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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.
Galatians 6:14 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
  • BSB But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
  • NKJV But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
  • NASB But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
  • NLT As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Paul refuses to boast in anything except the cross of Christ, through which he is crucified to the world and the world to him. It locates the believer's only true glory in Christ's saving death.

Overview

Against those who boasted in human achievement, Paul glories solely in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Through the cross the world's values and claims have lost their hold on him, and he has died to them. This verse captures the heart of the gospel: salvation and the believer's whole identity are grounded in Christ crucified, not in self or the flesh.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 31

  • Rom 6:6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
  • Jer 9:23–24Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
  • Gal 2:20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
  • 1 Cor 2:2For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
  • Phil 3:3For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
  • Rom 1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
  • Gal 5:24And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
  • 2 Cor 12:10–11Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
  • 1 Jn 2:15–17Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
  • Col 3:1–3If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
  • Phil 1:20–21According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
  • Phil 3:7–11But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
  • 1 Cor 3:21Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
  • Job 31:24–25If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
  • 1 Cor 15:58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
  • 1 Jn 5:4–5For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
  • Isa 45:24–25Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
  • Acts 20:23–24Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
  • Ps 49:6They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
  • 1 Cor 1:29–31That no flesh should glory in his presence.
  • Ezek 28:2Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:
  • 1 Cor 1:23But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
  • Gal 1:4Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
  • 2 Cor 5:14–16For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
  • Rom 3:4–6God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
  • 2 Kgs 14:9–11And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.
  • Rom 6:2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
  • 2 Cor 11:12But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
  • Dan 5:20–21But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
  • Dan 4:30–31The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
  • Ps 52:1Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Galatians videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Galatians 6:14YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on GalatiansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Christ became a curse for us to redeem us from the law's curse, that we might receive the Spirit and be sons — justified by faith in him, not by works.

How Galatians 6:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.