Chapter 12: The Final Warning, part 2
by David Levy
But God forbid that I should glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Galatians 6:14)
Paul’s Walk
In contrast to the Judaizers, who gloried in human achievement, Paul “glor[ied]…in the cross of…Christ” (v. 14). He knew well of what he spoke, for in the past Paul had been a Pharisee, a religious zealot whose zeal for the law was unparalleled in Judaism. After coming to Christ, however, he counted it all as loss compared to the excellency of knowing Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:4–9). With a strong negative—“God forbid” (perish the thought) [v. 14]—he showed extreme disgust for glorying in anything other than the cross of Christ. But the apostle could glory in the cross, which is a symbol of the entire system of salvation and Christian belief.
Paul gave three reasons why he gloried in the cross. The first was his commitment: “the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (v. 14b). The word world denotes everything that is outside of and opposed to the things of Christ. It refers to the spiritual and moral character of this age of grace. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, all ages have been in spiritual darkness, greatly affected by Satan, “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). Believers have been freed from this evil system through the cross of Christ. Paul said that he was dead to the world’s evil system; it had no control over him. His motives were Christ-centered, not world-centered. He wanted the Galatians to follow him and his doctrine, not the fleshly doctrine of the Judaizers.
Paul’s second reason for glorying in the cross was that believers are set free from the ceremonial law: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature [creation]” (v. 15). Practices such as circumcision for the Jews or uncircumcision for the Gentiles do not provide a means of salvation (cp. 5:6). Salvation and a radical change in character are obtainable only through the work of Christ on the cross. No one can become a new creature by keeping ceremonial laws.
Paul’s third reason for glorying in the cross was that it is the only way through which believers can order their conduct in a way that pleases the Lord: “And as many as walk [order their conduct] according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God” (v. 16). His point was that the Galatians (especially the Judaizers among them) could choose how they would order their conduct regarding their acceptance of the grace of Christ through faith. The word rule (kanon) means a principle or standard of measurement. Believers are to order their conduct by the principles and standards of the gospel through the indwelling Holy Spirit, who empowers them to do so (cp. 5:16–17, 25). In so doing, they experience the “peace…and mercy” of God (v. 16). Conversely, those who refuse to walk according to this rule do not experience God’s peace and mercy.
Some scholars believe that Paul’s reference to “the Israel of God” (v. 16) applies to all true believers—Jews and Gentiles—who make up the church. This cannot be the correct interpretation for a number of reasons. First, the phrase “and upon the Israel of God” is an afterthought to the general benediction and shows Paul’s desire for Jewish people who embrace the gospel of Christ to receive God’s peace and mercy, referring to the true remnant within Israel (cp. Rom. 9:6, 27; 11:5). In this passage Paul recognized the true Jewish believers within the church. Second, the word and can be translated even (NIV), identifying “the Israel of God” as Jewish believers within the church. Third, the other 65 uses of the term Israel in the New Testament refer to the Jewish people. It would be strange for Paul to refer to Gentile Christians as “Israel.” Fourth, Paul elsewhere referred to two kinds of Israelites—believers and unbelievers (Rom. 9:6). It is clear that the phrase “the Israel of God” refers only to Jewish believers within the church.
Paul’s Wounds
Having fully dealt with the Judaizers’ legalism, Paul had one final word to the Galatian church on the subject: “Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (v. 17). He was not implying that he did not want to hear about problems or troubles the Galatian believers were facing. Nor was he asking the Judaizers to stop causing trouble for him. Rather, he was asking the Galatians to stop causing trouble for him by following the heretical practices and teachings of the Judaizers, for he bore in his body scars caused by his stand for the truth of the gospel of Christ as a committed servant of the Lord.
The word marks (Gr., stigmata) means brand and was often used in Paul’s day to denote ownership. Before his conversion Paul bore the mark of circumcision to identify himself as a Jew, but now he bore the marks of Christ, which identified him as a Jewish believer. The word was used in many different ways. Slaves in the Phrygian temples were branded with the name of their deity, showing that they were committed to serve that god for life. Likewise, Paul bore in his body the marks of service to his God (Col. 1:24). Soldiers were often marked with the name of their commanding general, indicating complete allegiance to him. Paul endured hardship as a good soldier of Christ; he kept the faith, fought a good fight, and finished the course laid out for him (2 Tim. 2:3; 4:7). Slaves were marked with a brand bearing the name of their owners. At the beginning of his epistles, Paul often identified himself as a servant (bond slave) of Christ (Rom. 1:1). Criminals were marked with a brand to identify them in society. Paul was branded as a criminal for the sake of the gospel and bore the marks of scourging, chains, and months spent in prison (2 Cor. 11:23–24). One writer states, “Paul’s body, marked by the assaults made upon his person, must often have been wracked with pain. Paul was a man old before his time, partly by reason of the sufferings…” (cp. 2 Cor. 4:8–11; 6:4–10; 7:5; 12:7–10).
In closing his letter, Paul showed deep affection for the Galatians, calling them “Brethren” (v. 18). Ending as he began, he pronounced a benediction on his readers: “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit” (v. 18; cp. 1:3). One writer aptly called this “A final declaration of grace over law.” Paul ended his letter with “Amen” (so be it) [v. 18], affirming all that he had said between the two graces.
George Bennard went through a very difficult experience that caused him to reflect on the significance of the cross and what the Apostle Paul meant when he spoke of entering into the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings. While contemplating Paul’s experience, Bennard was convinced that the cross was not just a religious symbol but the heart of the gospel. In 1913, while ministering in Albion, Michigan, he wrote the beloved hymn, “The Old Rugged Cross.” The last two stanzas go like this:
In the old rugged cross,
stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see;
For ‘twas on that old cross
Jesus suffered and died
To pardon and sanctify me.
To the old rugged cross
I will ever be true,
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day
To my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.
Friend, will you, like Paul, bear the shame and reproach of the Christ who died on the old rugged cross, thus proclaiming that salvation comes by grace through faith—plus nothing?
 David Levy is the Director of International Ministries for The Friends of Israel.
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