Vs. 11 - “See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.”
“I am writing to you” - Most of Paul’s letters were not ‘written’ by Paul, but dictated to an amanuensis (a.k.a.: ‘scribe’ ). I find it fairlly difficult to dictate letters or specifications, to be as concise as I need to be, and there are lots of pauses and ‘uhhhhhs’ and stutters. (Perhaps that is why some of Paul’s sentences are so long and tortuous.) However...
Paul took pen (quill?) in hand for a short portion of this letter.
It is not known what illness Paul had at the time, but it appears that he had some problem with his eyes which is why he dictated. He wrote a few words here, much larger than being written by the scribe. He personalized this letter.
Vs. 12 - “Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.”
“Make a good showing the flesh” - A couple of things may have created this statement.
(1) Some false teachers are avoiding trouble with “Judaizers” (people demanding Christians must become Jews first before they can be saved). The Judaizers were creating friction in the church. Going along with them might bring a peaceful resolution. The ‘peacemakers’ would feel good about themselves.
(2) Some false teachers want exert power over the local body, becoming prominent in the community.
(3) Seeking approval of people rather than God is perilous. See Jesus’ accusation against the Pharisees in Matt. 27:23. Trying to please people reminds me of an old Saturday Night Live routine where one of the comedians parodied Ricardo Montalban, “You look mahvahlous! It is better to look good than to be good.”
But those reasons are not whole story...
“Compel you to be circumcised” - This is a heresy that denies the power of the cross and resurrection! “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Titus 3:5-6
The Gospel is: Christ alone, and Him crucified!
The Gospel is: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Eph. 2:8,9.
The question that must asked: If salvation requires you to work, to build upon Jesus’ sacrifice to satisfy God’s perfect justice, how do you know if you have succeeded? How does an imperfect, flawed human perform enough perfect deeds to satisfy a Holy and perfect judge? (Or any perfect deeds!) Where is the victory over sin? Where is the victory over shame and guilt and death?
“So they will not be persecuted” - An explanation to Paul’s accusation: the false teachers are taking the easy way - the broad road - so they won’t suffer! If these false teachers give in to the critics and add “works” to the doctrine being taught they won’t be persecuted. This flies in the face of the Gospel of Jesus - “Jesus *said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” (John 14:6) "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) “but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,” (1 Cor. 1:23). No wonder Paul is having a heart attack (figuratively) - he KNOWS this way of teaching leads to death.
He also knows that Jesus promised that if we follow Him the world will hate us. See John 15:20.
Vs. 13 - “For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.”
“do not even keep the Law themselves” - And here’s the rub... These false teachers are hypocrites! They may be circumcised, but fail to keep the rest of the Law. Paul does not indicate where they are failing. Does it matter? No! Our salvation is in Christ, not in what we do. “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Titus 3:5-6
“that they may boast in your flesh” - Note they are boasting that they got the Galatians to be circumcised. Their big gain is to turn people who are seeking Christ, and seeking salvation through Him, into rules followers, not necessarily followers of Christ. They are very pleased with themselves.
Vs. 14 - “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
“may it never be that I would boast” - Paul is not shy about sharing his background. (See: Phil. 3:4-6, and others)
“except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” - Paul says it clearly. Although he had much for which to be proud, it all was worth absolutely nothing compared to knowing Christ. See: “More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things - indeed, I regard them as dung! - that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ's faithfulness - a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ's faithfulness. My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Phil. 3:8-11)
Vs. 15 - “For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”
“neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision” - Paul boasts only in the fact that Christ has saved him, by grace through faith. Nothing else matters. He says that God’s extends to the worst sinners. “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” 1 Tim. 1:15-16.
Not works; not bodily mutilation (Circumcision! Likened to bodily mutilation. This is a MAJOR step for Paul! He knew personally the importance of circumcision to the Jews!); there are no tasks we can do that pay the enormous cost for our sin. We are helpless; like a person being swept away in a raging flood, unable to save themselves. God has snatched us out of certain death, placing us on high ground!
We get no brownie points for being uncircumcised. That no reason to feel superior - it does not make us better Christians. Being circumcised does not make you a Jew, nor does it give any advantage as a Christian. The old covenant, especially the Mosaic covenant does not apply.
“a new creation” - God is not repairing our bodies - a little “Bondo”, some paint, zip-zap-zoop and you’re healed. That is not God’s plan. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) Nicodemus protested, not understanding what was said. Jesus clarified, “Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.“ (John 3:5) Paul echoes this in his letter to the Corinthians, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor. 5:17) The old body cannot be repaired. It must be replaced. The amazing thing is that or new bodies will be just like Jesus. See what John had to say: “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” (1 John 3:2)
Vs. 16 - “And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”
“walk by this rule” - What rule? Salvation is in Christ! His resurrection shows that the old body and nature has been put to death when Christ died. The new body and nature is alive because HE is alive, resurrected from the dead. The new is not by works - circumcision, offerings, sacrifice of animals, etc. The new is by faith in Christ and Him crucified.
“peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” - Lest you think that Paul is holding grudges, he offers up this blessing for those who shun the false teachings and those who refuse to teach these falsehoods. He also blesses Israel. (Paul is not anti-Israel; Anti-Semitic, in today’s parlance.) Note it is ‘the Israel of God’, not just ‘Israel’. This suggests Paul is referring to believers such as him, i.e., Jews who confess Jesus Christ as Lord, and accept Him as God and Savior. It would make no sense for Paul to call for a blessing upon a recalcitrant nation of Jews, which describes Paul before his encounter on the road to Damascus.
God the Father has claimed Israel as His own, and He has something special planned for them.
Vs. 17 - “From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.”
“let no one cause trouble for me“ - He has been persecuted. See: “Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” (2 Cor. 11:24-27) Paul essentially says, “Don’t antagonize people on my account, I get plenty of attention for Christ’s sake all by myself.”
Vs. 18 - “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.”
A closing blessing, asking that the believers in Galatia be graced with the peace and love by the grace of Christ. Isn’t that what we all desire. And all the people said, “Amen!”
