments; others in their family alliances, and their birth; but the supreme boast and glorying of a Christian is in the cross of Christ.

In the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ - In Jesus the crucified Messiah. It is a subject of rejoicing and glorying that we have such a Saviour. The world looked upon him with contempt; and the cross was a stumbling-block to the Jew, and folly to the Greek. Notes, 1 Corinthians 1:23. But to the Christian, that cross is the subject of glorying. It is so because:

1. Of the love of him who suffered there;
2. Of the purity and holiness of his character, for the innocent died there for the guilty;
3. Of the honor there put on the Law of God by his dying to maintain it unsullied;
4. Of the reconciliation there made for sin, accomplishing what could be done by no other oblation, and by no power of man;
5. Of the pardon there procured for the guilty;
6. Of the fact that through it we become dead to the world, and are made alive to God;
7. Of the support and consolation which goes from that cross to sustain us in trial; and,
8. Of the fact that it procured for us admission into heaven, a title to the world of glory. All is glory around the cross.

It was a glorious Saviour who died; it was glorious love that led him to die; it was a glorious object to redeem a world; and is is unspeakable glory to which he will raise lost and ruined sinners by his death. O who would not glory in such a Saviour! Compared with this, what trifles are all the objects in which people usually boast! And what a lesson is here furnished to the true Christian! Let us not boast of our wealth. It will soon leave us, or we shall be taken from it, and it can aid us little in the great matters that are before us. It will not ward off disease; it will not enable us to bear pain; it will not smooth the couch of death; it will not save the soul. Let us not glory in our strength, for it will soon fail; in our beauty, for we shall soon be undistinguished in the corruptions of the tomb; in our accomplishments, for they will not save us; in our learning, for it is not that by which we can be brought to heaven. But let us glory that we have for a Saviour the eternal Son of God - that glorious Being who was adored by the inhabitants of heaven; who made the worlds; who is pure, and lovely, and most holy; and who has undertaken our cause and died to save us. I desire no higher honor than to be saved by the Son of God. It is the exaltation of my nature, and shows me more than anything else its true dignity, that one so great and glorious sought my redemption. That cannot be an object of temporary value which he sought by coming from heaven, and if there is any object of real magnitude in this world, it is the soul which the eternal Son of God died to redeem.

By whom the world is crucified unto me ... - See the notes at Galatians 2:20.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. But God forbid that I should glory — Whatever others may do, or whatever they may exult or glory in, God forbid that I should exult, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; in the grand doctrine, that justification and salvation are only through Christ crucified, he having made an atonement for the sin of the world by his passion and death. And I glory, also, in the disgrace and persecution which I experience through my attachment to this crucified Christ.

By whom the world is crucified unto me — Jewish rites and Gentile vanities are equally insipid to me; I know them to be empty and worthless. If Jews and Gentiles despise me, I despise that in which they trust; through Jesus, all are crucified to me-their objects of dependence are as vile and execrable to me, as I am to them, in whose sight these things are of great account.