Paul's Letter to the Galatians
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Background to the Book
Galatians is one of the most misunderstood books in the Renewed Covenant, and often when taken at face value as usually translated, is used to make it sound like the authors of the Renewed Covenant writings were contradicting what Yahshua the Messiah Himself said. This new translation should resolve many of these difficult questions.

Galatia was the central region of Asia Minor (the peninsular portion of present-day Turkey), mainly along the Halys River Valley. It included present-day Ankara. The Gauls, whom a population explosion in the 3rd century B.C.E. had brought into the region, were not in the majority, but had gained the upper hand politically, ruling over the Frugians and Kappadokians. In 64 B.C.E. Galatia became a client of the Romans, and in 25 B.C.E., when its last king, Amyntas, died, it received the full status of a Roman province. Greeks, Romans, and Jews were all attracted to this strategic geographic region. Paul had established the congregations in Ikonium, Lystra, Derbe, and Galatian Antioch (Acts 13-16; 18:23ff), Paul experienced great persecution in this region (2 Tim. 3:11) in the process of establishing the very believers he is addressing here, so he feels a special sense of responsibility for their welfare as their "spiritual midwife". (4:19)

Though on the surface this letter could seem to be an argument against obedience to the Torah, elsewhere Paul assures us of his support of and reverence for this foundational revelation of YHWH, and in any case Isaiah 8:20 tells us that if he did not agree with it, he should not be heeded. Rather, it was a question of whether obedience to the Torah was a condition for restored spiritual standing in Messiah or the natural outflow of that standing. The first, he argues, is just another example of human religion, trying to earn points with YHWH just like the pagans do (4:10); as the latter option, the Torah is a source of blessing and growth to maturity. (3:24-4:7) Mark Nanos suggests that it is not Torah observance for proselytes that is in dispute, but the gaining of proselyte identity itself. In the Roman Empire only Jews were exempted from the required worship of civic deities (Josephus, Antiquities 14:185-267), so these non-Jewish believers may have wanted undisputed recognition as members of the community of "fearers of Elohim". Paul had taught that they had this status through Yahshua, but others, perhaps those in the broader Jewish community responsible for shepherding proselytes through the process of conversion (or even former proselytes themselves), were saying, in effect, "You have taken too high a seat at the banquet table too soon; step back down, until you have acquired the proper status!" But through mere circumcision, they could be sure they would no longer be marginalized or barred from all the privileges and exemptions that the Jews enjoyed. Though these "rivals" may have been well-meaning and even ignorant of Paul's existence, he saw it as undermining the message he had already brought. He knew that if the restoration of the Northern Kingdom to the covenant could be attained by another means, then Yahshua’s sacrifice would have been a waste. (5:2)

Paul is writing around A.D. 50, about the time the 780-year sentence of "no mercy" (Hos. 1:6; Yirmiyahu 16:18) had run its course and the Northern Kingdom was now being invited back into covenant. A major point of debate in these early years (as seen in Acts 15) was whether all of the returning tribes (see 1:16) needed to live out their obedience in exactly the same way the Jews (the tribe of Yehudah) did.

The issue is extremely relevant in our day as the move back to things Hebraic is taking place once again. Some, recognizing the paganism that crept early on into the Messianic community and turned it into a quasi-pagan, quasi-political structure, go to the opposite extreme and think they must do everything the "Jewish way", not realizing that similar compromises have been woven into that pattern as well--let alone that in order to carry this to its logical conclusion they, too, must reject Yahshua as things stand in Judaism today.

Yehudah has preserved the language and many traditions from the earliest times and we have much to learn from them, but the other tribes are not intended to become Yehudah. Numbers 1:52 tells us that each tribe was to camp "under its own standard". While there is one Torah for everyone, only the Levites are given the right to make a ruling that is binding on all Israel. The throne belongs to Yehudah, but specifically to Messiah, to which most of Yehudah of our day has refused to bow, so we should not become like them in every respect. There are even Jewish traditions that many of the ancient customs will be restored by the Northern Kingdom. This is indeed taking place (e.g., with the restoration of the widespread observance of the New Moon and the use of the actual Name of YHWH).

Some manuscripts add the footnote that this was written from Rome.
Chapters 1-2


CHAPTER 1

1. [From] Paul, one sent out, not from men or by men, but rather by Yahshua the Messiah and by YHWH the Father, who had raised Him from [among] the dead,

Paul: The name Paulus is of Latin origin, meaning "small" (lesser) or "deputy". He may have chosen this name out of humility. But since Paul (formerly Sha'ul) was a Hebrew, it is more fruitful to see whether his name might mean something in Hebrew. While there seems to be none exactly in this form, there is a root word that fits well: Peulah, which means "workmanship", "product", or "achievement", and Poalo means "his workmanship"--reminiscent of Eph. 2:10, which Paul himself wrote. Some suggest that it also might mean "hard worker" or "one who is worked over". From the start he establishes the source of his authority so that his will not be taken as just one opinion among many.

2. and all those brothers [who are] with me, to the gatherings of called-out ones of Galatia:

Gatherings (plural): this letter was meant to be passed around all of the congregations of the region.

3. Empowering favor to you, as well as shalom from Elohim the Father and our Master, Yahshua the Messiah,

Shalom: the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek "eirene", which would be in his mind as a Hebrew, though his audience was still mainly Greek-speaking. Shalom means total well-being, completeness, peace, and maturity--all themes of the letter when we realize the underlying conflict that occasioned it.

4. who gave Himself on account of our wanderings-away, by which means He might rescue us out of the troublesome age that has now been set in place, according to the determined purpose of Elohim, [who is] our Father indeed,

Troublesome age: one that does not recognize the laws by which the next age (which has already dawned through Messiah) will operate, and thus persecutes those who do march to that drum. One in which those who did not convert to Judaism might find themselves without recognition by either the Jews or the Roman government, who might consider them a threat to the unity and stability of the Empire if they were not under the umbrella of those whom Julius Caesar had granted legitimate exemption. These were the categories by which the order operated. It is one that recognize one as either "Jew or Greek" (3:28), not recognizing that there is a new reality that makes both irrelevant. Paul counseled them to stay with the truth nonetheless and suffer whatever consequences might follow.

5. to whom belongs the most exalted position into the ages of the ages! So may it be!

Exalted position: or glory, or the highest regard, resulting in praise and honor being given to Him. So may it be: or, it is firmly established that this is certain.

6. I am amazed that you are so readily letting yourselves be transferred over from the one who is calling you by the [benevolent] bounty of Messiah to a different "glad news"--

Compare 2 Corinthians 11:4. Letting yourselves be transferred over: Nanos translates it "defecting". It must have sounded pleasant, after having borne persecution from pagans and being barred from some "insider" activities of the Jews, to hear that all they had to do to have full access to the internal workings of the Jewish community and thus recognized even by the Romans as exempt from pagan worship, was finish the process of converting to Judaism by being circumcised--the same way this had been signified for centuries! "Glad news": the same word often rendered "Gospel", but not uniquely used thus in Greek; it was commonly used for such things as political victories, etc. Paul sees it as another way of accessing YHWH's favor (Nanos).

7. which is [really] not another of the same kind; on the contrary, [it is only] that there are some who want to trouble you and are determined to turn the glad news of the Messiah [in a different direction].

It is really not "glad news" when scrutinized; the rest of the book tells why. Trouble you: disturb you with new inward doubts, take away the quietness of mind, and strike fear in your heart. I.e., they want to create a perceived crisis which they want you to believe will only be solved if you come under their influence and control. Turn: or pervert, corrupt; turn upside down, empty of its power, undermine.

8. But even if either we or a messenger from heaven should proclaim to you a "glad news" other than that which we have proclaimed to you as the glad news, let him be set aside for destruction!

Set aside for destruction: the same way that pagan items captured by Israel in war were devoted to being burned, with no prospect of ever being used for any beneficial purpose.

9. As we have just said [once], I will even now say [it] again: if anyone should proclaim to you a "glad news" other than that which you have received, let him be set aside for destruction!

Received: as transmitted from a teacher to a disciple.

10. For am I trying now to win the favor of human beings or of Elohim? Or am I aiming to accommodate myself to men's agendas? If I were indeed still trying to serve men's interests, how could I ever be [trusted as] the devoted servant of the Messiah?

As He Himself said, "No one can serve two masters." (Mat. 6:24) Whose favor would he be trying to win? It was likely that his viewpoint would not convince the Jewish element who did not believe in Yahshua that these "Gentiles" were at least as spiritual as they; the Romans could not understand it, and even many Messianic Jews of our own day tend to discount the idea of the House of Efrayim returning to the covenant, but what is written is written; the prophets all say it will take place. Paul would not cater to anyone's vested interests, for the only consideration was what the truth was that YHWH had called him to proclaim. It might make other men happy, and it might not, but neither outcome ultimately matters. He is servant only of the Messiah.

11. Moreover, I would have you know [for certain], brothers, that the glad news as proclaimed by me is not of human origin,

12. because I neither received it from nor was I taught it [by] man, but by a disclosure from Yahshua the Messiah.

13. For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how to such an excessive degree I would persecute Elohim's called-out congregation and wreak havoc on it.

Judaism: The religious structure as it had become in his day, not that which YHWH Himself had commanded Israel to live by. I.e., the rabbinic and Pharisaical additions to the Torah which obscured its main point, as Yahshua had often decried. Perhaps it became so excessive because all of the tribes of Israel were not together to balance one another, hence its being named after only one tribe, Yehudah.

14. I was even advancing in Judaism beyond many of my peers within my tribe, and I was starting to outrank [them] in zeal for the traditions handed down from my ancestors.

My peers: "those of my age". The Aramaic has "sons of years", which means simply "those of age", i.e., the aged. (Compare Psalm 119:99) Yahshua Himself said men's traditions were obscuring YHWH's commands.

15. But when YHWH (having set me apart for a purpose from my mother's womb and called me by his favor) decided

16. to reveal His Son through me in order that I might [be privileged to] proclaim his glad message among the tribes, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,

Tribes: often translated Gentiles, but Aramaic has "the people", i.e., Israel, so it must refer to those of the Northern Kingdom who had, some nine centuries before, begun turning away from the covenant and essentially become Gentiles. But YHWH did not forget who they were. Consult with: Aramaic, reveal this to.

17. nor did I go up to Yerushalayim, to those who had been delegated messengers before me; rather, I went away into Arabia, then came back into Damasek again.

Delegated messengers: Greek, apostles, i.e., the twelve commissioned directly by Yahshua. Arabia: possibly to Mount Sinai itself. (4:25) These events may have taken place between those mentioned in Acts 9:21 and 9:22; in any case what follows seems to correlate with 9:26.

18. [Only] after that--three years later--did I go up to Yerushalayim to become acquainted with Kefa, and stayed with him fifteen days.

Kefa: more commonly known by the Greek translation of his name, Petros (Peter).

19. But I saw none of the other delegated messengers, except Yaaqov the Master's brother.

The Master's brother: thus the one who would normally be delegated to be king of Israel in Yahshua's absence, had political conditions been favorable.

20. (And pay attention to [the things] that I am writing to you, because before Elohim, I am not falsifying [them].)

21. After that I went into the regions of Syria and Kilikia.

Kilikia: Not too distant from Galatia, in southeastern Turkey today. Its capital was Tarsos, where Paul had grown up.

22. Indeed, I was not known by face to the called-out assemblies of the Jews who were in Messiah,

Of the Jews: Aramaic, in Judea. He was not known in any part of Judea except Yerushalayim since he had to be smuggled to the coast, then out of the country because of threats on his life. (Acts 9:30)

23. but they were only hearing, "The one who used to harass us is now proclaiming the conviction that he was once overthrowing!"

Compare Acts 9:21.

24. And they were praising Elohim on my [account].


CHAPTER 2

1. After fourteen years had elapsed, I went up into Yerushalayim again with Bar-Naba, taking Titus with me.

Again: Acts 9:27 tells us that on the first visit, Bar-Naba ("son of encouragement") acted as a mediator to encourage the Messianic leaders in Yerushalayim to trust Sha'ul/Paul. This incident corresponds to Acts 15.

2. Moreover, I went up on the basis of a revelation, and laid out before them the glad message that I herald among the tribes (though privately to those who are recognized), in case perhaps I might somehow be exerting myself or spending my efforts fruitlessly.

He put his message "on the table" so those who knew the Messiah firsthand could rule on whether he was wasting his time or not.

3. However, not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised (being a Greek).

Compelled: i.e., by those apostles in Yerushalayim. Other influential men from Judea held a different opinion. (v. 4; Acts 15:1) Being a Greek: i.e., in contrast to Timotheos, who Paul did circumcise, since he was partly Jewish. (Acts 16:3) So Paul personally had nothing against circumcision as such; here, it is “shorthand” for the whole process of conversion to Judaism, of which circumcision was the final stage and most visible sign.

4. Rather, [it was] because of those intruders who, pretending to be brothers, also slipped in to inspect [firsthand] our liberty which we have through the Messiah Yahshua, in order that they might make us their slaves.

Inspect: with the nuance of distrust and pretense, i.e., inquiry with the implicit claim of the right to supervise, to investigate with a bureaucratic implication as informants or spies, and possibly then to prohibit what they found in order to preserve what they perceived was the reputation of honor and legitimacy which would be compromised by these newcomers unwilling to fully submit. They considered it within their proper jurisdiction to ensure compliance with intergroup norms also recognized by the Romans so the fragile equilibrium could be maintained. (Nanos) Liberty: specifically, "freedom to omit certain things having no relationship to salvation". (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament). I.e., the right to leave out, not parts of the Torah itself, but accretions added by the tribe of Yehudah which may have been helpful in the better context they had in the Land of Israel, but which were deemed by the apostles to not be prerequisites for entry into the community of Messiah, but things that could be learned later and taken on when their significance was more fully understood, thus not being meaningless rituals and thus legalisms.

5. We did not even for as much as an hour give place to them by submitting to their control, so that the unpretentious [nature] of the glad message might remain with you permanently.

Unpretentious nature: plain, simple truth; the root meaning is unhidden or not secret. I.e., the finer nuances that do come with it could wait. The believers were still in kindergarten, so to speak, and needed the main points painted in broad strokes and learned in their depth first so they would not get lost among the side issues that can multiply so rapidly.

6. Now as for those who had the reputation of being something (what they had been before makes no difference to me; Elohim associates Himself with no man’s outward appearance), as it turned out, those who were recognized laid nothing additional on me,

7. but instead, perceiving that I had been entrusted [with] the glad announcement for the uncircumcised just as Kefa [had been] for the circumcised

Uncircumcised: Not the word for those who had never been circumcised, but those “having foreskins”, a difference not as subtle as it sounds. It throws much light on exactly who they were, for we are told in 1 Maccabees 1:15 that when some in Israel persuaded their fellows that it would be to their advantage to realign themselves with their Gentile neighbors, taking on their ways, they built a gymnasium in Yerushalayim and in order to not be ostentatiously different from those against whom they competed in the nude, "made themselves uncircumcised"--this same term. They actually had surgery to restore their foreskins in some fashion. So the term bears special connection to those who were once part of the covenant of YHWH but made a clear decision to leave it behind and take on Gentile ways. The Jews, as corrupt as many of them had become in this era, still retained their identity as the tribe of Yehudah. The Northern Kingdom (called Efrayim for shorthand since Yaravam, who had led their secession, was from that tribe) had deliberately "mixed itself among the peoples" (Hos. 7:8), meaning it had become so mingled as to be a matter of great confusion to determine which were Israelites any longer. But YHWH kept His eye on them and would not let one kernel drop (Amos 9:9), and promised to one day return their descendants (who were now, in anyone else's eyes, indistinguishable from Gentiles) to a renewed covenant with Himself.

8. (since the One who had proved Himself operative in Kefa [appointing him to] the office of delegated messenger also proved operative in [appointing] me to the Gentiles),

Gentiles: again, only in a secondary sense: a condition they had brought on themselves; the word can just as well mean "tribes", which highlights the awareness many Jews have always had that their nation could never be completely redeemed until the prophecies of the restoration of the "lost tribes" were all fulfilled.

9. and becoming acquainted with the empowering favor that had been given to me, Yaaqov, Kefa, and Yochanan, who were recognized as pillars, extended to me the right hand of association, so that we might [be appointed to go] to the tribes, while they [were appointed] to the circumcised,

Pillars: i.e., those who were the main supports of the called-out congregation, having known Yahshua most intimately and been taught most directly by Him. Right hand of association: recognition that they were indeed joined together in the same cause.

10. [asking] only that we be mindful of the needy--the very thing I was eager to do.

Needy: those in Yerushalayim for whom Paul later took up a collection from among the Gentile believers. (Romans 15:26) Eager: or diligent.

11. But when Kefa came into Antioch, I opposed him to [his] face, since he was blameworthy,

Came to Antioch: while Paul was there (Acts 15:35). Kefa was one of the "pillars" (v. 9), so his actions were likely to be imitated by all (and were indeed, v. 13), and thus had to be "nipped in the bud". Blameworthy: with the nuances of being seen through, caught, standing condemned, and knowing better; Aramaic, stumbling within.

12. because before the arrival of certain [people] from Yaaqov, he would eat together with the Gentiles, but when they arrived he started shrinking back and separated himself [from them], deferring to those who were of the Circumcision.

From Yaaqov: probably not connected in any way to the people who were misleading the Galatians; this is just another example of how Yahshua’s new community was still falling into the old, human way of categorizing things. David Stern points out that they were probably not sent by Yaaqov, who had already given His approval to Paul's version of the glad news as brought to the Gentiles (v. 9), but rather only from the Yerushalayim community of which Yaaqov was the figurehead--or possibly even purporting to be from Yaaqov, when in fact Paul has taken pains to show that the Yerushalayim leaders approved his version, not theirs. Deferring to: Aramaic, being frightened of. What he was doing was going back to a rule that had been added to the Torah in order to keep people from accidentally disobeying the Torah. The Torah said not to eat certain foods, so the rabbinic teachers stipulated that one should not even eat with Gentiles (or better yet, even enter a Gentile's house) so as not to put oneself in danger of eating food that was not kosher (see Acts 10:28) or simply to become ritually impure and ineligible to enter the Temple which Kefa frequented, since he taught there daily. (Acts 2:46; 3:1; 5:20, etc.) But the unification that Yahshua was bringing about between those who had remained with the covenant and those who had become Gentiles made it necessary to do away with this man-made rule and take the risks necessary to building bridges between the two groups (Eph. 2:14), knowing that YHWH had provided a buffer of grace in case they should overstep in the process. Circumcision: not simply those who were circumcised, but those who were from a faction that favored the idea that a Gentile believer could not belong to Messiah or be a full member of the community until he was circumcised. (Nanos renders it "those who are in favor of circumcision".) These are probably the same people who created the controversy mentioned in Acts 15:1-2, in which case Paul's viewpoint was upheld by Yaaqov himself and all the "pillars".

13. And the rest of the Jews likewise acted hypocritically along with him, to the point that even Bar-Naba was carried away by their hypocrisy.

Carried away: not actively taking part, but swept off balance by. Aramaic, led (or guided) to reject them by their face.

14. But when I saw that they were not walking a straight course with regard to the genuine "glad message", I told Kefa in front of everyone, "If you, the quintessential Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Judeans, what [are you doing] pressuring the Gentiles to imitate the Jews?

Quintessential: or a prime example, being chief among the Jewish believers. Live like the Gentiles: Not failing to keep the Torah, but not feeling bound to keep the extra regulations added by the Judeans. (v. 12)

15. "We, who are physically Jews and not 'sinners from among the Gentiles'

Paul quotes a common deprecatory idiom here to emphasize the contrast.

16. "(knowing that a human being is not rendered righteous based on the works of the Torah, unless through the faithfulness of Yahshua the Messiah) --even we have placed our confidence in Yahshua the Messiah, in order that we might be rendered righteous based on the faithfulness of [the] Messiah, and not based on the works of the Torah, since out of the works of the Torah 'no flesh will be rendered righteous.'" [Psalm 143:2]

If even those who never left the covenant still need what Yahshua did in order to be justified before YHWH, how much more these whose ancestors cut off all right for their children to be part of His blessings? Righteous: correct, restored to the way we ought to be, acceptable to YHWH and approved by Him. "Works of the Torah": There is a special meaning to this phrase which explains much of the confusion about what Paul was saying. Avi Ben Mordechai points out that from approximately 200 B.C. until A.D. 70, there was a particular doctrine called Ma'aseh haTorah (works of the Torah) that was based on 24 particular Mosaic laws of ritual purity. This sect was born in Qumran among the Essenes, who claimed to (and may actually) have been the Tzadoqite priesthood that had been deposed by the Hashmonim (Hasmoneans) and corrupt Roman government. (Dead Sea Scroll documents 4Q394-399 and 4QMMT document this in detail.) In their view, if they would maintain a certain standard of purity and work it out to perfection, they would receive the Holy Spirit, be perfected through their righteous works, and by doing so, bring the Messiah. But they also excluded the blind and deaf from ever being able to understand the Torah, which is contrary to the Messiah’s message of “whoever wishes” may drink freely of the water of life. (Rev. 22:17) Paul applies their own terminology about being "under the works of the Torah". As strict as the P'rushim (Pharisees) were, their rules were child's play in comparison. This sect had spread as far afield as Galatia.

17. Now if, while aiming to be rendered righteous by [the] Messiah, we ourselves are also [when examined] found to be wandering off track, does this mean the Messiah is an attendant [in the service] of error? May it never be!

18. Indeed, if I am putting back together these things that I took apart, I prove myself to be in a comparable position as one who steps outside the boundaries.

Some might accuse him of being against Torah observance because of some of the extreme statements he makes to drive home his point, but then he would be working against the very goals he started with.

19. By means of the Torah, then, I died in regard to the Torah, so that I might become alive toward YHWH.

Died: with the nuance of becoming separated from. He gives more detail about what he means in Romans 7.

20. I have been crucified together with [the] Messiah; still, I am alive--not I, but [the] Messiah lives through me, and what I live out through the physical body at present I live out through the faithfulness of the Son of Elohim, who was committed to me and gave Himself over [to death] on my behalf.

Faithfulness of the Son: the key to our being made righteous, for on our behalf He completely kept the Torah and thus, as only the second innocent man who ever lived, repaired the damage done by Adam as representative of the whole race, enabling us to partake in his victory and complete it. (Romans 5)

21. I do not marginalize YHWH's empowering favor, for if righteousness [could be attained] by means of the Torah, then [the] Messiah died for nothing.

Marginalize: disregard, despise, thwart the effect of, set aside, render void, reject, refuse, slight, consider to be a mere side issue. Empowering favor: the extra boost provided to push us "over the hump", so that we cannot use the excuse that we are unable to obey the Torah. If it were possible to attain right standing before YHWH apart from the Messiah, it was pointless for Him to die, for He had no sentence of death on Him as the rest of us did. His empowering favor is essential for those who, unlike Messiah, are not perfect. This also shows that attaining righteousness cannot be the purpose of the Torah.
Chapters 3-4

CHAPTER 3

1. O senseless Galatians! Who has charmed you, so that you [can] not [be] persuaded of the truth--you before whose eyes Yahshua the Messiah was clearly depicted among you as crucified?

Charmed you: or bewitched you, literally with the "evil eye"; Aramaic, made you envious (of something with lesser value). Depicted: Aram., portrayed like a portrait.

2. This is all I want to hear from you about: Did you receive the Spirit as a result of the "Works of the Torah" or as a result of [what you] heard by faith?

Faith: confidence, trust, assurance, conviction of the truth of something that leads one to risk all to act on it.

3. Are you that senseless? Having started by the Spirit, are you now completing the process for yourselves through flesh?

Flesh: an idiom for natural means, but very literal in this poignant case of circumcision! The recipients may have thought they were only carrying what Paul had taught them to its logical conclusion. They may not be questioning his authority, only failing to anticipate the conflict between the two philosophies.

4. Have you suffered so many things for nothing? (That is, if it is indeed for nothing.)

For nothing: with the undercurrent of "only to now give in".

5. So then, is the One who is supplying you with the Spirit and operating among you [with] powerful acts [doing so] as a result of the "Works of the Torah" or as a result of [what you] heard by faith?

6. --Just as "Avraham had confidence in YHWH, and it was accounted as [placing] him into [the category of] righteous." [Gen. 15:6]

7. So you can see that those [who act on the basis] of trust are the ones who are Avraham's children.

8. Moreover, the Scripture, foreseeing that YHWH would declare the tribes righteous on the basis of faith, promised the glad news to Avraham ahead of time: "In you all the tribes will be blessed."

Declare the tribes righteous: see Yeshayahu (Isa.) 49:6. Blessed: Gk., given benefits; in Hebrew, the grammatical form used in the verse quoted (Gen. 12:3) also means "grafted into".

9. So then those [who act on the basis] of trust are blessed along with the one who [proved to truly] trust (Avraham),

10. because any who [operate on the basis] of the "Works of the Torah" are under a curse, since it is written, "[There is] a curse upon anyone who does not persist in carrying out all things that have been written in the document of the Torah."[Deut. 27:26]

The danger of trusting in one's record of keeping Torah is that "whoever keeps the whole Torah and yet stumbles in one [point], he is guilty of everything." (Yaaqov 2:10)

11. It is also clear that before YHWH no one is rendered righteous through the Torah, because, "The one [who is] righteous will derive life from faith." [Havaqquq 2:4]

12. The Torah, on the other hand, is not [action on the basis] of faith; rather, "The one who carries them out will live through them." [Lev. 18:5]

The Torah: Here, probably shorthand for "the Works of the Torah".

13. Messiah paid the price to recover us out of the curse of the Torah, having become a curse for us, since it is written, "[There is] a curse upon anyone who is suspended on a tree", [Deut. 21:23]

Curse of the Torah: In the Essene view, if a man misstepped once, he was thrown out of the Community for up to two years. By some accounts this happened to Yochanan haMatvil (John the Baptizer), whose parents had died and he was brought to Qumran to be raised by the Essenes. He was highly respected there, because his father (and thus he as well) was allegedly the one who was really supposed to be the High Priest according to the proper inheritance. But when the spirit of prophecy came upon him and he spoke out of turn in the view of the community's leaders, he was cast out into the wilderness, where he continued to fulfill his prophetic calling. But the Messiah took the penalty for our violations, wiped out slate clean, and said, in essence, "If you blow it, get up again and keep walking." As one second-century rabbi put it, you are not expected to complete the task, but neither are you allowed to withdraw from the attempt. Thus the standard is not lowered (if anything, Mat. 5-7 show that it has now been raised), but there is mercy when it is truly needed. (Avi Ben Mordechai)

14. so that the benefit from Avraham might be brought about among the tribes through Messiah Yahshua, so that we might [receive the right to] claim the promise[d blessing] of the Spirit by means of faith.

15. Brothers, I [will] say it in human terms: [Once] even a human covenant has been ratified, no one [can] disregard it or add anything to [it].

Disregard: or annul. Even a human: How much more, then, the covenant given by YHWH? Adds to it: treats stipulations added on one's own authority as binding on all (as later happened with rabbinic Judaism, which said it could out-vote YHWH, the Roman pope, who said he had the right to change the Sabbath and feast days, and the many throughout history who have added new rules such as those in Col. 2:21).

16. Now it was to Avraham and his seed [that] the promises were poured forth. It does not say, "and to [his] seeds", as about many, but rather as about one: "and to your Seed", which is Messiah.

The quote is from Genesis 9:9.

17. So this [is what] I say: [Since] a covenant had previously been ratified to Messiah by Elohim, the Torah, which came into existence four hundred thirty years later, cannot void the authority of the promise to the point of discharging [Him from it],

Covenant ratified to Messiah: the promise to Avraham's seed (v. 16) was that covenant. In the same way, the covenant whose ratification Yahshua renewed cannot abolish the very covenant it renewed, but only modify it to suit the situation the exiled tribes now found themselves in, unable to obey certain aspects of Torah yet.

18. for if the inheritance is [on the basis] of Torah, it is no longer on the basis of a promise, yet YHWH bestowed it on Avraham by means of a promise.

Paul points out in Romans 4 that Avraham was still uncircumcised when he received the promise, and only expressed his belief I the promise through his later circumcision--an act which Paul would have no argument with. The issue is that circumcision, a physical act, rather than the faith that makes the obedience to such commands meaningful, was being treated instead as the entry point into the covenant.

19. So why then the Torah? It was added, on account of [people] stepping out of line, until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come, being put into place by messengers through the hand of an arbitrator.

Added: as something extra to serve a different, parenthetical purpose. Arbitrator: or mediator.

20. But an arbitrator does not pertain to one [party], and "YHWH is one". [Deut. 6:4]

I.e., YHWH Himself is not prevented from keeping His promise by the constraints He put into place because of a temporary unreadiness of His people to receive what He had promised.

21. So is the Torah at odds with YHWH's promises? May it never be! For if an injunction had been given that was capable of restoring us to life, righteousness would indeed have been on the basis of an injunction.

Torah and injunction here are the same word, but it has both a generalized and special meaning in Greek. If obedience to a rule was all that was needed, Yahshua would not have had to die. The fact that He had to die shows that it was not adequate, so He had to add the curses (v. 10) to make our need for something more self-evident, though we may not have known exactly what form that "something more" would take, hence the need for trust:

22. Instead, the Scripture locked us all up together under sin, so that the promise on the basis of the faithfulness of Yahshua the Messiah might be bestowed on those who have confidence [in it].

23. But before [that] faithfulness showed up, we were kept under [the protective guard of] the Torah, [reserved] for the faithfulness that was on the verge of being disclosed.

Showed up...were kept: Trimm renders it in the present tense: "Until trust comes, the Torah is guarding us..." This often indeed applies, because none of us is mature in every area, and wherever we are still lacking, the Torah is still our teacher until we get the point.

24. So then the Torah acted as our tutor into Messiah, so we could be declared righteous on the basis of trust.

Tutor: or guardian, trainer, "schoolmaster". According to Strong, "Among the Greeks and the Romans the name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at the age of manhood." Aramaic, "The Torah, having been our instructor to the Messiah, justified us by trust." I.e., one who remains under the tutor's jurisdiction without rebelling shows that he has confidence in where he is taking him, even if he cannot yet see what the end result will be. The one who is faithful in little is the one who will be allowed to be faithful in much. Those who, though they know they have failed, stay with YHWH's commandments in the hope of vindication, will not be disappointed; those who forsake it because they think it too difficult will not be in the right place to receive the mercy when it arrives:

25. But [now that] the faithfulness has taken place, we are no longer under a tutor,

A grown child is no longer punished by an external authority for touching a hot stove, but the fact of what will happen to his hand if he does touch it does not change, and when he is mature he will appreciate that information for what it spares him. The maturity is in doing what he was taught because it is true, not because of a threat; the physical outcome of both should be the same. Likewise, because of trust in YHWH, we will end up doing just what the Torah says, though it will not be our main focus, but love for Him will be.

26. because you are all sons of Elohim through [having] confidence in Messiah Yahshua,

Sons of Elohim: the promised title YHWH said those who became "not a people" would one day again be allowed to bear. (Hoshea 1:10)

27. since as many as have been immersed into Messiah [among you] have clothed yourselves in Messiah.

28. There cannot be place for either Jew or Greek; there cannot be place for either slave or free man; there cannot be place for either male or female, because you are all one in Messiah,

These categories, though they still exist physically, have no meaning in a Body that unites people from all of them, because they only serve to exalt one above another, when all parts of the Body are necessary. (Rom. 12)

29. and if you belong to Messiah, you are therefore Avraham's seed, and [thus] heirs according to the promise.

Yahshua said He had come only for the lost sheep of the House of Israel (which were Avraham's physical descendants), so if you have responded to Him, you are most likely one of these. If not, you have still become part of Israel through being enveloped in the Messiah (v. 27), who is the most particular heir to that promise. (v. 16)


CHAPTER 4

1. Now I [will] say [that] for as long a time as the heir is a minor, no one can distinguish him from a slave, [even though] he is the possessor of everything.

2. Rather, he is under guardians and managers of the household until the [time] prearranged by the father.

The Galatians were not Gentiles in the classic sense of the word, for they would have no background in Torah at all. Rather, they were at most the mixed children of former Israelites who had turned away from the covenant. Why did Paul go searching for "Gentiles" in synagogues? Because the time was right for the lost tribes to begin returning, as so many of us today were, without knowing why, drawn back to things Judaic before we realized who we were, they came to the only light that existed in their cities. YHWH did this, keeping them safe (Yeshayahu 49:6) in the midst of a pagan environment until the time came for Paul to deliver the message that they had been granted mercy. (Hos. 1:10)

3. In the same way we, too, when we were minors, were under the basic principles of the universe, [thus] reduced to bondage.

Basic principles of the universe: see note on v. 9. (Compare Heb. 5:12-6:2 and contrast its use in Col. 2:8.) Torah's purpose at first was to simply restrain us from evil so we could be preserved for a higher purpose. In that season, before the "fullness of time", that was appropriate, but it was not the goal. The goal was that we be brought to maturity:

4. But when the fullness of the time had come, Elohim sent out His Son, brought on the scene by means of a woman, coming to be under the Torah,

5. so that He could ransom those who were under the Torah, so that we could receive the adoption as sons.

Receive: or recover, be given back. Adoption as sons: The phrasing of this analogy is important, because in a Greco-Roman context, adopted daughters had no special rights, but were often little more than slaves. Adopted sons, however, received all the rights of natural-born sons.

6. Now since you are sons, YHWH has sent out the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba!" (Daddy!)

Abba: a term of endearment meaning more than simply "father", but one's own beloved, intimate father. Strong points out that it was characteristically used in prayer at this time and gradually acquired the character of a most sacred proper name, to which a translation was added by the exiles in their local language. The tutor is no longer the immediate party; a more immediate relationship with the Father is now realized, and we are confident that YHWH is our own Father, not an overlord who is merely out to keep us in line.

7. So you are no longer a slave, but a son, indeed, an heir of YHWH through Messiah.

Yaaqov (James) calls the Torah "the perfect law of liberty". (1:25)

8. Nonetheless, at that time, not knowing YHWH, you submitted [as slaves] to things that by nature were not elohim.

9. But now, [when] you know YHWH, or rather have come to be known by YHWH, how is it that you are turning back again onto the feeble and beggarly rudiments to which you want to be enslaved to [all over] again?

Beggarly: lacking power to accomplish the goal. Rudiments: basic, elementary principles--i.e., why do you want to go back to kindergarten now that you have graduated into full adulthood? The reason for being drawn to Israel has already been announced to you! Why try to complete through a human tradition what has already been completed by an amazing act of YHWH? It is as if our Father lives in a house that has a guardhouse at the gate, and that is the first step to our Father's house, but still it is not the house itself. We may even sense a right to go play on the roof of our Father's house since He is, after all, our Father. But still we are not in the house, the safest place to be.

10. You [scrupulously] observe days and months and seasons and years!

Days and months, etc.: Not the Hebrew calendar, for how could they who had been Gentiles be turning back to that? Unless they were simply treating the new holy days as having some magical auspicious power as they had done with the pagan days. It is more likely that they were deciding that if the non-Messianic Jews were excluding them since they had not decided to convert, their only other choice was to go back to what was comfortable socially. People they loved still did these things in pagan temples. There was much fleshly appeal in the Roman calendar that could drag them back down.

11. I am afraid for you, lest somehow I have poured my labors into you without success!

He wondered why he had spent his time teaching them if they are doing no better than those who worshipped idols, for putting such emphasis on circumcision is also worshipping a physical thing.

12. Brothers, I beg you, become like me, since I am the same as you. You have not wronged me in anything.

13. Moreover, you know how with weakness of the body I myself proclaimed the glad news to you first,

14. and you did not treat the test of my body's [condition] with contempt or loathe. Rather, you welcomed me as if [I were] an angel--as if [I were] Messiah Yahshua [Himself]!

Test of my body's condition: probably the "thorn in the flesh" that he speaks of in 2 Cor. 12:7, and related to his eyes (v. 15), but it also served as a test of their character, i.e., how they would prove to treat him. Loathe: literally, spit out.

15. What was the benefit of that to you? For I can testify concerning you that if you could have dug out your [own] eyes and given them to me, you would have [done so]!

I.e., you were willing then to do things without receiving any particular benefit for yourselves, and even sacrifice for others--the point of Torah! So why are you now thinking only of your own advantage?

16. So have I become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?

17. They are earnestly pursuing you, but not with noble [intentions]. Rather, they are determined to shut you out so that you will pursue them!

They: the ones Paul accuses of troubling the addressees. (1:7) Earnestly pursuing: or zealously courting. Shut you out: exclude you, bar your approach. They want you to have to be part of their club in order to have access to the blessings, but YHWH says that the day of Efrayim envying Yehudah and Yehudah so vexing Efrayim had to end. (Yeshayahu 11)

18. (Now it is always noble to be earnest about an honorable thing, and not only when I am present near you.)

19. My little children, for whom I am again feeling the pains of childbirth until Messiah is formed within you,

Formed: Aramaic, imaged, i.e., until His image is fully formed in you, and until you complete the process He began of restoring the image of YHWH that Adam lost.

20. I wish [I could] be present near you at this very time and to change my tone, because I am at a loss within myself [because] of you.

My tone: Aramaic, the daughter of my voice--an idiom often used of a voice from Heaven (bath qol).

21. Tell me, those who want to be "under Torah", aren't you listening to [what] the Torah [says]?

22. Because it has been written that Avraham had two sons, one from the slave-girl and one from the free woman,

23. But indeed the one from the slave-girl was born according to natural generation, while the one from the free woman [came] through the promise,

24. which [when seen] on another [level, are] figurative: for these are the two covenants--the one indeed originating from Mount Sinai, which births [one] into slavery; this one is Hagar,

25. for this "Hagar" is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and parallels present-day Yerushalayim, and is in slavery along with her offspring.

In Arabia: there was a province of Arabia at that time which only overlapped with what we think of as present-day Arabia, but when we recognize that Moshe was shepherding the flocks of Yithro, who lived in Midyan, on the east coast of the eastern branch of the Red Sea, it is hard to imagine why he would take the flocks a hundred-odd miles away to what is now called Mt. Sinai. No evidence of any of relics from the forty years in Israel lived the wilderness near Sinai has been found around that "Sinai", a site chosen by Emperor Constantine's mother. A more recent theory, that Sinai was actually a singed but non-volcanic mountain (Jabal al-Lawz) very close to Midyan and actually in Saudi Arabia, holds more water, giving them much more space to wander about for forty years. It is difficult to study, being under a hostile government, but twelve pillars just like those mentioned in Exodus 24:4 have been found there, along with altars and other relics.

26. But the Yerushalayim [that is] above is free; this is the one who is the mother of us all,

Yerushalayim above: or, former Yerusahalayim; Aramaic, the highest Yerushalayim. By tradition, the heavenly Yerushalayim hangs in another dimension directly above the earthly city, which forms its "shadow" even as the earthly tabernacle was a replica of the Temple in heaven. (Heb. 8:5) So, while the shadow is an accurate way to begin learning about the shape of something, it is not the thing itself. Yitzhaq Luria said, "Woe to the one who sees only the garment and fails to see the man beneath it." That man is Messiah, the main point of the Torah (Rom. 10:4). Using it for anything else is misuse.

27. for it has been written, "Be made glad, O barren woman, who are not giving birth; break forth and shout, you who are not feeling the pains of childbirth, because many more are the children of the solitary woman than she who has the husband." [Yeshayahu 54:1]

Barren: Aramaic, rootless. The Yerushalayim of this age has indeed been cut off from its roots. In Paul's day, the high priests were not those whom YHWH had put in place, but the position was sold to the highest bidder and thus served Mammon. Also, the rabbinic movement was already underway which would normalize a form of Judaism that needed no priests or Temple, so indeed this Judaism is off base. To wish to submit to that caricature of the Torah rather than to the true solution that YHWH had provided is slavery indeed.

28. Now we, brothers, are children of promise like Yitzhaq,

Like Yitzhaq: according to Yitzhaq (i.e., corresponding to him) or, down from/down through Yitzhaq, i.e., as his descendants.

29. but just as at that time the one begotten according to natural means mistreated the one [begotten] according to spirit, this is indeed how it is now.

Yishmael mistreated Yitzhaq by laughing at the very one whose name meant "laughter"! (Gen. 21:9) In other words, he was using this excellent thing in a wrong manner, using it against his half-brother rather than rejoicing with him. Thus he defiled his name instead of upholding him. Many likewise make the wrong use of the Torah to exalt themselves at others' expense, with the attitude of "You former pagans who still have foreskins! You'd better start acting like us if you want to be anybody!" There are many more examples below.

30. Nevertheless, what does the Scripture say? "Expel the slave-girl with her son, because the son of the slave-girl will not share the inheritance with the son of the free woman." [Gen. 21:10]

The slave's son was half-Egyptian. Moshe had to kill off the Egyptian in himself (Ex. 2:12), and we, too, have to rid ourselves of any ways in which we treat the Torah the way pagans carry out their religions. This is not antinomianism, but restoring the Torah to its proper footing. (Rom. 3:31)

31. So then, brothers, we are not children of a slave-girl, but of the free woman.

We are not called to be half-Israelite and half-Egyptian, but fully Israelites, heirs only to the promises and not to the curses.
Chapters 5-6

CHAPTER 5

1. This being the case, stand firm in the liberty with which Messiah has set us free, and do not become entangled with the yoke of slavery again.

Yoke of slavery: to men's definitions of how Torah is to be followed.

2. Pay attention! [It is] I, Paul, [who am] telling you that if you become circumcised, then Messiah will be of no use to you.

If you…: this particular audience--those desiring to be "under Torah" (4:21). This is not a general statement for all time. The meaning is delimited by the parameters set by Paul's own statement in Romans 2:25. (This is one of the hard-to-understand passages that Kefa said lawless, unlearned men would twist to their own ruin, 2 Kefa 3:16; Yaaqov/James wrote his book partly to correct the popular misinterpretations of Paul which still stuck nonetheless.) was hard Jacob Meyer summarizes the thought this way: "The Messiah is rejected when one rebuilds a structure of worship that relies on our human capability to somehow make atonement for our personal sins. If we reject the Messiah and His blood through trusting in our human blood shed at the time of circumcision, we have fallen from grace." If, on the other hand, we see circumcision as just one more way to learn something about what our Father is like--one more gift by which He invites us to know Him in a deeper way, it moves from the bondage side of the equation to the maturity side; from laughing at us to laughing with us.

3. And I testify again to every person who becomes circumcised, that he is obligated to carry out the entire Torah.

4. Whoever wants to consider himself justified through the Torah has been severed from all connection with Messiah; you have fallen out of favor,

This is the side on which Yishmael laughs at Yitzhaq, for it is using YHWH's beneficial gift to compare ourselves to others.

5. because spiritually we are eagerly awaiting the expectation of righteousness [that comes] from trusting,

Expectation of righteousness: waiting in faith for our undisputed standing to be revealed in YHWH's time rather than choosing the easier but watered-down route of employing the prevailing conventin of the present age to gain that standing in men's eyes. (Nanos)

6. for in Messiah Yahshua, neither circumcision nor a foreskin wields any force, but rather faithfulness energized by love.

A child who truly loves his father will do anything for him, and this is a much more effective motivator than regulations posted on the wall of their home complete with rewards and penalties. Circumcision can be

7. You were running well; who impeded you from being persuaded [to obey] what is true?

Running well: carries the connotation of "getting somewhere", making effective progress towards the goal, not exerting one's energy in vain; Aramaic, racing. Impeded: hindered, obstructed you from reaching it.

8. [This] persuasion is not from the one who is inviting you!

9. The least bit of leaven makes the whole lump [of dough] ferment.

One tiny compromise of this sort would remove the purity of the message, which is why Pual is so adamantly against what seems innocent enough when seen in isolation. (2:5)

10. I have confidence in you through YHWH that you will hold no other opinion; moreover, the one who is disquieting you will bear the condemnation, whomever such a one may be.

Disquieting you: taking away your peace of mind, making you restless, afraid, or distressed; putting doubts in your minds.

11. I, on the other hand--brothers, if I continue to advocate circumcision, why am I still persecuted? That way the scandal of the crucifixion stake has been deprived of [its] force.

12. I [think it] would be better if those who are unsettling you were to go ahead and perform an amputation on themselves,

Would be better: carries a connotation of both being deserved and more profitable for all. Perform an amputation: i.e., not stop with circumcision but go all the way and castrate themselves.

13. for you, brothers, have been invited [up] onto [a position of] liberty—just not a liberty that becomes a base of operations for the flesh; rather, through love serve one another [as slaves],

Compare Mat. 17:25-27.

14. since the whole Torah is brought to realization in this: "You shall love your fellow as yourself." [Leviticus 19:18]

Fellow: includes the sense of being fellow Israelites. (6:10) The Torah is not for me or for you; it is for us. If you are not acting out of consideration for your fellow Israelites, and your motivation is self, then what you are doing is fleshly, no matter how proper it may appear.

15. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

This is what inevitably happens when people compare their observance of the Torah with that of others.

16. So I say, walk in the spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh,

You will not: or, do not. But being busy with the one leaves no room for the other. (v. 23)

17. because the flesh is covetous toward the spirit, and the spirit [sets its desire] against the flesh, and these are set in opposition to one another, lest you should do whatever things you might decide [to do].

18. But if you are led along by the spirit, you are not "under Torah".

19. Moreover, the results of the flesh are obvious, whatever they may be, [whether] adultery, fornication, impurity, wasteful [unbridled] excess,

20. worship of idols, sorcery, [various types of] hostility, fights, rivalries, fierce passions, partisan intrigues, dissensions, choosing [one's own] opinions,

21. envyings, murders, intoxications, riotous parties, and the same kind of things as these, which I tell you in advance, just as I also told [you] before, that those who practice such things will not inherit a share in the kingdom of YHWH.

If this is what they understand liberty to be (as in v. 13), they do not "get the point" at all. Liberty is having direct access to our beloved Father and being able to concentrate on one another's best interests without worrying that we may be accidentally jeopardizing our own standing by inadvertently transgressing some obscure command:

22. The fruit of the spirit, on the other hand, is [loving] commitment, joyfulness, tranquil harmony, patient endurance, moral integrity, kindness, faithful confidence,

Fruit: an idiom for results or effects.

23. gentleness, self-control; against these kinds of things there is no law.

24. Also, those belonging to Messiah have crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts [that accompany it].

25. If we are alive through the spirit, let us also [order] our walk through the spirit.

26. Let's not begin to desire empty glory, challenging one another [in a way] prompted by envy toward one another.

Perhaps those who wanted them to be circumcised were afraid that if these others were allowed the same privileges they had, they would have to answer to the Romans as to why, and in the process their own "legitimate" exemption might be rescinded. (Nanos) Or perhaps they simply wanted a position of prominence over those whom they saw as mere proselytes or sojourners. But both Yehudah and Efrayim are all one community now, and each one's victories benefit the rest; they are not in competition with each other:


CHAPTER 6

1. Brothers, if a person should indeed be overtaken in some [moral] lapse, you who are spiritual [must] set such a one straight in the spirit of gentleness, watching out for yourself, so that you will not be tempted as well.

Overtaken: by surprise in such a way that he is ensnared before he can take steps to avoid it. Lapse: Aramaic, foolishness. Set straight: carries the sense of putting back together what was broken, restoring and strengthening him, making him what he ought to be, and equipping him to handle the next temptation.

2. [Help] carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the "Torah of Messiah",

Fulfill: especially means to fill a vacancy or supply what is lacking so that all of an area will be covered; here it would have the sense of completely occupying a territory so that an enemy cannot get a foot in the door again.

3. because if anyone supposes himself to be something when he is [in fact] nothing, he deceives himself.

4. But let each one scrutinize his own work, so that he will have something worth celebrating residing within himself and not in someone else,

Someone else: or something different; in this case, he should not presume to pass himself off as a Jew when he is not, but should fulfill his own calling as an Israelite of a different tribe and recognize the value of that. This is also a rebuke of those who think they will earn praise from YHWH because of someone else being persuaded to be circumcised. (v. 13)

5. because each must carry his own weight,

Carry his own weight: or sustain his own obligations.

6. and the one who is being instructed should share with the one instructing him in all things [that are] useful.

7. Do not be misled; YHWH is not scorned, because whatever a person sows, that is what he will reap.

8. Indeed, the one who sows into his own flesh will reap corruption out of the flesh, whereas the one who sows into the spirit will reap never-ending life out of the spirit.

Corruption: or moral decay.

9. When we are doing well, we should not lose heart either, because in the proper season we will reap if we do not let [ourselves] grow slack.

Lose heart: grow tired of it, become spiritless; literally, let the bad out. Though men may sideline us, we need to remember who we are and do what that entails, whether recognized for it or not, for one day the recognition will come from YHWH. (5:5)

10. This being the case, then, while we have time, let us do what is beneficial toward everyone, but most of all toward them who belong to the household of the faith.

While we have time: or, as we have a decisive opening, at the right moment.


11. Notice how large the letters [are that] I write to you with my own hand.

At this point Paul's scribe stops writing and Paul picks up the pen himself to emphasize that this letter is genuinely from him. The large letters are probably due to the difficulty he had with seeing. (4:15)

12. Only insofar as they are determined to appear successful by natural means are these [people] pushing you to be circumcised, so that they will not be harassed for the [sake of] Messiah's crucifixion stake.

Appear successful: by completing their assignment of adding so many new converts to their proselytizing record. They might be harassed for the cross even if they themselves did not believe in Yahshua, because those they answered to did not accept it as a legitimate basis for equal inclusion among YHWH's people, and they would be chided for complicity through permitting this to go unchecked. (Nanos)

13. For not even those who have been circumcised are observing the Torah; rather, they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast because of flesh that is [really] yours.

Not observing the Torah: not proving to love the addressees (have their best interests in mind) Flesh that is really yours: Paul hinted at this in a reverse manner in verses 4-5.

14. But may it never be that I should make my boast in the cross of our Master, Yahshua the Messiah, through which the world order is crucified to me and I to worldly matters,

Whether the world has a category that admits us as legitimate or not makes no difference anymore.

15. for in Messiah Yahshua, neither circumcision nor a foreskin wields any force, but [only] a new creation.

16. So whoever walks by this standard, peace [be] upon them as well as mercy, and [also] upon the Israel of YHWH.

17. As far as anyone else is concerned, let no one cause me [any more] trouble, because I carry in my body the brands of the Master Yahshua.

Brands: of the same sort as a slave or soldier and the devotees of some pagan religions would have the name of their master, general, or deity "pricked" into their skin; in Paul's case, this "stigma" was the scars he incurred through so many physical beatings on Messiah’s behalf.

18. [May] the empowering favor of our Master Yahshua the Messiah be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.