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Galatians 6:14

ESV 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.
NIV 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.
NASB 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.
CSB 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.
NLT 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.
KJV 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.

What does Galatians 6:14 mean?

Paul is once more denouncing the false-teaching Judaizers who are attempting to strong-arm the Galatian believers into getting circumcised in order to be truly right with God (Galatians 2:4). Paul has revealed part of their motive: boasting about conversion numbers. In other words, these false teachers are not truly concerned about the people of Galatia or even about serving God. They're trying to earn bragging rights about their salesmanship.

Paul now implies that he could play that game, too, if he was like the Judaizers. After all, he has been instrumental in converting many, many people to faith in Christ. But Paul says clearly that he refuses to do such a thing. He will not boast about what God has accomplished through him. Paul says he will boast in just one thing: the cross of Christ. Everything that Paul has, that anyone in Christ has, is possible only because Jesus died on that cross for our sins to set us free.

It is by the cross of Jesus, Paul says, that the world has been crucified to him and him to the world. In other words, because he has been justified by faith in Christ and what He accomplished on the cross, Paul no longer needs the approval of the world. The world has nothing to offer to him, just as the world, at large, certainly does not want what he has to offer. Because of the cross, Paul is free from all of that while the Judaizers remain enslaved to their sinful worldliness (Galatians 3:23–29).
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