Tyndale Open Study Notes on Galatians 6:16

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Modern study notes
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

6:16 This principle is putting trust in Christ for salvation (6:14-15) • they are the new people of God (literally and [or even] upon the Israel of God): The Greek conjunction kai, usually translated “and,” often means “even.” If it means and, then the Israel of God is a separate group from all who live by this principle; if it means even, then they are the same group. The Jewish people still have an identity before God (Rom 9:1-5; 10:1-4; 11:1-32). Gentiles who believe have been grafted in, and Jews who disbelieve have been pruned out of the spiritual Israel (Rom 11:17-24; cp. Phil 3:2-3; Col 2:11-12). Paul thus considers all Christians to be the true Israel (see Rom 2:28-29; 9:6-8; cp. Gal 4:21-31). The phrase the Israel of God does not appear elsewhere in the New Testament or in other literature; perhaps the false teachers promised this identification to Gentiles who would accept circumcision. If so, then Paul turned their argument on its head: The believing Gentiles in Galatia didn’t need circumcision, for they were already God’s Israel—his true people—through faith in Christ.

Read Galatians 6:16 →Read the full chapter →John Gill's Exposition →Jamieson, Fausset & Brown →Barnes' Notes →Wesley's Explanatory Notes →Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge →

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