Title: Last Greetings [Galatians 6:11:18]
Contents
Gal 6:11 verse 18 verse 1
Last Farewell
Even after meeting Jesus, preaching the gospel is revealing his character as it is. In particular, in the book of Galatians, which is said to be the first Bible written by Paul, we can find words that reveal his hasty and passionate disposition. Even an angel from heaven will be cursed to preach any other gospel than the one we preached. (1,8) You foolish Galatians, when it was revealed before your eyes that Jesus Christ was crucified, who deceived you? (3,1) I am afraid that my labor for you will be in vain.(4,11) Have I become an enemy because I have spoken the truth to you?(4,16) Even now I am with you and my voice is about to change. (4,20) Be careful that if you bite and eat one another you will perish.(5,15) Do not seek vain glory and stir up one another and envy one another.(5,26)
The person who received the letter in which these words were written must have been shocked. But he is saying these words because of his passion for what he wants to convey. Paul's passion and desperate heart fill the book of Galatians.
Paul doesn't even finish the last letter of his letter. Read verse 11. “Look at what my hand wrote to you in such large letters”
In ancient times, paper for writing letters was scarce and could not be easily written, so there were professional copyists. Until now, I had a copywriter write it, but from now on, I will write in large letters myself. Verses 11 to 18 are presumed to have been written by Paul himself in large letters. As in the example above, Paul has been passionate enough to emphasize what he wants to say. He was not angry with what he wanted to say in a radical way, so at the end he broke the custom of the scribe and summarized what he had said so far in large letters, so pay special attention to listen. These are the words of Paul's heart that longs for us to understand what he said.
The movement of people to solve life's problems by owning something is to keep it and keep it from others. However, the mark of those who have realized the truth is that they want everyone to know the truth and do their best to make it happen. Jesus also said the last words to his disciples who had experienced the resurrection: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28, 19-20). Through these words of Jesus, Paul realizes that “God wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). It is said that even those who have realized the truth of the Dharma make a vow called the “Seowon-do without any rebirth.” Paul did not just finish the book of Galatians, but wrote himself in a big way so that we could understand the truth he was preaching. I pray that the heart of God who wants to know the truth of God even by using Paul's chaotic disposition for me and you will be conveyed.
The words are written in large letters, and the word starts from the point we need to pay attention to. Read verses 12-3. “Those who wish to take on the likeness of the flesh compel you to be circumcised only so that they may avoid persecution because of the cross of Christ. to make the body proud.”
Judaism, to which Paul belonged, views faith as acting according to the Word of God and having an outward appearance. Rejection of circumcision, an outward sign of faith, is considered a rejection of the Word of God and the traditions of Judaism, and creates serious problems. To declare that entering into a right relationship with God is not a matter of circumcision and keeping the law, but a gift given when we meet the cross of Jesus Christ, is a denial of Judaism as a whole.
It cannot be said that those who have met Jesus existentially must be circumcised to know God. So, if we preach the cross of Jesus Christ without preaching circumcision, we cannot help but suffer persecution from Judaism. Legal Christians who believe that meeting the cross of Jesus Christ in their hearts is not faith but living according to the Word, says that it is better to be circumcised in order to avoid persecution from Judaism when they speak of the cross.
To speak only of the cross of Jesus Christ is to ignore all religious and social traditions so far, which causes serious problems and invites persecution. The Bible testifies that even Peter was not free in this matter. In Antioch, while having a meal with the Gentiles, Peter saw the circumcised men coming from Jerusalem, and he was afraid and withdrew. So, Galatians 2 records that the remnant Jews and even Barnabas were tempted. Even a person like Peter cannot overcome the fear of persecution that can be experienced when the cross of Jesus Christ is the only standard of action. For the legalists to force believers to be circumcised out of fear of persecution due to the cross, it is possible from a human point of view.
However, when legalistic Christians force others to be circumcised, there is a passive intention to avoid persecution, but a more active intention is hidden. Since Jesus Christ is not existentially in our hearts, we have no choice but to keep the law. However, if they choose to keep the law, it is quickly revealed that they cannot keep it.
The idea is that people are circumcised in order to avoid this predicament, where it is revealed that there is no Jesus and cannot keep the law. People take the circumcision as proof that they are right. That is, whether Jesus is in the people or not, whether they live according to the law or not, regardless of the content, they use the number of people circumcised according to their example as the basis for their legitimacy.
It is not that circumcision itself is bad or good, but the heart of the person who practices it. There is a problem in choosing circumcision as a means of avoiding the difficulties caused by the absence of the cross of Jesus Christ and making it one's pride. It is a physical thing, not a spiritual thing, to boast that others agree with it as proof of the truth.
Just as the Galatian church had a problem because it thought that the cross of Jesus Christ was not enough, I think the modern church has the same problem. Numerous programs and cutting-edge music in the modern church are good and good in themselves. Everything is good if it is chosen as a means of better explaining and bringing people closer to Jesus. But if it is to supplement the cross of Jesus Christ or to hide the empty heart that does not have Jesus Christ, it is evil.
And if you see people flock to the introduced programs or meetings and boast as proof that it is right, then the problem that existed in the Galatian church is being reproduced. A person who lectures on inner healing who is not healed himself and is proud that there are many people participating in the program is proud of his body, but the truth is not in him. A person whose words and actions do not match is noise and only avoids them.
In contrast to the legalists who are preoccupied with outward appearances, Paul summarizes his position in verse 14. “But I have nothing to boast about except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
What a person sees to others is what he has or what he has ever done or experienced. In this sense, Paul has a lot to boast about. He said, "I was circumcised on the eighth day, of the house of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the law a Pharisee, as to zeal, persecuting the church, as to the righteousness of the law, blameless" (Philippians 3:5-6). Before becoming a Christian, introduce yourself. You can be proud that you were born into a good family, studied a lot, and lived a near-perfect life.
Also, he has much to be proud of spiritually. The resurrected Jesus appeared to him and made him an apostle to the Gentiles. In addition, the experience of receiving great visions and revelations is said, “He was taken away into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which no man could utterly utter” (2 Corinthians 12:4). When we ask them to brag about their hard work for the church, they say, “Are they Christ’s servants? They are speaking out of their minds, but I am even more so, because I worked so hard, and I spent more time in prison, I was beaten countless times, and I almost died” (2 Corinthians 11:23). ) can be said.
Few people have as much to say about him as Paul. He is a person who has a lot to talk about with worldly pride, spiritual pride, or hardships. But he said, “I have nothing to boast about except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” At least, it can be said that there are many people whose lives have changed by evangelizing Paul, and that he has done a successful ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. But he declares that there is nothing in his heart except the cross of Jesus Christ.
The ego is meeting the perfected human being. These are the words that show us what should happen to us when Jesus Christ is real in our hearts. When the resurrected Jesus comes into our hearts, things we can boast about and things we can complain about become nothing when we go to Jesus. What to brag about or to have troubles in your heart, you must understand as God's move to reveal that you are more important than Jesus.
The perfection and meaning of a person is not in what I have and accomplished, but only Jesus, who has disappeared and is resurrected, exists in me. It is not a human thing to be able to do, but a work done by God's grace to be denied and to be transformed into a person with only Jesus. Staying in silence, I pray that you will have the grace to come true, saying, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).