Galatia 1:13-14

1:13 For you have heard of my former way of life ¹  in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it. 1:14 I ²  was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, ³  and was ⁴  extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. ⁵ 

Galatia 2:8

2:8 (for he who empowered ⁶  Peter for his apostleship ⁷  to the circumcised ⁸  also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles) ⁹ 

Galatia 5:13

Practice Love

5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; ¹⁰  only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, ¹¹  but through love serve one another. ¹² 

[1:13]  ¹ tn Or “lifestyle,” “behavior.”

[1:14]  ² tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:14]  ³ tn Or “among my race.”

[1:14]  ⁴ tn Grk “was advancing beyond…nation, being.” The participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) was translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[1:14]  ⁵ sn The traditions of my ancestors refers to both Pharisaic and popular teachings of this time which eventually were codified in Jewish literature such as the Mishnah, Midrashim, and Targums.

[2:8]  ⁶ tn Or “worked through”; the same word is also used in relation to Paul later in this verse.

[2:8]  ⁷ tn Or “his ministry as an apostle.”

[2:8]  ⁸ tn Grk “to the circumcision,” i.e., the Jewish people.

[2:8]  ⁹ tn Grk “also empowered me to the Gentiles.”

[5:13]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[5:13]  ¹¹ tn Grk “as an opportunity for the flesh”; BDAG 915 s.v. σάρξ 2.c.α states: “In Paul’s thought esp., all parts of the body constitute a totality known as σ. or flesh, which is dominated by sin to such a degree that wherever flesh is, all forms of sin are likew. present, and no good thing can live in the σάρξ…Gal 5:13, 24;…Opp. τὸ πνεῦμα…Gal 3:3; 5:16, 17ab; 6:8ab.”

[5:13]  ¹² tn It is possible that the verb δουλεύετε (douleuete) should be translated “serve one another in a humble manner” here, referring to the way in which slaves serve their masters (see L&N 35.27).