Galatians 6:17
From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
Truth to Learn
We should all display the evidence of our salvation and be proud to be identified with Christ.
Behind the Words
“From now on” is translated from the words tou loipou, which literally translate to “of the remaining.” In this situation, it is used in reference to time. Hence, it means “for the remainder of time,” or, as it is translated here, “from now on.”
The verb “trouble” is translated from two Greek words, parechō and kopos. Parechō is a compound word made up of para, meaning “unto, at, or near” and echō, which means “to have or hold.” Therefore, it means “to hold out to someone” or “to present to someone.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood, indicating a command, hence the word “let.”
The other Greek word kopos is the noun form of the verb koptō, meaning to strike. This word refers to “a beating” and is used to express the beating of one’s chest as a sign of grief. By usage it has come to mean the grief or hardship that someone feels as a result of what someone else has done to them. If we combine kopos and parechō we see that Paul is saying, “let no one give me any grief.”
Finally, “marks” is translated from stigma, which is the noun form of the verb stidzō, meaning “to make a puncture or a mark.” It refers to a mark, brand or tatoo that identifies ownership of a slave. In Paul’s case he is most likely referring to the scars on his body which he received from the Jews, as he tells us in his second letter to the Corinthians:
From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. (2Corinthians 11:24)
Meaning Explained
Paul has made a masterful defense of salvation by grace apart from the works of the law and he has shown that, not only do works not produce salvation; they do not complete or secure salvation either. Hence, Paul now proclaims that he has thoroughly debunked the legalistic doctrine of the false teachers; therefore no one should trouble him with this questionable teaching ever again.
The false teachers taught that circumcision was necessary for salvation. Paul has said that this mark in the flesh means nothing. Instead, it is the submission to God and belief in the crucified Messiah that brings about salvation. And, Paul’s final proclamation is that his ownership by God is evident, not by the mark of his circumcision, but by the marks of the beatings which he received as a result of his witness for Christ. The false teachers were afraid of persecution by the Jews, but Paul was proud of the persecution he had suffered and wore the evidence of such persecution as a badge of honor and brand of ownership by Jesus Christ.
Application
Any Christian who has fully submitted himself or herself to God through Jesus Christ should gladly display the evidence of salvation to those around them.
Is the mark of your salvation evident to those around you?
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2008 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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I think the mark Paul is speaking of refers to the fact that he is saved through Jesus Christ and belongs to God. God has put his mark on all who are saved and has put his word “in their foreheads (mind-knowing) and in their hearts (feeling, believing). And Paul knows it. He knows that “in” his body he is marked as belonging to God the father and no further proof is needed.
Ginger,
In Ephesians Paul talks about us having the “seal” of the Holy Spirit, but this is never referred to as a “mark” (Greek word stigma). Besides, the context of this verse seems to point to a physical mark in the body (Greek soma, referring to a physical body), rather than a spiritual mark of some kind.
Will