We are coming to the end of Paul’s letter. If he had leapt quite abruptly into the challenging stuff at the beginning without the extended prayers, thanksgiving and commendations we get used to with his other letters, it also finishes fairly abruptly without the personal greetings we find in other letters such as in Romans 16. Instead, Paul makes used of the last few paragraphs and his own handwritten postscript to reinforce the point he has been making throughout.
A look at the text (read Galatians 6:11- 18)
Much of the letter would have been dictated to a scribe but Paul writes a personal footnote, confirmed by his immediately recognisable handwriting. The importance of personal authentication reflects his comments in 5:11 that he was being misrepresented by others. The size of his handwriting probably reflects an eyesight problem and relates to his reminder in 4:13 that it was due to illness that he spent so much time with them (v11).
He uses his concluding remarks to re-emphasis the danger they faced from the agitators. These were people who were motivated by their own desire for status and security against persecution. In other words, their motives were worldly or fleshly. They did not want to be looked down on or persecuted because of their association with the Gospel. The result was that they were attempting to force circumcision on Gentile Galatians (v12).
In contrast to what Paul commands in vers4 4, rather than examining their own hearts and seeking godliness, instead of obeying the law, themselves, they defined their status in relation to the Gentile believers. They were basing their own boast on getting the Gentile believers to observe circumcision. This is a reminder that the agitators were not really acting out of love and concern for the Galatians. They were not to be trusted (v13).
Paul on the other hand doesn’t boast about his law keeping and ritual observance. Nor, doe he boast about what he has got others to do. Instead, he makes his boast, the Gospel, that in Jesus christ he is a new creation who has died to his old self and lives his new life in the Spirit.. (v14-15).
In his final greetings, he wishes peace and grace to those who are with him in this, his fellow brothers and sisters who are justified by faith (v16). He responds again to the agitators insisting that they should not trouble him. Far more important than the mark of circumcision were the marks of suffering and persecution that identified him as a follower of Jesus (v17). He closes by blessing them with the grace that comes from Jesus (v18).
Digging Deeper
Boasting may be seen as a form of justification. Paul’s justification, his claim to be right with God and with others but also the thing he takes delight in is not his achievements but that through Jesus’ death on the Cross, he has died to his old self and become a new creation.
A look at ourselves
It is important for us to think about two things. First, what are the motives and the agenda of others as they seek to lead, influence and teach us? Are they acting in order to honour Christ and love us? Are they trustworthy? Or is their agenda in order to “boast”, to justify themselves whether to God or other people?
This perhaps helps us to think through when to follow advice and to obey teaching and when to question and challenge. It helps us to distinguish faithful obedience or fruitfulness from legalism. If I get the sense that someone is primarily asking me to do something because of how they fear they will be perceived and if I experience it as forced rather than something I’m called to do freely in the power of the Spirit and joyfully, then I’m probably encountering legalism.
At the same time, I need to check my motives. Do I do things or ask things of others out of love for God and for them or to protect and justify myself? This means that before I serve or lead that it is crucial that I get justification by faith right for myself.
Faithroots 