Galatians 6:14
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The profound insight here is the mutual crucifixion described: the world is dead to Paul, and Paul is dead to the world. This isn't just a one-way rejection; it's a reciprocal death to each other's influence and power, born from the ultimate act of sacrifice on the cross. This radical exchange means neither the world's temptations nor its judgments hold any sway over him anymore.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is starkly contrasting his own ultimate source of pride with that of the Judaizing teachers, who were boasting in external markers like circumcision and adherence to the Law. He declares that he will boast in nothing but the cross of Christ, which signifies a radical death to the world's values and a new life in Christ. This statement climaxes Paul's argument about freedom in Christ, emphasizing that true identity and worth are found not in human achievements or traditions, but solely in Christ's atoning sacrifice.
In a world obsessed with status, success, and self-reliance, where do you find your ultimate pride? Paul makes a radical claim about the Christian's only boast.
Paul contrasts his own source of glory with that of the false teachers he confronts. While they boast in outward things like circumcision and adherence to the Law (a 'boasting in the flesh'), Paul declares that his only boast is in the 'cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.'
This isn't just about a historical event; it's about the profound theological reality that happened there:
Paul describes a radical, mutual 'crucifixion.' What does it mean for both the world and yourself to be 'crucified'?
The phrase 'by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world' is the powerful outcome of boasting in the cross. This isn't a passive experience, but a transformative reality where:
Ask a follow-up
The World Crucified to Me:
I to the World:
Understand the original words
kosmos · Greek,originalWord: Noun
The fallen world system organized in rebellion against God. It encompasses the values, priorities, and ideologies that are opposed to the kingdom of God and the gospel of Christ.
Paul's declaration in Galatians 6:14 cuts through the legalistic arguments of his day. In a time when adherence to rituals like circumcision was being pushed as essential for salvation, Paul forcefully asserts that his only boast is in the cross of Christ. This means that the entire system of the world – its values, its pride, its systems of earning favor – has lost its power over him, and he, in turn, is dead to its allure.
c. 47-48 AD
Paul's First Missionary Journey
Paul travels through Asia Minor, establishing churches in cities like Antioch, Lystra, and Derbe. This lays the groundwork for later visits and correspondence with these communities.
c. 49 AD
Jerusalem Council
A pivotal meeting where apostles and elders debate the requirement of circumcision for Gentile believers. The decision reached affirms that Gentiles are saved by grace through faith, not by adherence to the Mosaic law.
c. 50-52 AD
Paul's Second Missionary Journey
Paul revisits the churches in Asia Minor and then travels into Macedonia and Achaia, founding churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, and Athens. He likely writes 1 & 2 Thessalonians during this period.
c. 53-57 AD
Paul's Third Missionary Journey
Paul spends extensive time in Ephesus, the capital of Asia Minor, and revisits churches in Macedonia and Achaia. He writes 1 Corinthians from Ephesus and Romans from Corinth.
c. 55 AD
Council of Jerusalem
A significant meeting addressing the inclusion of Gentile believers in the early church. The council decrees that Gentiles do not need to be circumcised to be saved, affirming salvation by grace through faith.
c. 57 AD— this verse
Paul Writes Galatians
Paul pens this letter to the churches in the region of Galatia. He addresses the serious threat of Judaizers who are insisting on circumcision and adherence to the Mosaic Law for Gentile Christians.
c. 60-62 AD
Paul's Imprisonment in Rome
While under house arrest in Rome, Paul writes several epistles, including Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. These letters often address theological issues and practical Christian living.
Paul explicitly states that he considers everything else a loss compared to knowing Christ Jesus, highlighting the ultimate value he places on Christ above all worldly achievements or status.
Romans 6:6This passage explains the concept of being 'crucified with Christ,' emphasizing that our old sinful nature has been rendered powerless through Christ's sacrifice, mirroring Paul's declaration of the world being crucified to him.
Colossians 2:14-15The text describes Christ canceling the record of debt and triumphing over demonic powers through his crucifixion, which aligns with Paul's view of the cross as the instrument that defeats the dominion of the world.
1 Corinthians 1:23-24Paul directly contrasts the world's view of the cross as foolishness with the reality that for believers, the crucified Christ is the power and wisdom of God, echoing Paul's personal boast in the cross.
Galatians 2:20This verse is a powerful parallel where Paul declares, 'I have been crucified with Christ,' underscoring the intimate identification with Christ's death that leads to a life no longer dominated by the world.
jfbGalatians 6:14: "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."
- Translate, "But as for me (in opposition to those gloriers 'in your flesh,' Ga 6:13), God forbid that I," &c.in the cross—the atoning death on the cross. Compare Php 3:3, 7, 8, as a specimen of his glorying. The "cross," the great object of shame to them, and to all carnal men, is the great object of glorying to me. For by it, the wo…
vincentGalatians 6:14: "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."
Contrast of Paul's own boasting and its ground with those of the false apostles.By whom (δι' οὗ)The relative may refer either to the cross, by which, or to Christ, by whom. The cross was a stumbling-block to the Jews (Galatians 3:13), and it is the crucified Christ that Paul is emphasizing. Comp. Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:24.The worl…
The profound insight here is the mutual crucifixion described: the world is dead to Paul, and Paul is dead to the world. This isn't just a one-way rejection; it's a reciprocal death to each other's influence and power, born from the ultimate act of sacrifice on the cross. This radical exchange means neither the world's temptations nor its judgments hold any sway over him anymore.
Paul is starkly contrasting his own ultimate source of pride with that of the Judaizing teachers, who were boasting in external markers like circumcision and adherence to the Law. He declares that he will boast in nothing but the cross of Christ, which signifies a radical death to the world's values and a new life in Christ. This statement climaxes Paul's argument about freedom in Christ, emphasizing that true identity and worth are found not in human achievements or traditions, but solely in Christ's atoning sacrifice.
Paul is starkly contrasting his own ultimate source of pride with that of the Judaizing teachers, who were boasting in external markers like circumcision and adherence to the Law. He declares that he will boast in nothing but the cross of Christ, which signifies a radical death to the world's values and a new life in Christ. This statement climaxes Paul's argument about freedom in Christ, emphasizing that true identity and worth are found not in human achievements or traditions, but solely in Christ's atoning sacrifice.
"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." — The profound insight here is the mutual crucifixion described: the world is dead to Paul, and Paul is dead to the world. This isn't just a one-way rejection; it's a reciprocal death to each other's…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
