Study of Galatians Part 22 - Galatians 6:11-18

Last week, we heard Paul calling the Galatians and us not to “sow” seeds to our own sinful nature, focusing on and glorifying it and its selfish desires. Rather, we are to “sow to the Spirit,” as the Spirit leads us to “eternal life.” That path leads to doing much good for others, too, in gratefulness to God, including fellow believers in Christ, who are “of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:6-10).

As Paul closed his letter, then, he wanted to emphasize that this was truly his own message, written by the direction and inspiration of God. Paul wrote, “See with what large letters I am writing to you in my own hand” (Galatians 6:11). Most likely, this means that Paul had dictated this letter, written down then by someone else, but signed it in his own special way here, to give proof of his authorship.

See how Paul did something similar in 1 Corinthians 16:21, Colossians 4:18. and 2 Thessalonians 3:17, and how Peter also indicated that he wrote his first letter “by Silvanus” in 1 Peter 5:12. Even today in the US, people sometimes speak of signing their “John Hancock,” referring to the very large way in which Hancock wrote his signature on the Declaration of Independence, as the president of the continental congress and the first signer. Some think that Paul wrote this whole letter himself in “large letters,” and this might be an indication that his “bodily ailment” mentioned in Galatians 4:13-15 might have been an eye problem, causing him to write in such a big way.

Regardless, Paul went on to reemphasize a few key ideas of his letter. In Galatians 6:12-13,15, he said that “forcing” the Galatians “to be circumcised” was wrong. The false teachers were trying to “make a good showing in the flesh” for their own benefit, and not really for the good of the Galatians. They should have known that under the “new creation” (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) in Jesus as Savior, “neither circumcision nor uncircumcision count for anything” (Galatians 6:15). Trusting Jesus and what He had already done for the whole world was the key.

The false teachers were only trying to make themselves look better in the eyes of Jewish leaders by insisting on the need for circumcision and keeping other Jewish laws and traditions. This might help them avoid some of strong attacks and persecution coming from the Jews toward Christians. (Remember what Paul suffered at the hands of Jews in Acts 14:19-23. He was stoned and left for dead.) At least these false teachers were getting some Gentiles to look more “Jewish” by forcing them to be circumcised, etc. That might help these teachers to protect them from radical Jews and keep them from being “persecuted for the cross of Christ” (Galatians 6:12).

This “Jewish-like” stance might help some of the false teachers to be protected also from Roman persecution. At the point when Paul wrote this letter to the Galatians, Roman leaders were still tending to be tolerant of Jewish religious beliefs. If some Christians were considered just another offshoot Jewish sect, as the false teachers were really acting like, then that might provide these leaders more protection from Romans, too.

This all changed after the Jewish rebellion against Rome in the late 60s AD and the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and many Jews in 70 AD. It might have helped these false teachers and those who followed them, though, in earlier days, when Paul wrote this letter. But obviously, Jewish opposition to Jesus and pressure on the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, helped in putting Jesus to death on the cross. Jesus received no protection, even as a circumcised Jew.

Paul also pointed out that “even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law.” They cannot and do not do everything required by their own standards. The standard is perfection if we want to earn our own salvation (Matthew 5:48). No one comes anywhere close to that. Paul kept saying that truth in Galatians. (See also Galatians 2:15-16, 3:10-11, etc.) The false teachers wanted converts to their pro-circumcision, pro-law viewpoint, in whom they could boast, but no one could boast of being that good, that perfect (Galatians 6:13).

Finally, Paul took himself (and the Galatian believers and us) back to where we all need to be -  to the hope we have alone in Christ Jesus and His cross (and then in His mighty resurrection from the dead for us all). Connected to Christ and His death, by His grace, though faith in Him, we died, through His crucifixion and death, to our old sinful life and nature, and are raised to be that “new creation” headed for eternal life (Galatians 6:14). (See also Galatians 2:20-21 and passages like Romans 6:3-11, along with Galatians 3:26.)

Paul boasted in nothing “except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” There was his hope. When Paul spoke of his own troubles and “the marks of Jesus, that he bore on his own body,” he was not boasting about himself and what he had gone through (and would go through for Jesus) (Galatians 6:17). He did not think he was earning anything, even any merit, because of his suffering. He simply knew the reality of what he and others spoke of, after he had been stoned and left for dead in Lystra, when he had been in Galatia, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

Paul also may have been referring to the fact that in the ancient Greek world, both slaves and animals often bore the mark of their owner or master, sort of as cattle are sometimes “branded” in our own culture. Paul bore the “marks of Jesus” on himself, as a servant of Christ, as the Galatians and we are, too; but these are not marks of bondage, but of freedom in Christ and so many eternal blessings that are our in Jesus, even though there will also be times of suffering in this life, as we try to stay close to Christ and His Word, “walking in line with the rule of Christ and the Holy Spirit (Galatians 6:16-17).

Paul ended this letter as he began it, speaking of “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” and the “peace and mercy” that will be upon upon the Galatians and us, and “with our spirits,” in Christ. (See Galatians 6:16,18 and Galatians 1:3-5, which also spoke of the cross of Christ, as He gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the "present evil age.”) Note also that this is not a “theology of glory,” where we think in any way of what we have done or accomplished or need to accomplish truly to be saved. There is not an additional list of what we still need to do to be real Christians, as the false teachers at Galatia had given.

“The glory is God’s alone, forever and ever” (Galatians 1:5). Paul’s letter is a “theology of the cross” where Paul boasted only in the cross of Jesus and what He had accomplished already for us, through the cross and then His mighty resurrection. He also called the Galatians and us “brethren,” part of the family of God, simply through faith in Christ and His cross, whether we are Jews as Paul was, or Gentiles, as the Galatians were (Galatians 6:18).

Notice that Paul was also speaking of the true “Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16). This is no longer the Israel of the Old Testament, waiting for the promised Savior and practicing circumcision and the many Old Testament sacrifices and ceremonies and laws. The Savior has come, in the Person of Christ crucified and risen for Jews and Galatians and us, whoever we are.

Paul had spoken of this “Israel of God” several times in Galatians. (See Galatians 3:5-9, 14, 15-18, 22, 26-29; 4:4-7, 28-31, etc.) There are not two separate and equal covenants, one for the Jews and one for the Gentiles. Paul, a Jew, never spoke that way once he had seen and come to faith in Christ. He proclaimed Christ crucified, the Savior for all, and in whom everyone must believe. He alone is our Hope and our Savior, together with the plan of God the Father and the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:14.22-24,27-31, 2:1-5).

Paul ended this letter with the word, “Amen” (Galatians 6:18). He used it at the beginning, as well, in Galatians 1:5. When Jesus said, “Truly, truly I say to you” (as in John 3:5 and many other places), He literally said, “Amen, Amen, I say to you.” The word means: “This is really true.” It emphasizes that what is said is “most certainly true.”

We can and should say “Amen” to all that Paul has written in this letter. God gives us eternal hope in all the promises in Christ, and they are ours, simply by faith on Jesus, and not by any works we need to add. It is truly good news for us all to believe  and to share with others, in love and care for others, as Jesus first has loved us. When you doubt your own goodness and worthiness, as we all do and should, read this letter again! Our hope is in Christ alone, and His gift, His declaration of righteousness, for us, because of what He has done for us.