Chapter 12: The Final Warning
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)
Vance Havner once said, “Contending for the faith is not easy. It is not pleasant business. It has many perils. It is a thankless job, and it is highly unpopular in an age of moral fogs and spiritual twilights. It is nicer to be an appeaser than an opposer.”
The Apostle Paul was no appeaser. He was not trying to win any popularity contests. He was a soldier of the cross who opposed those who tried to subvert the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, apart from any work of the law. He fought hard against people who tried to undermine Christian freedom in Christ. To those who doubted his true motive Paul could show the scars of sincerity—scars resulting from stoning, scourging, self-denial, and other struggles he faced defending the truth of the gospel.
In the closing verses of the Epistle to the Galatians, Paul personalized the abstract principles he had argued throughout his letter by comparing his motive with those of the Judaizers.
Paul’s Writing
The apostle often dictated his letters to an amanuensis (one employed to write from dictation or to copy manuscripts), but he wrote the salutations and conclusions in his own hand, proving that the letter was genuine. He made sure that the Galatians realized that he was the author of this letter by stating, “Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand” (v. 11). Some scholars interpret the words “how large a letter” to mean that Paul wrote in large letters because of bad eyesight (cp. 4:13–15). Others say he wrote in Greek uncials (large block letters) rather than the cursive style of a scribe. Still others believe that the apostle was referring to writing his conclusion in capital letters (the Greek text says “letters” not “letter”) to emphasize the importance of his teachings throughout the epistle. The correct interpretation is debatable, but Paul’s motive is certain. In these latter verses he again reminded his readers of the letter’s authenticity and reviewed its major themes.
Paul’s Warning
Paul warned the Galatians of the Judaizers’ motive. They were not interested in the Galatians’ spiritual well-being but wanted “to make a fair show in the flesh”; thus they “constrain you to be circumcised” (v. 12). They were interested only in making converts to their position and parading them before others to receive the praise of men. Often the true motive of churches or individuals who boast of the many people they have won to the Lord, baptized, or had join the church is dubious. It may not be to praise the Lord but to win the praise of men.
One reason the Judaizers practiced circumcision was to avoid “suffer[ing] persecution for the cross of Christ” (v. 12). They identified with the church but not with the cross. They were not ready to embrace the shame of the cross suffered by the followers of the one who had died on it, under the curse of the law. By embracing circumcision they hoped to sidestep the wrath of the Jewish leaders, who were severely persecuting the Christians while at the same time trying to win them to their own position.
The cross stood for rejection and shame in that day. It was the most inhumane, dehumanizing death possible. Its purpose was to humiliate and prolong the suffering of the one being crucified. The condemned person hung naked for everyone to see and suffered excruciating physical and mental pain, sometimes for days, before succumbing to death. Such punishment was ordered by Roman law against enemies of the state or those committing serious crimes against society. Because crucifixion was a severe form of capital punishment, Roman citizens were exempt from it.
One author has beautifully stated, “Yet this symbol of a horrible means of death became for Christians the most cherished symbol of life, because Christ had suffered and died on a cross as the full and final sacrifice to save them from sin and death. God transformed the most fearful expression of man’s hatred into the most beautiful expression of His divine love. Paul presented the cross often in this epistle (2:20; 3:1; 5:11, 24; 6:12, 14) because through it God provided His redemptive grace to mankind.”
To the Jewish people the preaching of the cross was “a stumbling block” and to the Gentiles it was “foolishness,” but to Christians “it is the power of God” unto salvation (1 Cor. 1:18–25). Jesus made it very clear: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mt. 16:24); “And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” (Mt. 10:38).
Paul accused the Judaizers of hypocrisy. They masked their true motives by demanding that Gentiles be circumcised and keep the Mosaic Law, but they did not practice what they preached: “For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law” (v. 13).
They were like the scribes and Pharisees whom Jesus mentioned in Matthew 23, who demanded that their followers practice religious rituals that they themselves did not keep. Jesus called such people “fools” (v. 17), “hypocrites” (vv. 23, 25, 27, 29), “serpents,” and a “generation of vipers” (v. 33). Like the Pharisees, the Judaizers were practicing things through which they could “glory in [the] flesh” (v. 13).
Christians must guard against the same attitudes and practices. It is possible to be actively involved in the Lord’s work for the wrong motives—spiritual pride or self-praise.
 David Levy is the Director of International Ministries for The Friends of Israel.
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