From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
Summary: As Paul closes his letter to the Galatians, he makes a rather unusual statement. We are left wondering how much we should read into his words.
As I read Paul’s penultimate words to us from his letter to the Galatians, my heart feels sad. In my mind, I hear the voice of a tired warrior who is weary of fighting the same battles over and over.
Why else include this sentence in his letter?
We know from an earlier verse that Paul is writing this letter with his own hand (Galatians 6:11). The normal first-century equivalent to a laptop with a spell checker was someone called a “scribe.” A scribe specialized in writing words on parchment. They were highly skilled and very knowledgeable.
If you have ever taken a calligraphy class, you know a little bit of what a scribe does. The art of making words legible involves writing in straight lines across the paper with consistent pen strokes. A scribe doesn’t make mistakes. Working with pen and ink does not leave room for error. Scribes cannot erase their mistakes, so there is no room for error. That is how good they are.
Not having a scribe at hand, Paul writes his own letter. Is he alone? No, it appears that he has company. He opens his letter with a reference to “all the brothers and sister with me (Galatians 1:2). Yet he sounds tired.
We know that the letter to the Galatians is written late in Paul’s life because Chapter Two recounts many events that have taken place throughout Paul’s ministry. The marks on his body that he refers to also bear testimony to the suffering he has endured for Christ (2 Corinthians 11:16-33).
Am I reading too much into Paul’s words? Possibly. Nobody can know with certainty the answers to questions about history. God knows, and that is enough.
For now, I hear Paul telling us he is tired of batting away the flies of doubt and confusion. It is almost like he is asking in exasperation, “Why can’t people just have faith?”
It is a good question!
Application: Practice living in faith every day.
Food for Thought: What kind of “trouble” do you think Paul refers to in this passage?
Paul has spent a great deal of time and effort explaining, very thoroughly, that it is through grace by faith in Christ and Christ alone that we receive the gift of salvation. I think the trouble Paul is referring to are people who hear the truth but refuse to believe it or don’t take the message in council with the Holy Spirit, and want to argue with Paul, blame Paul, and persecute Paul about it.
Taking just this line out of context, one might get the impression Paul is throwing his hands up, but for the fact that he just explained faith in Christ and life in God’s Spirit, Paul is saying, “time for you to do some work” and “stop making it about me.”
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
1 Corinthians 2:13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
Chris,
Great comments! I especially like your interpretation of Paul’s thought: “time for you to do some work” and “stop making it about me.”
According to Strong’s Concordance, the Greek word used (kopos) refers to laborious toil and involves weariness and fatigue. The background of the word is receiving a blow that significantly weakens or debilitates.
So this fits well with what CH shared above and it also fits well with your devotion.
It appears that others are making Paul’s work burdensome and he is fatigued as a result. Paul seems to be imploring others to stop doing so.
Ministry can be hard and wearying: there is the demonic attack of a spiritual enemy, there are natural roadblocks that life throws, there are our own shortcomings. But I think one of the most disheartening situations is when fellow brothers and sisters in Christ go out of their way to strike a blow. That can get old fast. It is good for us to help others in their ministry as opposed to making their efforts for Christ more difficult.
Thank you, Rich.
Honestly, I sometimes wonder how you keep your sanity as a pastor.
Even when we try to be good Christians, we still end up getting on each other’s nerves.
Sometimes, like Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:36-41), even good friends sometimes don’t see eye to eye.
Hopefully, keeping centered on Jesus will also encourage unity in faith.
I find it encouraging that you think I am sane
LOL!
Humor is a wonderful asset when it comes to staying sane. Humility is another one. You have a delightful abundance of both.
🙂
Good responses CH & R!
What kind of “trouble” do you think Paul refers to in this passage?
Every parent can recall at least one occasion when they patiently, repeatedly responded to their child’s, why?, but why?, but why? At some point I would simply reply in a slow, slightly raised voice, BECAUSE I SAID SO!
Galatians 6:11, NOTICE WHAT LARGE LETTERS I USE AS I WRITE THESE CLOSING WORDS IN MY OWN HANDWRITING!!!!!
Paul tells them to notice the increased size of closing letters. Paul wants them to fully understand, these final words are being written by him, he has stopped using his scribe. He is clearly the authority here and he has said all there needs to be said, this matter is closed.
Galatians 6:17, From now on, don’t let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.
Ron,
What a great insight in the LARGE LETTERS! 🙂
Thank you!