Galatians 6

Galatians 6:1-5

Chapter 33 Serving One Another “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.” (Galatians 6:1-5) The Galatians had foolishly been trying to bear the heavy burden of the Mosaic law. They had entangled themselves again with the yoke of bondage. They endeavored to establish righteousness for themselves by the works of the law. None of them said, “We are saved by our own works.” Satan does not work in such an open manner. These lawmongers at Galatia were saying, “We are saved by grace, but only if we keep the law.” Others of them said, “We are saved by grace alone, in so far as our justification is concerned; but in order to be sanctified we must keep the law as a rule of life.” In reality their doctrine was the same. They were attempting to mix law and grace. They had forsaken the gospel way of salvation by grace alone. Now Paul says to them, “Do you want a law to live by? Then live by the rule of the law of Christ ¾ love.” Here is a law that is a living principle. It touches the heart, influences the life, honors God, and is sympathetic towards and helpful to men. The whole law is fulfilled in this one thing ¾ love. Without it, all the pretentious, self-righteous piety men claim to possess is hypocrisy. It seems quite remarkable to me that those self-righteous people, who apparently want all men to know that they make the law of Moses their rule of life, usually forget that which is the essence and spirit of the law — love. They are (in their own minds) so righteous that they become stern, hard, severe, critical, and judgmental, which is being unrighteous. Even the righteousness of the Mosaic law is a righteousness of love. But I have never found one of those self-righteous legalists who was tender-hearted, kind, and gentle. He looks at the killing letter of the law and becomes as hard and stern as death. Let this be the law by which we live: —”Love one another.” Reject that which is hard, stern, and severe. “Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” In chapter 5 the Apostle urged us to serve one another by love, telling us that it is love that fulfils the law, not religious ceremony and a pretentious show of piety (Galatians 5:13-14). Here, he tells us how to serve one another in love. Restore the Fallen Paul begins this chapter by telling us that when a brother or sister in Christ is fallen, those who are spiritual (that is to say, believers, those who walk in the Spirit) are to restore the fallen. — “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one.” He tells us how to restore them. — “In the spirit of meekness.” He explains what the spirit of meekness is. — “Considering thyself.” Then, he presses his admonition home. — “Lest thou also be tempted.” The church of God is a family. Believers are brothers and sisters in the household of faith. The love that knits a family together and makes it strong is manifest in the tender care each member of the family has for the rest. In a strong, loving family the whole family rallies to the needs of one. The greater the need is, the more the family’s love is poured out to meet the need. And the need is never greater than when one in the family is, by his own folly, fallen. That is the need to which Paul addresses himself here. Believers never have greater opportunity to show their love to one another, or greater opportunity to exemplify that which James calls “pure religion and undefiled,” than in seeking the restoration of a fallen brother or sister in Christ. Those who walk in the Spirit must take great care, when they look upon one who is fallen, not to indulge the lust of the flesh, that pride and self-righteousness that is quick to take the judgment-seat, looking down upon the fallen in a pretense of pity that says, “Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.” Let us ever hear our Savior’s words, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Anytime we start to look upon a fallen saint with such self-righteous contempt, we ought to ask ourselves, “Why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.” It is the lust of the flesh that jumps at the chance to distance ourselves from the fallen, put them out of the church, and show the world that we are a “holy” people who do not countenance sin. The instruction Paul gives us here is not in any way a detriment to proper church discipline. Rather, it is proper church discipline. The purpose of discipline in the family is not to exclude the fallen member, but to restore him. There are many who move from church to church, looking for that perfect church. They attend a church only long enough to see a problem, and then they are off to another in their endless search of a congregation that is worthy of such fine people as they think themselves to be. A story is commonly told that illustrates my point. Frederick the Great of Prussia once toured a prison, interviewing many of the inmates. One prisoner after another insisted that he was innocent of the crime for which he was imprisoned, asserting that he had been falsely accused and convicted. Finally, he spoke to a prisoner who frankly admitted his guilt and acknowledged that his imprisonment was just. Frederick called for the prison guards — “Quickly! Release this man, lest he corrupt all these innocent men!” In all things, our Lord Jesus teaches us to be compassionate and tender, not harsh and severe. We are to restore the fallen “in the spirit of meekness.” Paul’s own explanation of this “spirit of meekness” is given in his next words. — “Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” When we remind ourselves that we are nothing but sinners saved by grace, that our only righteousness is Christ, and that we are kept from doing the very same thing our fallen brother or sister has done, only by the grace of God, we are compelled to be gentle in dealing with the fallen. The absolute truth of the matter is that we are all sinners (Romans 6:23). If we say we have no sin, or that in anything we have not sinned, we deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8; 1 John 1:10). “In many things, we offend all”(James 3:2). Sin is not necessarily a matter of willful rebellion against God. It is often, as stated here, being “overtaken in a fault.” Stumbles and falls do not imply willfulness, but weakness. That is not an attempt to excuse sin; but it is an indication of how we are to look upon the sins of our brothers and sisters in Christ, — not as crimes to be punished, but as weaknesses requiring help. When a child falls, you do not beat him, or even scold him.

You pick him up, help him, and do whatever needs to be done for him. Regardless of the nature of the fall, when a brother or sister is “overtaken in a fault,” those who trust Christ, those who walk in the Spirit, those who know they are sinners saved by grace alone, are to restore the fallen. Burden Bearing Here is another way we are to serve one another in love. — “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Pastor Scott Richardson once said, “Life in this world begins with a slap on the bottom and ends with a shovel full of dirt in your face; and everything between the two are but bumps and bruises and heartache.” That is exactly the way Solomon describes it. Isn’t it? — “For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 2:23-24). Life can be difficult. For some people one heartache seems to follow another, often in rapid succession. Faith in Christ does not change that fact. Believers suffer the same heartaches and sorrows that other people suffer. Many who walk with God in faith, trusting Christ, like David, have spouses who despise them and children who crush their hearts. Many who are made perfect in Christ, like Job, endure bereavement, bodily sickness, emotional anguish, being misunderstood and misrepresented by friends, and at times feel utterly forsaken by God. The fact is we all need help along the way as we make our pilgrimage through this world. Life in this world is full of trouble and care. If a brother or sister is weighed down by some burden, we are to be alert to their needs and do what we can to help. We must not allow them to carry the crushing load alone. And we must take care not to add to their burden, like the Pharisees (Matthew 23:4), indicating that their burden is somehow connected with their own lack of faith and righteousness, or some secret sin. We must not divorce Galatians 6:2 from Galatians 6:1. The two are connected. Paul is specifically telling us that we are to bear our fallen bother or sister’s burden of sin, and to bear it as our own, in love ministering to the needs of the fallen, forgiving the fault, and helping them to recover. Someone once said, “Christians are the only ones who shoot their wounded.” That is not true. Religious people may shoot their wounded, but Christians mend the wounds. The way we treat those who have fallen is a very real indication of our own relationship with Christ. By thus bearing one another’s burdens, Paul says, we “fulfil the law of Christ” (John 13:34-35). The Judaizers at Galatia were attempting to bring the Galatian believers back under the law of Moses. Here Paul makes a clear contrast, telling us that we are to live and be motivated not by the law of Moses written on tables of stone, but by the law of Christ written in our hearts. Self-deception All pride is self-deception. — “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself” (Galatians 6:3). If anyone imagines that he is better than his fallen brother or sister, or that he would not do the things the fallen has done because he is stronger, more spiritual, more righteous, or more holy than the one who has fallen, he is simply deceiving himself (1 John 1:7-10). — “Man at his best state is altogether vanity.” — “In my flesh dwelleth no good thing.” We owe our being, our knowledge, our mercies, our preservation, and our gifts to God alone (1 Corinthians 4:7). In ourselves, and left to ourselves, we are nothing and know nothing. All such pride and self-righteousness is an abomination to God (Proverbs 6:16-18). Such an attitude in anyone, John Gill correctly observed, is an indication that, “He is destitute of the grace of God, he deceives himself and the truth is not in him.” Self-examination “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another” (Galatians 6:4). — Here Paul calls for self-examination. We are not to sit in judgment over others, but over ourselves. It is so easy to compare ourselves with others, whom we look upon as weaker or less gifted believers because they have fallen, and to think we are something special, that we are strong, or that we are better than them. What arrogant folly! Let us each prove the sincerity of our faith in and love for Christ by the Word of God. If we are honest, we will find plenty to judge and condemn in ourselves, without having to compare ourselves with others and condemning them. When Paul says, “then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone,” he is speaking ironically. His meaning is just the opposite of that. We know that is the case because he declares in Philippians 3:3 that all who are born of God “rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.” He is not here telling us that we are to look within ourselves for personal righteousness, that we may have assurance of salvation. We are to look outside ourselves to Christ alone for assurance (Hebrews 11:1; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31). — “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.” If we will heed Paul’s admonition, we will have every reason to be ashamed of ourselves. We will own and acknowledge our sinfulness and shame, while at the same time rejoicing in a conscience void of guilt before God, because Christ has redeemed us and given us perfect righteousness, complete forgiveness, and absolute acceptance with the holy Lord God (Hebrews 9:12-14; Hebrews 10:22; 2 Corinthians 1:12). It is in this sense that we are to understand Paul’s words. A believer may rejoice “in himself,” in the vindication of his own character before men, though not before God, as Job and David did. The fruit of the Spirit in us is the result, not the cause, of our justification and righteousness before God. Believers do not point to the sins and faults of others, rejoicing in those things to their own praise, using them to convince themselves or others that they are not like the fallen. That is the attitude of the self-righteous Pharisee and hypocrite. Judgment Day Believers understand and live in the awareness that every person will be judged for his own works, not for another’s. — “For every man shall bear his own burden” (Galatians 6:5). In the Day of Judgment we will answer for ourselves, not for others. Yes, there is a day coming when we shall be judged according to our works (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15). “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). The Judge, before whom we must stand, is the God-man, whom we have crucified (John 5:22; Acts 17:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10). We will be judged out of the books, according to the record of God’s strict justice. When the books are opened, what shocks of terror will seize the hearts and souls of those who have no righteousness and no atonement before the holy Lord God! With the opening of the books, every crime, every offense, every sin they have ever committed in mind, in heart, and in deed shall be exposed! “Judgment was set; and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:10). I realize that this is figurative language. God does not need books to remember man’s sins. However, as John Gill wrote, “This judgment out of the books, and according to works, is designed to show with what accuracy and exactness, with what justice and equity, it will be executed, in allusion to statute-books in courts of judicature.” In the Scriptures God is often represented as writing and keeping books. And according to these books we all shall be judged. What are the books? — The Book of Divine Omniscience (Malachi 3:5) — The Book of Divine Remembrance (Malachi 3:16) — The Book of Creation (Romans 1:18-20) — The Book of God’s Providence (Romans 2:4-5) — The Book of Conscience (Romans 2:15) — The Book of God’s Holy Law (Romans 2:12) \ — And the Book of the Gospel (Romans 2:16). But there are some against whom no crimes, no sins, no offenses can be found, not even by the omniscient eye of God himself! — “In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve” (Jeremiah 50:20). Their names are found in another book, a book which God himself wrote and sealed before the worlds were made. It is called, “The Book of Life.” In this book there is a record of divine election, the name of Christ our divine Surety, a record of perfect righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6, Cf. Jeremiah 33:16), a record of complete satisfaction, and the promise of eternal life. The question is often raised, “Will God judge his elect for their sins and failures, committed after they were saved, and expose them in the Day of Judgment?” The only reason that question is ever raised is because many retain a remnant of the Roman doctrine of purgatory, by which they hope to hold over God’s saints the whip and terror of the law. There is absolutely no sense in which those who trust Christ shall ever be made to pay for their sins! Our sins were imputed to Christ and shall never be imputed to us again (Romans 4:8). Christ paid our debt to God’s law and justice; and God will never require us to pay. God who has blotted out our transgressions will never write them again. He who covered our sins will never uncover them! The perfect righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us. On the Day of Judgment, God’s elect are never represented as having done any evil, but only good (Matthew 25:31-40). The Day of Judgment will be a day of glory and bliss for Christ and his people, not a day of mourning and sorrow. It will be a marriage supper. Christ will glory in his Church. God will display the glory of his grace in us. And we will glory in our God. Those who are found perfectly righteous, righteous according to the records of God himself, shall enter into eternal life and inherit everlasting glory with Christ. They that have done good, nothing but good, perfect good, without any spot of sin, wrinkle of iniquity, or trace of transgression, shall enter into everlasting life. (Revelation 22:11). Who are these perfectly righteous ones? They are all who are saved by God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 8:1; Romans 8:32-34). Heaven was earned and purchased for all God’s elect by Christ. We were predestined to obtain our inheritance from eternity (Ephesians 1:11). Christ has taken possession of heaven’s glory as our forerunner (Hebrews 6:20). We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17).

Our Savior gave all the glory he earned as our Mediator to all his elect (John 17:5; John 17:20). And in Christ every believer is worthy of heaven’s glory (Colossians 1:12). Glorification is but the consummation of salvation; and salvation is by grace alone! That means no part of heaven’s bliss and glory is the reward of our works, but all the reward of God’s free grace in Christ! All spiritual blessings are ours from eternity in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). All who are found guilty of sin in that great and terrible Day of Judgment shall be cast into the lake of fire and there be made to suffer the unmitigated wrath of almighty God forever! One by one, God will call the wicked before his throne and judge them. As he says, “Depart ye cursed,” he will say to his holy angels, “Take him! Bind him! Cast him into outer darkness!” In that day there will be no mercy, no pity, no sorrow, no hope, and no end for the wicked! To hell they deserve to go! To hell they must go! To hell they shall go! Let all who read these lines beware. Unless you flee to Christ and take refuge in him, in that great day the wrath of God shall seize you and destroy you forever! I beseech you now, by the mercies of God, be reconciled to God by trusting his darling Son! In that great and terrible day let us be found in Christ, not having our own righteousness, but the righteousness of God in Christ. In that great day, “every man shall bear his own burden.”

Galatians 6:6-10

Chapter 34 Sowing in the Spirit “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:6-10 Paul continues to give us instructions about what it is to “walk in the Spirit.” Just as the Lord Jesus “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), those who walk in the Spirit, that is to say, all who follow him, all who are his disciples, go through this world doing good (Ephesians 2:10). Those who sow to the flesh (who live after the flesh) shall reap eternal woe. And those who sow to the Spirit (who live after the Spirit) shall reap life eternal in Christ (Romans 8:5-6; Galatians 6:8). Of course, Paul is not telling us that we are justified, sanctified, or even that we gain or lose reward in heaven upon the basis of our works. He is simply telling us that believers are people whose faith in Christ is manifest by their works. Let us ever trace our mercies to their Source. — “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Pastoral Support “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things” (Galatians 6:6). — Here Paul tells us that those who teach the Word of God (pastors of local churches, missionaries, and evangelists) are to be supported financially by those who profit from their labors. The doctor who ministers to your bodily health, the policeman who protects you, the carpenter who builds an addition on your house, the mechanic who changes the oil in your car, and the neighborhood boy who mows your lawn for you are all compensated according to their service. Even so, the man who studies the Word, seeks a message for your soul from God, prays for you and teaches you the Word of God (the most important service) is to share in your material substance. Gospel preachers are to be supported and maintained in their livelihood by the voluntary generosity of those for whom they labor. This is one of the clearest statements in the Bible about the support of gospel preachers. All who profit from the preaching of the gospel are expected to give of their means for the support of those who preach the gospel. — “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.” The fact is every local church needs money to operate. Buildings must be erected. Bills must be paid. Office supplies must be purchased. Equipment must be maintained and salaries must be paid. We are to preach the gospel freely to all men, seeking nothing in return; but in order for us to preach the gospel freely, someone has to pay for it. How is the work of the ministry to be maintained? How should local churches raise the money needed to support pastors, missionaries, and various works for the furtherance of the gospel? These questions need to be answered plainly and frankly from the Word of God. There is no scarcity of material in the Holy Scriptures regarding the financial support of the gospel ministry. It is a subject that appears again and again throughout the Bible. Under the Mosaic economy of the Old Testament those who ministered about the holy things of divine service lived upon the things of the temple. Those who served the altar were partakers of the altar (1 Corinthians 9:13). God prescribed by law that the priesthood, the children of Levi, should receive a tenth of all the possessions of the children of Israel, a tenth of their money, property, crops, and herds, for their service in the tabernacle of the congregation. The Jews were required to pay a tithe to be used exclusively for the financial support of the ministry of the Levitical priesthood (Numbers 18:21). Failure to do so, for any reason, was regarded as robbing God himself (Malachi 3:8-9). However, we are not under the law today. God’s people are no more required to pay a tithe in this gospel age than we are required to keep the sabbath day, or observe the Passover (Colossians 2:16-23). We are free from the law. A. D. Muse, the late pastor of Hearts Harbor Tabernacle in Louisville, Kentucky, used to say, “If you tithe, you’re under the law. And if you don’t tithe, you’re an outlaw.” In other words, the person who just pays his tithe is a mere legalist, and anyone who does not do that much is an antinomian. Anyone who uses his freedom from the law as an excuse for being a niggardly miser and selfishly refuses to give of his means for the support of the gospel of Christ is, I fear, without grace. God’s people give. They give generously, and they give cheerfully. The instructions given in the New Testament regarding the financial support of the gospel ministry are unmistakably clear. Those men and women who believe the gospel of the grace of God are expected to support generously those who preach it. Not only is this expected, among God’s saints it is practiced. God’s children are not miserly, self-centered worldlings. They are stewards who use what God has put in their hands for the cause of Christ. They need only to be instructed from the Word of God, and they gladly submit to it. Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us plainly and repeatedly that those who preach the gospel are to live by the gospel (Matthew 10:9-10; Luke 10:4-7; 1 Corinthians 9:14; 1 Timothy 5:17-18). Those men who faithfully preach the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ are to be supported and maintained by the people to whom they minister. Faithful missionaries should be as fully and generously supported by the churches that send them out as the pastors of those local churches. There were times when Paul and his companions were required to make tents to support themselves in the work of the gospel. It was an honorable thing for them to do so. Paul tells us that his goal was not to enrich himself, but to avoid being a burden to young churches (1 Thessalonians 2:9) and to avoid causing an offence to young, weak believers (1 Corinthians 9:15-19). But the fact that God’s messenger had to spend his time and efforts making tents was a shameful reproach upon the churches. Those churches that were established in the gospel should have assumed the responsibility of supplying Paul’s needs and the needs of his companions, as they travelled from place to place preaching the gospel. The New Testament clearly makes it the responsibility of every local church to provide for the financial, material support of those who preach the gospel of Christ. A Reasonable Precept “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.” —The word “communicate” means “to share with or distribute to”. It comes from the word “communion” and basically means the same thing as “fellowship”. Paul is saying, “Let everyone to whom the gospel is preached have fellowship with and participate in the preaching of the gospel by supplying the earthly, material needs of those who preach it.” Edgar Andrews explains… “Paul’s formula is very simple: those who are ’taught the word’ should share their material wealth with ‘him who teaches’. In other words, the congregation should support its minister(s) financially, and do so (as the word ‘share’ implies) at the same standard of living as they themselves enjoy. This was the principle that God laid down for the support of the Levites by the remaining tribes of Israel in Old Testament times (though the New Testament transmutes obligation into willingness). Where pioneer missions are involved, and until there is a congregation to support the preacher, the sending church or churches will bear this responsibility. But let us also notice that when Paul and Barnabas were sent out by the church at Antioch (Acts 13:3), they did not spend the first six months securing pledges for their support! On the contrary, they departed immediately for Cyprus, to preach the Word of God. They knew they had been sent out, not only by the church, but by the Holy Spirit, who was well able to care for their needs as they arose (Acts 13:4-5).” To whom is this communication to be made? Paul did not lay down a blanket rule that we should give financial support to every preacher, evangelist, or missionary who comes along claiming to speak for God. Those who deny the gospel of Christ, preachers of free-will, works religion, are not to be supported by God’s saints (2 John 1:9-11). Paul’s doctrine is this: those preachers who faithfully teach the Word of God are to be supported by the church; particularly, they are to be supported by the churches they pastor. We must not let ourselves be deceived by personality, charm, or flowery speech. God’s prophets are not always personable, but they are always profitable. Their delivery is not always impressive, but their message is always instructive. Their preaching is not always stirring, but it is always sound. Every preacher must be judged by one thing: what does he preach?

What is his doctrine? God’s servants faithfully instruct men and women in the Word by preaching the gospel of Christ. They teach their hearers the Word of truth; and those who hear them are taught in the Word of truth. If a man is sent of God to preach the gospel, he will preach with such unmistakable clarity that all who hear him regularly will be taught the doctrine of Christ. If you want to know what a man preaches, ask the people who hear him. If he consciously and consistently preaches the gospel, they will know it (see John 18:19-21). It is impossible for a person to hear a man preach the gospel regularly and not know, at least in his head, the doctrine of the gospel. He will know his lost condition of depravity and condemnation by nature (Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3). He will have some understanding of the doctrine of Christ: our Lord’s divine person, his incarnation and virgin birth, his representative obedience to God for his people, his effectual, sin-atoning, substitutionary death. Those who are privileged to hear a man faithfully preach the gospel will know that salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ alone.

All who hear the gospel faithfully preached are taught what happened in the garden, what happened on the cross, and how God saves sinners. And the man who faithfully preaches those things is worthy of the financial support of God’s people. It is the responsibility of God’s church to generously supply the needs of every man who faithfully preaches the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ. This is only reasonable. Are you taught the good things of the gospel? Then it is your reasonable and equitable responsibility to supply the material needs of the man who teaches you. You should supply him with good things materially who supplies you with good things spiritually (1 Corinthians 9:11). It is the ordinance of Christ that, “They which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14).

No man who preaches the gospel of the grace of God should be required to provide for himself or his family (Acts 6:2-4; 2 Timothy 2:4). This support of the ministry must begin with each local church supporting its own pastor. Once that is taken care of, every local church should assume responsibility for the support of faithful missionaries. Those churches that are well established should also assist in the support of smaller churches and their pastors. God’s servants are not ambitious, greedy men. Faithful men will not abuse, or take advantage of, the generosity of God’s people (1 Corinthians 9:17-18). But God’s preachers should never be expected to live as paupers. Those men who labor in the Word and doctrine of Christ, faithfully giving themselves to the work of the ministry, are to be supported generously in a comfortable life-style. I am often asked, “How much should the church pay its pastor?” I often reply,” How much does it take for you to live?” The pastor has a wife and children to clothe, feed, house, and educate, just like you. And he will incur many necessary expenses that you do not. His home is a virtual free hotel for God’s people, and he wants it to be. His table almost always has a few extra mouths to feed, and he wants them there. He has miles to travel and books to buy, necessary for his work. All these things require cold, hard cash every week.

When the church contemplates the pastor’s salary, a good rule of thumb is this: pay the pastor at least as much as the average income of the working men in the congregation; and then add enough to cover his additional expenses. If the church is not able to do what is needed, it is expected and responsible to do the best it can, and this is only reasonable. Cheerful Giving How is this financial support to be secured? This may seem strange to some; but the way to secure financial support for the gospel of Christ and those who preach it is in fact not to secure it. God will supply the needs of his church and his servants by the free, voluntary, generous gifts of his people. The moment a preacher, a missionary, or a church begins to secure its financial stability on its own, it leans upon the arm of the flesh and dishonors God. There are some things, dishonoring to God and contrary to the gospel of his grace, which must not be done. God’s church must never be brought back under the law by having the law of the tithe imposed upon them. We must never solicit pledges from people, hold bake sales or rummage sales, or set up investment schemes to raise money for God’s work. God’s servants and his churches must never beg and grovel for help from men, as though the work of God depended upon man’s assistance. Nor must we ever solicit the aid of unbelievers. I know these things are commonly practiced in our day; but they are contrary to every principle of grace and faith.

God’s church operates by faith, and faith looks to God, not man! Any work that is of God will have its needs supplied by God through the free, voluntary gifts of God’s saints (2 Corinthians 9:7). If a pastor wants the people to whom he preaches to be generous, he must be generous. In all things, like a shepherd, the pastor must lead God’s sheep and show them the way by personal example. The moment men and women detect selfishness, greed, and unfaithfulness in their pastor, these things will be reflected in them. The Word of God supplies us with an abundance of instruction about the matter of giving. All of 1 Corinthians 9 and 2 Corinthians chapters 8-9 are taken up with this subject. But there are no commands given to the people of God anywhere in the New Testament about how much we are to give, when we are give, or where we are to give. Tithing and all systems like it are totally foreign to the New Testament. Giving, like all other acts of worship, is an act of faith and grace. It must be free and voluntary, or it is unacceptable. However, there are some plain, simple guidelines laid down in the Scriptures for us to follow. Here are ten things revealed in the New Testament about giving. Our giving should be planned (2 Corinthians 9:7). Our giving must be free, voluntary, unconstrained (2 Corinthians 9:7). Our giving must be motivated by love and gratitude towards Christ (2 Corinthians 8:7-9). Our giving must arise from a willing heart (2 Corinthians 8:12). Every believer should give to the work of the gospel according to his personal ability (1 Corinthians 16:2). Every believer should give a portion of his goods for the cause of Christ (1 Corinthians 16:2). Our gifts for the gospel should be liberal and sacrificial (2 Corinthians 9:5-6; Mark 12:41-44). We are to give as unto the Lord (Matthew 6:1-5). This kind of giving is well-pleasing to God (2 Corinthians 9:7; Philippians 4:18; Hebrews 13:16). If we are willing to give, God will supply us with the ability to give (2 Corinthians 9:10 : Luke 6:38; Philippians 4:19). Someone once said, “There are three kinds of giving: grudge-giving, duty-giving and thanksgiving. Grudge-giving says, ‘I have to.’ Duty-giving says, ‘I ought to.’ Thanksgiving says, ‘I want to.’” A Recognized Principle “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7). “Be not deceived.” — The Judaizers and false teachers at Galatia were persuading these men and women not to support the men who faithfully preached the gospel of Christ to them, and devised many excuses for them not to do so, which the Galatians readily seized. People are easily led astray from what they know to be right by personal greed and covetousness. They often excuse their miserliness by their own earthly cares and responsibilities, or by finding some petty fault with the preacher. Neither excuse is valid. If we work hard and live within our means, we will not be too financially strapped to give. Nor do our personal likes or dislikes of something about God’s messenger in any way lessen our responsibility to support him in the work of the gospel.

Men with money often try to exert control over a pastor by how much they give, or refuse to give. It should not need saying that God’s people do not have this attitude, or that God’s servants cannot be controlled by money! “God is not mocked.” — Men and women who find excuses not to give to the cause of Christ and work of the gospel mock God. Paul is saying, “You cannot insult God and get away with it!” Remember, in the context Paul is talking about the support of the gospel ministry. If a man comes to you in the name of God, preaching the gospel of Christ, and you refuse to give of your means to support him, you insult God! And you will not get away with it! “For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” — This is a universal law, applying to every realm of life. Generally speaking, whatever we sow, as to kind, quality, and quantity, we will reap. If a farmer sows wheat, he reaps wheat. If he sows sparingly, he will reap sparingly. If he sows bountifully, he will reap bountifully. If he sows good seed, he will reap a good harvest. If he sows nothing, he will reap nothing. Everyone understands that in the natural world; but here Paul applies it to the things of God. “He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.” — In other words, if we use what God puts in our hands to pamper our flesh and gratify our personal greed and covetousness, if we spend our substance upon luxuries for ourselves and our families, or hoard it up to increase our riches, we shall of the flesh reap corruption. Paul is telling us that the way we use, or abuse, our money reveals the true state and condition of our hearts (see Matthew 6:19-24). “But he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” — This does not mean that men and women can earn salvation, or even a greater degree of heavenly reward and glory by what they give to the cause of Christ. The text simply means that, if we lay out our worldly substance for the cause of Christ, the preaching of the gospel, and the good of his kingdom, we will reap that for which we have sown it — “life everlasting”! Our use of what God puts in our hands does not secure anything for us, but it does reveal the true state and condition of our hearts (Matthew 25:24-30). A Required Perseverance “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10). — Satan uses many things to discourage us, and God uses many things to try us. We do not see immediate results. Our circumstances, the economy of the nation and the needs of our families all change. We sometimes begin to think, “Maybe I ought to stop, or at least curtail my giving. Nothing much appears to be accomplished by it. The kingdom of God will get along all right without my few dollars in the offering plate.” To such thoughts, Paul says, “Don’t give up now!” “In due season,” at God’ s appointed time, “we shall reap, if we faint not.” The seed sown will spring up again, and the bread cast upon the waters will be found after many days. But there must be a time of waiting between the sowing of the seed and the reaping of the harvest. This time of waiting is to try our faith, to prove whether we really believe God. It is our responsibility to use what God has given us for the cause of Christ, to sow to the Spirit and to wait for God to give the increase. He will give it in his way, at his time, for his glory. Robert Hawker’s comments on this verse are excellent… “The Apostle’s train of argument is, that the Lord’s people should never be weary, nor faint in their minds, at any exercises they meet with, in the present time-state of their existence. Christ is their portion. And in due season, on his account, and for his sake alone, they will reap the blessed fruits of that inheritance, to which, as his people, they are begotten, by his soul-travail, blood-shedding, and righteousness. The expression is not unsimilar to what is said in Hebrews 6:12 ¾ ‘Be ye not slothful, but followers of them who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises.’” “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” — By doing good, Paul means communicating to the needs of men and women, particularly to the needs of God’s children, and, in this context, to the needs of his servants. While the time of life lasts, let us use what God gives us for the good of his people and the furtherance of the gospel. If we do so, then we partake of and have fellowship with God’s servants in their work (Matthew 10:40-42; 3 John 1:8). Paul is calling for commitment to Christ. If I am committed to something, I throw my life into it; and if I am committed to the cause of Christ in this world, I throw my life into his cause. That means that I do whatever has to be done and give whatever has to be given to get the job done. The very least that I can do is give! Let us give ourselves in unreserved commitment to Christ and the cause of the gospel of his grace for the glory of our God.

Galatians 6:11-18

Chapter 35 Glorying in the Cross “Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand. As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” Galatians 6:11-18 In these final verses of this tremendous Epistle the Apostle Paul seems determined to leave his readers with their hearts and minds fixed resolutely upon “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Throughout these chapters, he has been showing us that it is in the cross of Christ that the law of God finds its fulfillment and end, that it is Mt. Calvary and not Mt. Sinai that saves, and that all the blessings of grace, righteousness, salvation, and eternal life flow to sinners only by the merits of the cross. His message throughout this Epistle (throughout all his Epistles) is set before us in this one dogmatic assertion. — “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul’s Concern “Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand” (Galatians 6:11). —Paul wrote much longer epistles than this (Romans , 1 st and 2nd Corinthians, and Hebrews), but some of those epistles to the various churches were dictated by him to others (Romans 16:22). This epistle was written with his own hand. He calls attention to this fact as an expression of great affection for the saints at Galatia. He cared deeply for them and was very concerned for their well-being. The errors to which they had been exposed, and the fact that many had fallen by Satanic deception into the errors of the legalists, caused him great grief. Oh, for a heart that cares for others and that is broken when their peace is threatened by error or sin! False Teachers In Galatians 6:12-13 Paul identifies the false teachers he has been exposing throughout this epistle and states plainly what the motives of such men are. They are hypocrites, motivated by their own personal interests, and not the glory of God and the good of men’s souls. — “As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ” (Galatians 6:12). They do what they do to be seen of men. Their religion is nothing but an outward show by which they seek the approval and applause of men (Matthew 6:1-5). By force of influence, doctrine, church creeds, and the opinions of others like themselves, they try to constrain believers to be regulated by the rule of law and observe religious ceremonies, holy days, and customs, rather than living as those who have been made free in Christ. They sway men and women to adopt their legalists rules, “lest they suffer persecution” from the religious people who are offended by “the simplicity that is in Christ” and the preaching of the total sufficiency and efficacy of Christ as our Savior. Christ crucified is our atonement. Christ’s obedience is our righteousness. Our works contribute nothing to our acceptance with God. We are complete in him. “For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh” (Galatians 6:13). — These religious teachers, who preach the law, teach the law, and boast of their regard for the law are nothing but hypocrites. They do not keep the law themselves; and they know it (Galatians 3:10). Yet, they require others to do what they cannot do, so that they can boast before men about the number of people who follow them, and how “holy” they are. Henry Mahan observes that, “Every religious person glories or rejoices in something. These false teachers glory in the flesh, in the outward form, in the noise they make, in the work they do and in the souls they have won.” The Cross “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14). — True faith brings needy sinners to Christ, puts on Christ, and walks in Christ. Faith brings sinners to the cross and glories only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto us and we unto the world. Though faith is not righteousness, it is the believer’s connection to righteousness. Faith finds in Christ and enjoys in Christ the assurance of perfect, indestructible righteousness before God through the merits of God’s own Son. Faith in Christ assures the believing sinner of eternal life and everlasting righteousness in the ages to come, depending upon the perpetuity of that righteousness which can never change. We shall never put off that Christ whom we put on when we believed (Romans 12:14; Galatians 3:27).

The garments of salvation shall never wear thin. The robe of righteousness in which the Lord God has clothed us shall never wax old. The beauty our Savior has put upon us (his own beauty) is a beauty that fadeth not away. Faith abides ever at the cross. It never takes us away from the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, to which at first it led us. Many seem to think that believers quickly get beyond the cross and leave it behind. Like the legalists at Galatia, they never openly do so, but their subtle doctrine is that the cross has done all it can for us once we believe the gospel, and teaches that once we believe we are to abandon the cross and go forward, that to remain always at the cross is to be babes, not men of faith. Nonsense! What is the cross? Paul is not talking about the historic fact that Christ died upon the cross. The knowledge of that fact, though it is necessary to salvation, is not salvation. Neither is Paul referring to the literal, wooden cross upon which Christ died. He was not an idolater, a worshipper of religious relics. He knew that there is no superstitious, spiritual value in that piece of wood. And he certainly is not suggesting that we glory in some sign, symbol, representation, or form of the cross. When Paul speaks of the cross, he is talking about the glorious, soul saving doctrine of the cross, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is talking about blood atonement (Romans 5:6-11), legal propitiation (Romans 3:24-26), substitutionary redemption (2 Corinthians 5:18-21), and free justification (Romans 5:19). As it is used here in Galatians 6:14, and as it is commonly used in the Epistles of the New Testament, the word “cross” refers to the gospel of Christ. Pagans glory in religious relics. Idolaters glory in religious images, signs, and symbols. Ignorant people glory in religious feelings, emotions, and experiences. God’s people glory in the gospel of Christ, not in the “old rugged cross” sentimentalists sing about, but the old, old story of redeeming blood. We glory in that which is the revelation of the glory of God.

We can no more part with that than we can part with life eternal. In this sense, to turn our back upon the cross would be turning our back upon Christ crucified. It would be giving up our connection with the Lamb of God slain upon the cursed tree! This we cannot, must not, and shall not do! All that Christ did and suffered from the manger to his resurrection glory forms one glorious whole. No part of our Redeemer’s work shall ever become needless or obsolete. To forsake any part of his work is to forsake him. I rejoice in the incarnation of Christ. Yet, I know that the incarnation cannot save. I delight to follow my Master into Gethsemane.

Yet, I know that his agony there was not the finished work. I glory in the cross. My face is always toward it. My eye is ever on the crucified One. I am convinced that the sacrifice there was completed once for all. I never cease to look into the empty tomb with delight.

I rejoice to know that it is the risen, ascended, exalted, reigning Christ who gives eternal life to this needy sinner. Leaving nothing behind, I trust the whole Christ and the whole of his work for all my righteousness, justification, forgiveness, acceptance, and everlasting salvation. Glory in the Cross The word “glory” means to exalt, to boast of, and to rejoice in. Paul exalted, boasted of, and rejoiced in the sin atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cursed tree. He exalted the doctrine of the cross as the only theme of Holy Scripture and the singular subject of his preaching (1 Corinthians 2:2; 1 Corinthians 9:16). He saw “Christ crucified” as the whole counsel of God, the message of all the types, promises, and prophecies of the Old Testament, the basis of hope for sinners, the motive of all godliness, and the message he was sent to proclaim. He rejoiced in the cross, the gospel of Christ, as the only grounds of his confident hope before God. He trusted Christ alone as his Savior (Philippians 3:3; 1 Corinthians 1:30). He counted all his religious works, knowledge, and experiences to be nothing but dung that he might be found in Christ, robed in his righteousness and washed in his blood. And he preached the cross, boasting of Christ’s death as the only means of reconciliation to and acceptance with God, the only means of salvation for guilty sinners (Galatians 2:21). If righteousness cannot be gained by man’s obedience to the law of God (And it cannot!), then no man can be saved by anything else he might do. Nothing can save a man’s soul, nothing can bring a sinner to God, nothing can make a sinner acceptable in the sight of God, but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” that makes it possible for the holy Lord God to be both “a just God and a Savior.” It is the cross of Christ that makes it possible for God to be both “just and Justifier.” Sinners have hope before God only because of “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Therefore, saved sinners rejoice to say with the Apostle, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Crucified “By which the world is crucified unto me” (Galatians 6:14). — Faith in Christ, the assurance of redemption by Christ, caused the Apostle Paul to look upon the world as a thing crucified. He knew that he had no more reason to fear his most implacable enemies in this world than a man would to fear someone crucified and dead. Happy is that person who learns this! Because our Lord Jesus Christ, by his death upon the cross as our Substitute and Redeemer, has overcome the world, conquered Satan (the prince of this world) and cast him out, and vanquished death, hell and the grave, since he has put away our sins by the sacrifice of himself, we are more than conquerors in him (Romans 8:32-39). We have nothing to fear in this world or from this world. As the children of Israel looked upon Pharaoh and the Egyptian army slain by God in the Red Sea and sang praise to him, so we ought to look upon all that opposes us in this world as dead and sing praise to God our Savior who has “triumphed gloriously.” Let us neither love the world, nor the things that are in the world, but look upon them as dead things. The gospel of the grace of God experienced in the soul teaches us to despise the riches, honors, and applause of the world. The profits, pleasures, and praises of dead men are as worthless as dung. That is exactly how they are to be looked upon and counted by all who seek Christ (Philippians 3:7-15). But, as Paul uses the term “world” here in the book of Galatians, he is specifically referring to “the weak and beggarly elements of the world” (Galatians 4:3-9), the carnal ordinances and ceremonies of the law. He is declaring that since “Christ is the end of the law” (Romans 10:4), the law’s sabbath days, sacrifices, and services are to be looked upon by us as dead things. — “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”— “For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Romans 6:15; Romans 7:4; Galatians 2:19-20). Our all-glorious Redeemer took “the handwriting of the ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Colossians 2:14). “The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” — As the world had no more attraction for Paul than a dead corpse, so he had no attraction for the world, but was despised by it for Christ’s sake. So it shall ever be with those who follow Christ. As the law was dead to him and had no power over him, so he was dead to the law by the sacrifice of Christ. He had nothing to do with those weak and beggarly elements of bondage. A New Creature Here is the reason why we must have nothing to do with legal, works religion, why we must look to, trust, and glory only “in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” — “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature” (Galatians 6:15). Circumcision and the carnal ordinances of the law are utterly meaningless, being totally abolished by Christ. Being uncircumcised is no barrier to the blessings of the gospel and all the privileges of the children of God. It must be stated that Paul is not here suggesting that baptism, or the refusal to confess Christ in believer’s baptism are meaningless things. Those who give such a perverse interpretation of Paul’s words here ignore the teaching of Scripture regarding gospel ordinances. John Gill wrote… “Though baptism is of no avail in the business of salvation, yet it cannot be said of it, as of circumcision, that it avails not anything as a command; for it is a standing ordinance of Christ; or as an emblem and sign, for it is significative of the death and burial, and resurrection of Christ; or as a privilege, for it is of use to lead the faith of God’s people to his blood and righteousness for pardon and justification; for he that believes, and is baptized, shall be saved; and it is necessary to church communion. And, on the other hand, it cannot be said that non-baptism avails not; it is a bar to church fellowship; and a neglect of baptism in those who are the proper subjects of it, is resented by Christ, and is a rejecting of the counsel of God against themselves; which was the case of the Pharisees, in the time of John the Baptist.” That which is significant and meaningful, the only thing that is, is “a new creature,” or a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). This new creation is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27), “the hidden man of the heart” which is not corruptible (1 Peter 3:4). This new creation is that work of God performed for us at Calvary when Christ made all things new, putting away our sins and giving us his perfect righteousness, reconciling us to God in justification (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is also that which God performs in us, causing us to be reconciled to God in regeneration, faith, and conversion (2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 3:9). Again, John Gill’s explanation is excellent. “This is a ‘new’ creature, in opposition to the old man; and because it is a principle in man, which never was there before. It consists of a new heart and spirit, of new eyes, ears, hands, and feet, expressive of new principles and actions, of new light, life, love, desires, joys, comforts, and duties. Now this is of avail. It is a branch of the new covenant of grace, which God has therein promised to bestow on his people. It is an evidence of interest in Christ, the new and living way to the Father, and eternal life. Such are newborn babes, regenerated persons, and have a right and meetness for the kingdom of God.

They shall possess the new Jerusalem, shall dwell in the new heavens and new earth. They are called by the Lord’s new name, the adopted children of God; and have a new song put into their mouths, which none but redeemed and newborn souls can sing; and shall drink the new wine of endless joys and everlasting pleasures with Christ, in his Father’s kingdom.” By virtue of our union with Christ in his death and resurrection and by the power and grace of God the Holy Spirit, all who are born of God are new creatures in Christ. We are no longer under the sentence of condemnation, but entirely free from the law, free in Christ, having past from spiritual death to spiritual life, in Christ we possess eternal life. We now live in the Spirit, are led by the Spirit, and shall never come into condemnation (Romans 8:1-17). All merely outward religion is utterly meaningless. True Christianity is the work of God in us, transforming us into the sons of God (John 4:24; Philippians 3:3). It is the life of God in you, Christ in you, being made “partakers of the divine nature.” That cannot be accomplished by outward ceremonies, or by the will and choice of a man, but by the creative power of God alone. In this work of the new creation “all things are of God” (2 Corinthians 5:18). The Israel of God In Galatians 6:16 Paul pronounces a blessing of peace and mercy upon all the Israel of God. — “And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.” No blessing of grace is conveyed to anyone because of his physical descent (John 1:12-13). The Israel of God does not refer to the physical nation of Israel (Abraham’s physical seed), but to the church of God’s elect (Abraham’s spiritual seed), made up of all believer’s. All the Israel of God shall be saved by Christ (Romans 11:25-27). Peace and mercy shall be theirs forever. Who are these people, this “holy nation,” these chosen heirs of eternal life? Who can rightfully claim this promise of peace and mercy in Christ? ¾ Only those who “walk by this rule”: — the rule of faith. This is the rule of every believer’s life: not law but love (2 Corinthians 5:14-15), not works but faith (1 John 3:23). Those who are God’s elect are those who renounce all confidence in, dependence upon, and trust in themselves, and any thing done or experienced by them (Philippians 3:3), believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as their only and all-sufficient Savior (1 Corinthians 1:30-31), glorying only in the cross of our Redeemer. “From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Galatians 6:17) — Those who make merchandise of the souls of men boast of their works and the works they get others to do, just as the Judaizers at Galatia gloried in circumcision, sabbath keeping, and carnal ceremonies. Paul cared for none of those things. He was determined not to be troubled by those who trouble God’s churches with their false doctrine. He counted their enemies his enemies, and washed his hands of them. He bore in his body the scars of Christ. Paul was stigmatized in reputation as a preacher of Christ, his cross, and God’s free grace to sinners without works. He bore the stigma gladly. He bore it not only in his constantly maligned reputation, but in his very body, in the scars he bore in his body as the result of the things he had suffered for the preaching of the gospel (2 Corinthians 6:4-10; 2 Corinthians 11:13-33). He holds them before us as a soldier might hold up the stub of an arm lost in battle as the only argument needed to prove his bravery and devotion. All the claims of those false prophets of success and authority in the preaching of legal works and will worship, Paul hereby mocks as hypocrisy and deceit.

His obedience to his Master was made obvious by the things he suffered in his Master’s cause. With that, he closes the epistle, expressing his love for God’s people as his brothers and sisters in Christ, desiring for them the boundless blessing of God’s manifest grace in Christ. — “Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”