Galatians 6:12–16

6:12 Those who want to make a good showing in external matters21 are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do so22 only to avoid being persecuted23 for the cross of Christ. 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.24 6:14 But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which25 the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 6:15 For26 neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for27 anything; the only thing that matters is a new creation!28 6:16 And all who will behave29 in accordance with this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on the Israel of God.30

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21	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.”
22	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.
23	tc ‡ Grk “so that they will not be persecuted.” The indicative after ἵνα μή (hina mē) is unusual (though not unexampled elsewhere in the NT), making it the harder reading. The evidence is fairly evenly split between the indicative διώκονται (diōkontai; 𝔓46 A C F G K L P 0278 6 81 104 326 629 1175 1505 pm) and the subjunctive διώκωνται (diōkōntai; 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.
24	tn Or “boast about you in external matters,” “in the outward rite” (cf. v. 12).
25	tn Or perhaps, “through whom,” referring to the Lord Jesus Christ rather than the cross.
26	tc The phrase “in Christ Jesus” is found after “For” in some mss (א A C D F G 0278 1881 𝔐 lat bo), but lacking in 𝔓46 B Ψ 33 1175 1505 1739* and several fathers. The longer reading probably represents a harmonization to Gal 5:6.
27	tn Grk “is.”
28	tn Grk “but a new creation”; the words “the only thing that matters” have been supplied to reflect the implied contrast with the previous clause (see also Gal 5:6).
29	tn The same Greek verb, στοιχέω (stoicheō), occurs in Gal 5:25.
30	tn The word “and” (καί) can be interpreted in two ways: (1) It could be rendered as “also” which would indicate that two distinct groups are in view, namely “all who will behave in accordance with this rule” and “the Israel of God.” Or (2) it could be rendered “even,” which would indicate that “all who behave in accordance with this rule” are “the Israel of God.” In other words, in this latter view, “even” = “that is.”

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