Galatians 6:17

Let No-one Cause Me Trouble

27^th August 2011

Paul's letter to the Galatians is strongly worded. It had to be, because they were slipping into serious error and forgetting the very essence of the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ. Its language also shows the passionate love Paul has for God and for God's people. Towards the end, he writes:

Galatians 6v17
Finally, let no-one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

I think Paul was expecting trouble because those in the Galatian churches who were opposed to the Gospel would stop at nothing in their attempts to persuade the Christians there to undergo circumcision and obey the whole Jewish ceremonial law, as if that could bring them justification. They'd already caused him anguish by perverting his message, and had made it necessary for him to defend his reputation earlier in the letter, and they could continue to cause him trouble.

Paul loved God so much, and he loved people so much, that he was willing to pay any price to get the gospel to those who needed to hear it. And he suffered much:

2 Corinthians 11v23b-29
I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

Paul describes the physical consequences of this life by saying I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The Galatians knew this was true; Paul had been stoned in one of their own cities (Acts 14v19). Paul regarded his scars as slave marks. The Galatians would have understood that this was what Paul meant, because Galatian slave owners branded their slaves.

Today, Christians call themselves "children of God" and some go so far as to call themselves "servants of God", but Paul called himself "a slave of God". Do we dare to call ourselves "slaves of God"? Do we even think of ourselves this way? Do we understand that we owe God everything and that we're called to obey His every command?

Don't let anyone tell you that following Jesus is an easy option. It hurts (if you do it right). But it's worth it. Nevertheless, Paul cries out let no-one cause me trouble, a plea for mercy. Paul had suffered enough for loving people enough to tell them the truth about God. In fact though, Paul continued to be persecuted, and it's highly probable that he was eventually executed for his faith by the emperor Nero.

There are many Christian leaders and missionaries, and church members, who are persecuted for their faith today. There are many countries where it's illegal to believe in God or to teach people the Gospel. They too bear the marks of Christ. And those who persecute them will one day stand before God, and will pay the price for their crimes.

It's terrible that non-Christians persecute us. But may we at least ensure that we don't persecute each other? That we don't cause each other trouble? That we respect and love those Christians who see things slightly differently from us? Especially if we see that, like Paul, they're seeking to live as slaves of God in the world.