Galatians 6:11-18 (NIV)
See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!
Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.
Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
Paul, like most people of his day, wrote letters with the help of an amanuensis, a professional scribe. These scribes provided many “fringe benefits” to their employers. In addition to ensuring proper spelling, they also corrected any grammatical errors made by the dictators for whom Greek was often a second language.
But Paul always included a short passage that he wrote himself at the end of his letters to the Churches, which served as a mark of authenticity (2 Thessalonians 3:17). His handwriting was distinctive, very recognizable, and in this letter, quite a bit larger than that of his scribe.
Some have combined this section with the cryptic information in Galatians 4:12-15 to suggest that Paul’s “illness” which first brought him to the Galatians was problems with his eyes, possibly left over from the blindness caused by his Damascus Road experience (Acts 9:8-9, 17-19), and causing him to have to write his letters large so that he could see them. But this is not necessarily the case. Many professional scribes wrote a small hand in order to save space and papyrus. So, it is entirely possible that Paul’s writing was only large by comparison.
In any case, Paul uses his postscript to restate and reinforce the key ideas of his letter. Circumcision does not save a person, so don’t let the Judaizers compel you to desert the salvation you received by grace through faith, trading it for salvation by works which wasn’t even effective for the Judaizers themselves, but merely added to their list of converts. It is only the new creation, worked by the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who receive salvation by faith in Jesus alone that is important.
Paul’s remark in verse 17, that he bears on his body the marks of Jesus, is easy to understand if you read his history in the book of Acts. By the time Paul wrote this letter, he had been beaten, whipped, stoned, and mistreated in other ways by those who resisted his teachings. His body bore scars and wounds for the cause of Christ, in a very real sense, filling up in his flesh “what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.” (Colossians 1:24 NIV) This is no boast on Paul’s behalf, but simply the genuine contrast between what he had suffered for the gospel and the evident lack of suffering on the part of the Judaizers.
As was his normal practice, Paul closed his letter by praying for the grace of Jesus Christ to be powerfully present in the Galatian Christians. This grace would strengthen them and enable them to stand firm in the face of opposition and suffering, and thus to be victorious over those who wanted to draw them off the true Way.
Father, what an amazingly powerful ending to this important letter. Not many of us today in western countries have had to suffer much for the gospel, although many of our brothers and sisters in other countries have. This is a strong reminder for us to keep true to Your gospel and Your word, no matter how many calls there are to turn aside. And that holds true whether we are subject to active persecution or are living in relative ease. Help us, Lord, to keep our eyes steadfastly on You and Your way, so that we can finish the race well. Amen.