The passage
      v11. Obviously, Paul had been dictating this letter, and now he takes up the pen himself and jots down his final exhortation in the rough hand of a tradesman, rather than a calligrapher.
      v12-13. Against Paul's gospel of justification by faith, law-bound believers had been pressuring his new Gentile converts to submit to the Mosaic law to maintain and/or progress their approval before God. Yet, as Paul observes, these "members of the circumcision party" are unable to keep the law themselves, so what's the point? As far as Paul is concerned, they are motivated by fear, trying to prove their kosher credentials to their unbelieving Jewish friends by circumcising Gentile converts.
      v14. As a Pharisee, Paul has plenty to boast about in the law department, but he boasts of only one thing, namely, the cross of Christ. Paul's confidence rests on what Christ has done for him, not on what he has done. As far as all the "worldly" piety that seemingly gains God's approval, it is dead to him, and he is dead to it.
      v15. There is nothing to boast about in meticulous piety, or even flexible freedom. What we can boast about is "a new creation", our participation in Christ through his cross, our renewal in the kingdom of God.
      v16. May God bless all who accept that what matters is the realization of the promise given to Abraham of a kingdom. May God's blessing be upon all believers, upon the new Israel of God, upon all those who are in Christ and therefore, are members of God's eternal kingdom.
      v17. Finally, Paul asks that the law-bound believers no longer trouble him, but rather that they recognize his apostolic authority.
      v18. Paul concludes with a blessing. May the bounteous kindness of God be poured into our inner being, in and through the person and work of Christ.

A New Creation
      Imagine you had to advise a new Christian on how to live for Jesus. What would you say? Would you give them a list of do's and don'ts? When I was a new Christian, the first book I was given was called "The Way". It was full of what I was and was not to do, to keep me on the straight and narrow.
      It is very easy to see law-keeping as the means of restraining sin for the purpose of maintaining and advancing our Christian standing. Yet, we all know, only to well, that we never seem to see victory over recurrent sins, "besetting sins."
      So we cry for help. "Who can rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord...... because through Jesus Christ the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death", Rom.7. We live now by the new way of the Spirit, we live as "a new creation."
      Our new condition rests wholly on "the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Through the cross, our old life was buried with Christ and a new life raised with him, all as a gift of grace through faith. Our new life, infused with the renewing power of the Spirit of Christ, makes us a new creation. We are certainly not perfect, but as we walk by the Spirit we find we are better able to overcome the sins of the flesh.
      So then, how do we proceed in the Christian life? What do we tell that young Christian to do?
      First, trust Jesus for renewal. As Paul puts it, "may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." My best friend is Jesus, and he has taken hold of my life. His resurrection power is enlivening me. His character of love is taking root in my heart and I am being shaped into his image, bit by bit, 2Cor.5:14-15. The more we rely on Christ's indwelling presence, the more we become like him.
      Second, look at life the way it really is, its beauty and its rough edges. Enjoy life, while accepting its imperfections. For example, feelings are a natural part of being human, but are often denounced as unchristian. C.S. Lewis once wrote, "No natural feelings are high or low, holy or unholy, in themselves. They are all holy when God's hand is on the rein."
      Third, press toward Biblical ideals, using them as a guide for our Christian journey.
        i] Trust the Lord's guide to personal morality. It's sometimes hard to believe that Biblical sign-posts on personal morality are the more fulfilling option, but they are.
        ii] Love the brotherhood. Aim at acceptance, forgiveness.
        iii] Do good to all, especially through gospel communication.
      And don't forget to enjoy the journey.

v11
      idete (eidon) imp. "See" - look. Used for emphasis. "Take note."
      phlikoiV pro. dat. "large" - with big, great [letters, writing]. The position is emphatic; note separation from noun "letters". As is typical of NT. Greek an interrogative pronoun is used in an exclamation; note the relative variant. Paul's writing hand is obviously different to that of his scribe, probably not as neat and fine. It is possible that the increased size of the writing is down to emphasis, similar to our use of capitals, although a personal subscription at the end of the letter is more likely. Crysostom suggests that "clumsy" is intended, rather than "large". Another possibility is to read "large" as "long", with "letter of the alphabet" taken as "letter, epistle" (although Paul would have used a different word), "see what a long letter I have written to you", Bligh. "You can see by this rough writing that I now pen these words to you in my own hand"
      egraya (grafw) aor. "I write" - An epistolary aorist where the writer adopts the time perspective of the reader.

v12
      oJsoi "those" - as many as [want]. These ones who want to make a good showing are obviously the same group as the ones being circumcised, v13.
      euposwphsai (euposwpew) aor. inf. "to make a good impression" - to make a good showing. Hapax legomenon, once only use in the NT. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of "will [to make a good showing, show off and boast]." Paul seeks to expose the attitudes of the Judaizers. The real reason, says Paul, for their religious fervor, is not religious at all. They are simply afraid of the opposition of their fellow Jews.
      en sarki (sarx sarkoV) "outwardly" - in the flesh. It is possible that Paul is using "flesh" in an ethical sense, as he sometimes does, in which case it means the innate power that opposes and resists God, "the old man", "the body of sin", as opposed to "Spirit", the indwelling compelling of the Spirit of Christ that renews and aligns us to God. Yet, it is more likely that Paul is using "flesh" here of the mortal physical self, as opposed to "spiritual / inward", so "outwardly", NIV; "externally", Bruce; "they want to make a pleasing front to the world", Phillips.
      anagkazousin (anagkazw) pres. "trying to compel" - compel, force. The present tense is usually read as connotative, action that is attempted, so NIV. "Those people are telling you to get circumcised", CEV.
      monon "the only [reason they do this is]" - only [in order that]. Elliptical, as NIV. "Reason they do this is", has been supplied. "Only [their object in doing so is] that they may not be persecuted", Lightfoot.
      iJna + subj. "to avoid being persecuted" - in order that they may not be persecuted. Forming a purpose clause. Maintaining Jewish exclusivism by forcing Christian converts to submit to the Torah would obviously endear Jewish Christians to their unconverted Jewish friends, rather than antagonize them, and, it could be argued, would serves as an excellent method of "building bridges" and thus "access the gospel" into Jewish circles!!!!! Paul, of course, knew better.
      tw/ staurw/ (oV) dat. "for the cross [of Christ]" - the cross. The position is emphatic since the phrase is placed between hina and its negation. The dative is a dative of cause, "because of (the offence of) the cross of Christ", Wallace 167. The whole justification package is tied up with the cross.

v13
      gar "-" for. Possibly expressing cause or reason, following on from "in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ", although the logic is not obvious, "for those who are circumcised ....", Longenecker. Probably best treated as a connective in the argument, so "they want you to obey the law, but even they themselves are unable to obey it", NIV, NRSV, REB, NJB, etc.
      oiJ peritemnomenoi (peritemnw) pres. pas. part. "those who are circumcised" - the ones being circumcised. Participle as a substantive, most likely passive, but possibly middle. If middle, it refers to the Gentiles who receive circumcision, but most likely it is referring to those who promote it, "those who want to make a good show", v12. Not those who are doing the circumcising, but those who belong to it; "not even the members of the circumcision party."
      fulassousin (fulassw) pres. "obey [the law]" - keep, observe. Some commentators suggest that Paul is seeking to expose the double standards of the Judaizers, they encourage others to keep the law, but are not diligent themselves. This view certainly fits with the context. Yet, it is more likely that Paul is restating his central theses in this letter. The Judaizers promote law obedience as a means of restraining sin and thus maintaining/advancing their standing before God, yet a person's standing before God is by grace through faith. The law was not designed for such a purpose: first of all, it was designed to expose sin and thus promote a search for righteousness apart from law obedience, and second, it was designed as a guide to the righteous by faith. For a believer to return to the law to promote their standing before God can only serve to place themselves again under the curse of the law, under judgment, for no person can obey the law perfectly, and that includes the members of the circumcision party.
      iJna + subj. "that" - in order that. Forming a purpose clause.
      kauchswntai (kaucaomai) aor. subj. "they may boast" - boast, glory, pride oneself. The real motive behind the evangelistic zeal of the Judaizers, says Paul, is to bolster up their pride in having brought Gentiles under the Law of Moses. They seek the praise of their fellow Jewish believers, not the salvation of the Gentiles.
      sarki "flesh" - As above, their outward physical self, with particular reference to circumcision, ie. the outward marks of Jewishness, "they want to boast about your submission to the Law of Moses."

v14
      de "-" - but, and. Here obviously serving as an adversative, we can't boast in circumcision, but can in the cross.
      mh genoito (ginomai) aor. opt. "May I never" - may it not be. The optative mood, virtually a weakened subjunctive, is used by Paul, with a negation, to express strong opposition to, usually as an exclamation, but here integrated into a sentence; "no, by no means, may I ..."
      kaucasqai (kaucaomai) pres. inf. "boast" - Variant has the accusative + infinitive construction me kaucasqai. Here the word is used positively, not negatively as in v13. Present tense implies ongoing boasting, or better, "confidence". The Judaizers boast that they keep the regulations of the law, (although, as Paul has shown, they may keep the outward regulations, but they do not keep the substance of the moral law). Paul boasts of only one thing, namely, the cross of Christ. Paul could well boast of his "righteousness" under the law, even of his missionary service, but his confidence rests on what Christ has done for him, not on what he has done. He trusts wholly on the finished work of Christ on the cross.
      ei mh + ind.(var.) "except" - Introducing the protasis of a conditional clause, 1st class: "except in the cross of our Lord Jesus to me (protasis), may I never to boast (apodosis)." Noted as a rather messy sentence. The position of "to me" is emphatic; "when it comes to me, may I never boast ...."
      dia + gen. "through" - through, by means of. Expressing instrumentality.
      ou| pro. "which" - May be either masculine or neuter, so it is through "the cross" or through "Christ", "through whom", Ellicott? Probably the cross, although it doesn't actually matter because the cross but represents the person and work of Christ.
      estaurwtai (staurow) perf. pas. "[the world] has been crucified [to me]" - The perfect tense indicating a past action with ongoing consequences. In the cross the world has been crucified to Paul. The world may be "the order of material creation and everything under its sway", Guthrie, but most commentators, following Burton, suggest that it is not the physical, nor sinful world, but all the glories and vanities which undermine right-standing with God, and in which we put our trust. For the Judaizers, the vanity on which they trust involves keeping the regulations of the law so as to maintain and/or progress divine approval. Paul says that he is dead "to the world", it is "crucified to me."
      kagw kosmw/ "and I to the world" - As well as being able to boast of "the total ongoing sufficiency of the cross of Christ", Paul happily declares that "by the death of Christ in which he was included, he had died to the old era which, with its values, stand done to death", Dumbrell. The law has no claim over him when it comes to the business of standing approved before God.

v15
      gar "-" - for. Expressing cause/reason. "Boasting about the cross is the way to go, "because there is nothing to boast about in circumcision or uncircumcision."
      ti estin "means anything" - anything is. Possibly it is the "boast" that is nothing. Paul goes on to stress that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any value when it comes to our relationship with God. "Circumcision is nothing (to boast about), nor is uncircumcision", Bligh.
      alla "what counts is" - but. "What we have to boast about is a new creation."
      kainh ktisiV "[what counts is] a new creation" - [but] a new creation / creature. Chilton suggests "a new humanity", "God has set aside the polarity of Jew and Gentile in favour of an altogether new humanity." Best either, "new creation", or "new creature." If new creature, it may refer to "both God's act of new-creating us and our condition of being new-created", Bligh (one would think either the divine act, or the product, here probably the product). So, Bligh suggests that "new creature" = "in newness of the Spirit", cf. Rom.7:6. Lightfoot opts for "new creature", so also: "new man", Neil; "the inward work of the Spirit to regenerate and sanctify us", Stott; "the regenerating work of God in the individual soul", Cole; "men and women made new by the transforming power of the Spirit", Hunter; "the new life in the Holy Spirit", Ridderbos. Possibly elliptical, "what matters is being a new creature" Certainly these interpretations fit the use of the phrase in 2Cor.5:7. The other possibility, "new creation", certainly has a far better Old Testament precedence and is the translation chosen by Betz, Bruce, Longenecker; "the reality of God's kingdom which is ushered in by God's saving act in the cross of Christ", Fung; "the totality of the renewal effected by Christ", Guthrie; "a new order of existence", Tannehill. Barrett supports this view by arguing that v15 is dealing with "an objective, metaphysical view" of salvation, having moved from a "subjective, existential view of salvation" in v14. So, possibly referring to a new order of things, the realization, in Christ, of the promises made to Abraham of an eternal kingdom, the kingdom of God. The sample sermon above opts for "new creation", although its focus in the new creature in Christ. "What matters is the reality of (pos. our membership in) God's Kingdom (which reality is ours 'in Christ')", Fung.

v16
      The NIV translation is followed, but it is possible that Paul intends the verse to read "Peace to all who follow this rule and mercy even to the Israel of God."
      eirhnh ep autouV kai eleoV "peace and mercy" - peace [upon them] and mercy. Interestingly, Paul usually has "mercy and peace", given that peace is the consequence of mercy. Presumably this blessing is upon all believers (those who follow the rule), and that includes "the Israel of God", but note above.
      epi + acc. "to" - upon. With the accusative expresses motion, as of the blessing of peace coming down from heaven upon...
      oJsoi "all who" - all those who. An absolute inclusive referring to all believers.
      stoichsousin (stoicew) fut. "follow" - will keep in line, agree with. "Live in accordance with", Longenecker.
      tw/ kanoni (wn onoV) toutw/ dat. "this rule" - this cane, reed .... measuring rod, standard. Follow "this principle", that is, the one stated in v15, both Gentile Christians ("all") and Jewish Christians ("the Israel of God").
      ton Israhl tou qeou "the Israel of God" - Possibly Jews in general (as note above), less likely Gentiles, but probably either all believers as the new Israel, the inheritors of the promises to Abraham (in this case the kai, "even", means "that is [to the Israel of God]"), or serving as Paul's term for believing Jews ("even", in the sense of "and that includes Jewish believers"), possibly specifically the Judaizers. "To all God's people", NCV.

v17
      Serving as a final personal comment by Paul, warning off the Judaizers and reminding them of his apostolic authority.
      tou loipou adv. gen. "finally" - for the rest. The sense may be logical, as NIV, or temporal, "with respect to the time that remains."
      parecetw (parecw) pres. imp. "let [no one] cause [me trouble]" - The present tense indicating durative (ongoing) action, "continue to cause me trouble." Elsewhere Paul calls these troubles "the care of all the churches." This pain and suffering comes on him as a servant of Christ, and in a sense adds to the other "marks" he has borne for Jesus. In this suffering Christ himself is identified and thus, this pain is being inflicted indirectly onto Christ. The church had therefore, better change its ways.
      kopouV (oV) "trouble" - work, trouble. Here obviously the sense is "trouble / difficulty."
      gar "for" - Expressing cause or reason; "because of my standing as an apostle."
      ta stigmata (a atoV) "the marks" - A branding such as a tattoo of ownership for a slave. Possibly the scars on Paul's body, marks of his suffering for Christ; "the scars I bear on my body brand me as the slave of Christ", Barclay. Still, a figurative sense may be implied as of ownership to Christ, a spiritual mark, a religious branding, as opposed to the mark of the Judaizers, namely, circumcision. Paul bears the religious brand of apostle and the Judaizers need to take note of it; "I bear in my body the brandmarks of Jesus' ownership", Berkeley.
      tou Ihsou gen. "of Jesus" - The genitive is probably possessive, "belonging to Jesus."