Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Galatians 6:14

Galatians 6:14. But as for myself, let it never happen (or, far be it) that I should glory (in any thing) save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which (the cross) the world hath been crucified to me and I to the world. The cross, as the material instrument of capital punishment of criminals and slaves, is the most ignominious of gibbets; the cross as the symbol of Christ's passion signifies the most glorious of facts and truths, namely, the atonement for the sins of the world. The cross of Christ was a stumbling-block to the Jews and foolishness to the heathen, and is so still to the unconverted man, because it is death to the flesh, the world, and the devil. It destroys all self-righteousness and boasting. It is the deepest humiliation of self, the strongest exhibition of man's guilt, which required even the sacrifice of the Son of God, and of God's love which made that sacrifice, and the strongest stimulus to gratitude for such amazing love. Hence Paul determined to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Corinthians 2:2; Philippians 3:7 ff.). Christ crucified for our sins and raised for our justification was his ruling passion, his one idea which changed his life and by which he converted others. In the cross of Christ is contained the whole redemption. ‘Through which,' the cross, the instrument of Christ's crucifixion, and my crucifixion with Him (Galatians 2:20). Others translate ‘through whom,' namely, Christ; but this would rather be expressed by ‘in whom.' ‘The world' alienated from God with all its vanities and sinful desires. So the word is often used by Paul and John. The world has lost all its charm and attraction for the Christian, and the Christian has lost all his appetite for the world; they are dead to each other; old things have passed away, Christ is all in all.

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Galatians 6:14

Old Testament

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