[Translated by Theodore Graebner Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1949. This text was prepared by Laura J. Hoelter
for Project Wittenberg by Robert E. Smith and is in the public domain.
You may freely distribute, copy or print this text.]
CHAPTER 6
VERSE 11. Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with
mine own hand.
With these words the Apostle intends to draw the Galatians on. "I never,"
he says, "wrote such a long letter with my own hand to any of the other
churches." His other epistles he dictated, and only subscribed his greetings
and his signature with his own hand.
VERSE 12. As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they
constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution
for the cross of Christ.
Paul once more scores the false apostles in an effort to draw the Galatians
away from their false doctrine. "The teachers you have now do not seek
the glory of Christ and the salvation of your souls, but only their own
glory. They avoid the Cross. They do not understand what they teach."
These three counts against the false apostles are of so serious a nature
that no Christian could have fellowship with them. But not all the Galatians
obeyed the warning of Paul.
The Apostle's attack upon the false apostles was not unjustified. Neither
are our attacks upon the papacy. When we call the Pope the Antichrist and
his minions an evil brood, we do not slander them. We merely judge them
by the touchstone of God's Word recorded in the first chapter of this Epistle:
"Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than
that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
VERSE 13. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the
law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
In other words: "I shall tell you what kind of teachers you have now.
They avoid the Cross, they teach no certain truths. They think they are
performing the Law, but they are not. They have not the Holy Spirit and
without Him nobody can keep the Law." Where the Holy Ghost does not dwell
in men there dwells an unclean spirit, a spirit that despises God and turns
every effort at keeping the Law into a double sin.
Mark what the Apostle is saying: Those who are circumcised do not fulfill
the Law. No self-righteous person ever does. To work, pray, or suffer apart
from Christ is to work, pray, and to suffer in vain, "for whatsoever is
not of faith is sin." It does a person no good to be circumcised, to fast,
to pray, or to do anything, if in his heart he despises Christ.
"Why do the false apostles insist that you should be circumcised? Not
for the sake of your righteousness," although they give that impression,
but "that they may glory in your flesh." Now what sort of an ambition is
that? Worst of all, they force circumcision upon you for no other reason
than the satisfaction they get out of your submission.
VERSE 14. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
"God forbid," says the Apostle, "that I should glory in anything as
dangerous as the false apostles glory in because what they glory in is
a poison that destroys many souls, and I wish it were buried in hell. Let
them glory in the flesh if they wish and let them perish in their glory.
As for me I glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." He expresses
the same sentiment in the fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, where
he says: "We glory in tribulations"; and in the twelfth chapter of the
Second Epistle to the Corinthians: "Most gladly, therefore, will l rather
glory in my infirmities." According to these expressions the glory of a
Christian consists in tribulations, reproaches, and infirmities.
And this is our glory today with the Pope and the whole world persecuting
us and trying to kill us. We know that we suffer these things not because
we are thieves and murderers, but for Christ's sake whose Gospel we proclaim.
We have no reason to complain. The world, of course, looks upon us as unhappy
and accursed creatures, but Christ for whose sake we suffer pronounces
us blessed and bids us to rejoice. "Blessed are ye," says He, "when men
shall revile you, and persecute you. and shall say all manner of evil against
you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad." (Matt. 5:11,
12.)
By the Cross of Christ is not to be understood here the two pieces of
wood to which He was nailed, but all the afflictions of the believers whose
sufferings are Christ's sufferings. Elsewhere Paul writes: "Who now rejoice
in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions
of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church." (Col.
1:24.)
It is good for us to know this lest we sink into despair when our opponents
persecute us. Let us bear the cross for Christ's sake. It will ease our
sufferings and make them light as Christ says, Matthew 11:30, "My yoke
is easy, and my burden is light."
VERSE 14. By whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the
world.
"The world is crucified unto me," means that I condemn the world. "I
am crucified unto the world," means that the world in turn condemns me.
I detest the doctrine, the self-righteousness, and the works of the world.
The world in turn detests my doctrine and condemns me as a revolutionary
heretic. Thus the world is crucified unto us and we unto the world.
The monks imagined the world was crucified unto them when they entered
the monastery. Not the world, but Christ, is crucified in the monasteries.
In this verse Paul expresses his hatred of the world. The hatred was
mutual. As Paul, so we are to despise the world and the devil. With Christ
on our side we can defy him and say: "Satan, the more you hurt me, the
more I oppose you."
VERSE 15. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything,
nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Since circumcision and uncircumcision are contrary matters we would
expect the Apostle to say that one or the other might accomplish some good.
But he denies that either of them do any good. Both are of no value because
in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avail anything.
Reason fails to understand this, "for the natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God." (I Cor. 2:14.) It therefore seeks righteousness
in externals. However, we learn from the Word of God that there is nothing
under the sun that can make us righteous before God and a new creature
except Christ Jesus.
A new creature is one in whom the image of God has been renewed. Such
a creature cannot be brought into life by good works, but by Christ alone.
Good works may improve the outward appearance, but they cannot produce
a new creature. A new creature is the work of the Holy Ghost, who imbues
our hearts with faith, love, and other Christian virtues, grants us the
strength to subdue the flesh and to reject the righteousness of the world.
VERSE 16. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on
them, and mercy.
This is the rule by which we ought to live, "that ye put on the new
man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Eph.
4:24.) Those who walk after this rule enjoy the favor of God, the forgiveness
of their sins, and peace of conscience. Should they ever be overtaken by
any sin, the mercy of God supports them.
VERSE 17. From henceforth let no man trouble me.
The Apostle speaks these words with a certain amount of indignation.
"I have preached the Gospel to you in conformity with the revelation which
I received from Jesus Christ. If you do not care for it, very well. Trouble
me no more. Trouble me no more."
VERSE 17. For I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
"The marks on my body indicate whose servant I am. If I was anxious
to please men, if I approved of circumcision and good works as factors
in our salvation, if I would take delight in your flesh as the false apostles
do, I would not have these marks on my body. But because I am the servant
of Jesus Christ and publicly declare that no person can obtain the salvation
of his soul outside of Christ, I must bear the badge of my Lord. These
marks were given to me against my will as decorations from the devil and
for no other merit but that I made known Jesus."
Of the marks of suffering which he bore in his body the Apostle makes
frequent mention in his epistles. "I think," he says, "that God hath set
forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made
a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men." (I Cor. 4:9.) Again,
"Unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and
are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with
our hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being
defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the
offscouring of all things unto this day." (I Cor. 4:11-13.)
VERSE 18. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your
spirit. Amen.
This is the Apostle's farewell. He ends his Epistle as he began it by
wishing the Galatians the grace of God. We can hear him say: "I have presented
Christ to you, I have pleaded with you, I have reproved you, I have overlooked
nothing that I thought might be of benefit to you. All I can do now is
to pray that our Lord Jesus Christ would bless my Epistle and grant you
the guidance of the Holy Ghost."
The Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, who gave me the strength and the
grace to explain this Epistle and granted you the grace to hear it, preserve
and strengthen us in faith unto the day of our redemption. To Him, the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, be glory, world without end. Amen.
