# Brothers, if I still proclaim circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?

Paul is describing a situation that does not exist to emphasize that people are persecuting him because he is not preaching that people need to become Jews. This can be stated in active form. AT: "Brothers, you can see that I am not still proclaiming circumcision because the Jews are persecuting me." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo]])

# Brothers

See how you translated this in [Galatians 1:2](../01/01.md).

# In that case the stumbling block of the cross has been removed

Paul is describing a situation that does not exist to emphasize that people persecute him because he is preaching that God forgives people because of Jesus' work on the cross. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo]])

# In that case

"If I were still saying that people need to become Jews"

# the stumbling block of the cross has been removed

This can be stated in active form. AT: "the teaching about the cross has no stumbling block" or "there is nothing in the teaching of the cross that would cause people to stumble" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])

# the stumbling block of the cross has been removed

Stumbling represents sinning, and a stumbling block represents something that causes people to sin. In this case the sin is to reject the truth of the teaching that in order to be made right with God, people only need to believe that Jesus died on the cross for us. AT: "the teaching about the cross that causes people to reject the truth has been removed" or "there is nothing in the teaching about Jesus dying on the cross that would lead people to reject the teaching" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])

# castrate themselves

Possible meanings are 1) literal, to cut off their male organs so as to become eunuchs or 2) metaphorical, completely withdraw from the Christian community. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/brother]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/proclaim]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/circumcise]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/persecute]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/stumblingblock]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/cross]]