There is only one condition appended to the agreement: that Paul and Barnabas should remember the poor and needy (see Acts 11.30 and 2 Cor 9.1). These are the poor Christians in Jerusalem, a fact made clear by Good News Translation (compare New English Bible “their poor”). The needy in their group must be made somewhat more specific in some languages: “the poor people among the believers there in Jerusalem,” or “the poor people who belonged to their group of believers.”

The word translated eager in the clause the very thing I have been eager to do does not simply refer to one’s state of mind, but primarily to one’s activity. It could therefore be translated “worked hard at.” Some translations tend to put emphasis on the former (Good News Translation, also Jerusalem Bible “I was anxious to do”; Phillips “only too ready to agree”). Most translations, however, capture the spirit of the clause, being divided only as to whether this refers to a subsequent action and/or attitude of the apostle (as it seems to be in Knox) or to a previous action and/or attitude which continued up to the time of this letter (New American Bible “the one thing that I was making every effort to do”). In order to indicate clearly the continuous nature of Paul’s activity on behalf of the poor believers in Jerusalem, one may say “and I have always been eager to do just that.” Note, however, that in this context the verb remember does not imply necessarily that the poor had been forgotten. The meaning here is that “we should continue to think about,” or “should constantly be concerned for.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Before the time for faith came (literally, “before the faith came”) is Paul’s way of talking of the time of the reign of the Law. Faith here (literally, “the faith”) refers to what Paul mentioned in the previous verse, namely, faith in Jesus Christ. Some translations indicate this relationship (for example, New English Bible, Moffatt “before this faith came”).

In a number of languages faith must be expressed as a verb, and therefore a certain amount of restructuring may be required, for example, “before it was time that people could trust in Jesus Christ,” or “before people could be related to God by trusting in Jesus Christ.” However, the focus here is upon the extent of time involved, and it may be important to say in some languages “up to the time that people could put their trust in Jesus Christ.”

Kept us all locked up as prisoners translates two Greek verbs. The first may be rendered “kept us guarded,” with the purpose not of protection but of restriction. The second is the same word used in verse 22, but here it has the present participle form, indicating continuous action, and therefore can be translated “being held in confinement,” or “being imprisoned.” What Paul is trying to picture to us is that the Law is like a stern jailer who not only has imprisoned us, but who has made sure that we remain imprisoned by stationing himself on the outside where he can guard us.

The Law is here once again the Jewish law, and not any law as in verse 21b. It is often impossible to personify the Law, and it may even be necessary, as in some other contexts, to speak of the Law as “the laws given by Moses.” One can often say “the laws given by Moses were just like guards who kept us locked up in prison,” “… stood guarding us in prison,” or “… stood guarding us while we were prisoners locked up in jail, so to speak.” Because of the figurative meaning involved, it may be essential in some languages to employ an expression such as “so to speak” or “as it were” in order to identify the figurative interpretation.

Until this coming faith should be revealed presents the translator with several difficulties in understanding and interpreting the passage. The Greek word for until (literally “into”) may be either temporal (Good News Translation and some other translations) or purposive; that is, an event introduced by “into” can be the purpose of the immediately preceding and related event. In this particular passage, the Law’s act of confinement and imprisonment may be said to have as its purpose preparation for embracing and accepting the faith when it is finally revealed. This latter interpretation is followed by some translations (for example Moffatt “with the prospect of the faith that was to be revealed”).

In this coming faith should be revealed it is important to understand “coming” (literally, “about to be”) as modifying not faith but the revelation of it. Faith here is the same faith referred to at the beginning of the verse, namely, faith in Jesus Christ.

From the Greek text of verse 25, it is clear that at the time of writing the revelation is already past, and therefore faith has already been revealed. The time of the coming of faith is future only in relation to the time of the Law, and not in relation to the time when Paul was writing this letter.

The clause until this coming faith should be revealed poses problems for the translator. In the first place, this coming faith is extremely difficult to render in some languages. One may say in some cases “this trusting in Jesus which people would do,” or “this trusting in Jesus which would happen later.” Moreover, the passive expression should be revealed may need to be made active, with God as the agent, for example, “until the time that God would show.” However, if this final clause is to be understood as purpose, then one may say “so that God would show.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Paul now presents the contrast between the present city of Jerusalem and the heavenly Jerusalem, the former in slavery while the latter is free. The image of the heavenly Jerusalem was evidently common among Jews even before the Christian era, and it occurs elsewhere in the New Testament, particularly in the book of (Revelation 3.12; 21.2,9 ff.). Perhaps one should not understand the heavenly Jerusalem in an eschatological sense (“the Jerusalem up in heaven”) or in a futuristic sense (“the Jerusalem which is to come”) but simply in a figurative sense. Just as the present city of Jerusalem refers to the Jewish nation, so the Jerusalem above refers to the church as the community of those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. In this community there is freedom from bondage to law and freedom to become sons or children of God.

It may be quite difficult to find in some receptor languages a term such as heavenly which will suggest a qualitative distinction applicable to Jerusalem. The Greek text itself simply says “the above Jerusalem.” The closest equivalent in some languages may be “the Jerusalem related to heaven” or “the Jerusalem which has to do with heaven.” In some languages the most appropriate contrast seems to be between “the Jerusalem on earth” and “the Jerusalem of God.”

As in various other contexts, it may be best to translate is free as “is not a slave.”

Paul continues the figure of a mother: this heavenly Jerusalem is our mother. Sarah is not specifically named, but Paul assumes that his readers will make the appropriate connection. The term our refers to all Christian believers, and the idea of motherhood includes membership in the Christian community, together with nourishment and spiritual growth within its fellowship. It may be necessary to change the metaphor she is our mother into a simile, “this Jerusalem is just like our mother,” or “… is like a mother to us.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

There seems to be a close connection between verses 2 and 3, since the Greek has a transitional “for” (see Revised Standard Version) at the beginning of the latter verse, but the connection is not altogether clear. It may even be that Paul wants to remind his readers that often the sight of an erring brother (verse 1) creates in some a sense of spiritual superiority rather than a genuine desire to help. Or perhaps he is asserting the obvious fact that the proud man finds it difficult, if not impossible, either to lend a helping hand or to receive help of any kind. A third possibility is to connect verse 3 with verse 1, particularly the last part of that verse. There Paul was saying that a man should take care of himself in order not to be tempted. Here he continues to warn those who feel sure of themselves.

The word translated think is the same word used by Paul when talking of the three leaders of the Jerusalem church in 2.2,6,9. There the meaning is “to be regarded by others as important”; here the word is reflexive: “to regard oneself as important.”

When he really is nothing could be understood as a statement that describes believers in general, for since they owe their very lives to Christ, they have no right to claim importance or status of any kind. It is possible, however, that Paul has in mind those who think of themselves as important, and he is trying to show them how insignificant they really are.

The relation between the conditional clause if someone thinks he is something and the temporal clause when he really is nothing must be expressed in some languages as a conditional clause with an embedded relative clause, for example, “if someone, who really is nothing, thinks he is something.” However, to say merely that “he thinks he is something” may not carry any significance, for everyone is in a sense “something.” Therefore it may be necessary to say “if someone—and he really amounts to nothing at all—thinks he is something big,” or “… thinks he is very important.”

The verb translated deceiving is one which seems to have been coined by Paul himself; it cannot be found in earlier writings, and later it is used only by ecclesiastical writers. It is used only here in the New Testament, and a cognate noun (“deceiver”) occurs in Titus 1.10. Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Phillips agree with Good News Translation in translating this verb as “deceive”; New English Bible, Knox have “delude.” He is only deceiving himself may be expressed in some languages as “he is only lying to himself,” or “it is just the same as though he were calling himself a fool.”

The relation between the three parts of this verse will depend on the exegetical viewpoint one takes. One way of rendering it would be “if a man thinks he is something, he is only fooling himself, for the truth is he is nothing.” Another way, representing another exegetical viewpoint, is “if a man thinks he is ‘somebody’, he is deceiving himself, for that very thought proves that he is nobody” (Phillips), or “it is the people who are not important who often make the mistake of thinking that they are” (Jerusalem Bible).

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Paul expands on his argument by the use of two other negative statements: I did not receive it from any man refers to the initial reception of the gospel, while nor did anyone teach it to me refers to his growing understanding of its contents. The first statement may be rendered as “No man told me this good news,” and the second may then be rendered as “and no one taught me what this good news was.” The two statements are essentially only two different ways of speaking about the same reality, though the second may be regarded as emphasizing more the fact that Paul was not specifically taught the good news by some qualified teacher.

Finally, Paul informs his readers of the source of his message. The Greek itself is literally “but through a revelation of Jesus Christ”; the “of” could mean either (1) that the revelation was made by Christ to Paul (for example, Good News Translation, compare New American Bible “revelation from Jesus Christ”) or (2) that the content of the revelation, which was from God, was Jesus Christ. In view of 1.16, the second of these alternatives is to be preferred, but most translations carry over the ambiguous construction of the Greek. Who revealed it to me may be rendered as “who showed it to me,” “who caused me to see it,” or even “who caused me to understand the good news.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Some commentaries understand the grace of God to refer to the Law itself as God’s gift to Israel. Elsewhere, Paul has affirmed that the Law has a function, but he has denied vehemently that the Law was intended to be the instrument by which God puts man right with himself. Here he is affirming that he is not rejecting the Law, but that he understands the Law’s function to be quite different from what the Jews have made it to be.

On the other hand, it is possible to interpret the grace of God as referring to God’s gift in Jesus Christ, that is, God’s gift of new life. This interpretation has the merit of connecting this sentence with what precedes and also what immediately follows.

In a number of languages grace in the sense of the grace of God may be expressed as “loving kindness” or “love which expresses itself in kind deeds.” Accordingly, one may translate I refuse to reject the grace of God as “I do not throw away God’s loving kindness to men,” or even “… the way in which God loves and is kind to men.”

A person is put right with God translates the word “righteousness”; it should be taken in the same sense as the verb “to justify” (see 2.16-17).

The phrase through the Law as an expression of means for justification must be somewhat amplified in a number of languages, for it is not the Law as a set of regulations but obedience to such regulations which would constitute a presumed means of one’s being justified. Therefore the condition in this sentence may be rendered as “If a person can get right with God by means of doing what the Law says, he must do.”

For nothing translates a word which could mean “freely,” “without payment,” or “undeservedly,” but here it has the meaning of “uselessly,” “needlessly,” or “without purpose” (compare Knox “Christ’s death was needless,” New American Bible “Christ died to no purpose!”).

What Paul is saying in this verse is that he is not rejecting God’s grace by rejecting the Law as an instrument of justification. Indeed, if the Law could function as such, then Christ died for nothing. The implication is that the fault lies with those who assign such a function to the Law, who in effect are rejecting God’s grace, and who cannot see any purpose in Christ’s death. Understood this way, this verse serves as a good summary of Paul’s discussion in the entire second chapter, and it constitutes a prelude to his subsequent arguments in the next two chapters.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The purpose of the Son of God becoming a human being and living under the Jewish Law is twofold: negatively, to redeem those who were under the Law, and positively, so that we might become God’s sons.

For redeem, see the note on 3.13. The deliverance spoken of there is from the curse of the Law, but here it is deliverance from the Law itself. It may be difficult to render redeem in the sense of “paying back,” for a commercial transaction would tend to be misinterpreted in this type of context. The focus here is upon deliverance, and it may be best in a number of languages to translate “to deliver those who lived under the control of the Law,” or “… who had to obey the Law.” If this means primarily the Law of Moses, it is obviously a direct reference to Jews. If, however, one understands “born under law” as applying to wider legal requirements, then it may be necessary to use the first person inclusive, for example, “to redeem all of us who are under law,” or “… subject to law.”

Under the Law is literally “under law.” While Paul’s primary reference is to the Jewish Law, it is possible that he includes Gentiles, for they too were subject to legal ordinances. The inclusive we would naturally and logically follow.

We might become God’s sons is literally “we might receive adoption.” Paul uses similar expressions in Romans 8.15 and 23. The term “adoption” should not be understood, however, as a legal term but as a religious term, in the sense that God gives us the status of sonship (see New English Bible) together with all its privileges. Paul would obviously wish to include the Galatian believers as those who had become God’s sons, and therefore the inclusive “we” (for such languages as make a distinction between inclusive and exclusive first person plural) would be essential. Certainly Paul would not want to suggest that he and his colleagues had become God’s sons, while excluding the Galatians. Here again it may be necessary, in order to indicate clearly what is involved, to employ an expression such as “we all.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Paul now expands the statement of verse 5. To be “in Christ Jesus” is to be united with him in faith and in fellowship. As has been noted in several other contexts, the expression “in Christ Jesus” may be rendered in various ways, for example, “one together with Christ Jesus,” “tied closely with Christ Jesus,” or “closely related to Christ Jesus.”

In this state, Paul does not find room for either circumcision nor the lack of it. The phrase translated makes any difference at all expresses the idea of irrelevance or insignificance (Jerusalem Bible “makes no difference”; Knox “means nothing.” New American Bible “neither … counts for anything”).

It is interesting that Paul here includes the lack of circumcision. He has been very harsh against those who have been advocating circumcision. Now he wants to make it clear that, on the other hand, he would not allow the Gentiles to use their state of uncircumcision as an occasion for claiming that they are in the right with God. If a man is in Christ Jesus, physical conditions of any kind are not essential to that relationship.

The phrase neither circumcision nor the lack of it must be rendered in some languages as conditional expressions, for example, “if a man is circumcised or if he is not circumcised,” or “if men have been circumcised or if they have never been circumcised.” The following expression makes any difference at all may then be rendered as “this does not make any difference,” or “it is all the same.” In some languages the same meaning may be communicated by a rendering such as “whether a man is circumcised or not makes no difference,” “… is all the same,” or “… is not important.”

If that is the case, then what is important? Paul says it is faith that works through love. “Faith” here once again is trust in, submission to, and commitment of oneself to Christ. This kind of faith works through love. (Paul’s mention of love here seems to anticipate what he is going to say later in verses 13 ff.) The verb phrase should probably be understood as “expresses itself through love” (New American Bible). Love should probably be understood primarily as care and concern for people, and not as a reference to God’s love for man or man’s love for God.

The expression what matters may be rendered as “but what is important” or “but what does make a difference.” The particular form of expression to introduce the final part of this verse will depend, of course, upon the corresponding form used in the immediately preceding clause.

In some languages it is quite impossible to use nouns such as faith and love as they occur in this verse, for faith and love do not do anything apart from the persons who have faith and who show love. Therefore one may translate this clause as “but what does make a difference is the fact that we (or, people) trust Christ, and this becomes evident through our (or, their) loving other people,” or “… showing love to other people.”

It is possible, however, to interpret the verb works as passive and to understand love in the sense of God’s love rather than human love. Faith that works through love would then mean “faith which is made effective by God’s love.” No translation, however, has this interpretation.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .