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Galatians 6:11-18
We know that Paul primarily wrote this letter to the Galatians to refute a counterfeit gospel that had gripped
the assemblies there. Having done this, Paul then exhorted the true brethren in practical terms of how to
restore the health and vitality of the Body of Christ in Galatia which could only be done through love, as
they walked in the Spirit.
We will now look at the conclusion of the letter, where we will find Paul contrasting the motives of the
false teachers with his own motivation. Through this contrast, Paul indirectly touches once again upon the
key issue in this letter: justification by the works of the Law, or through simple faith in Christ. Paul makes
it abundantly clear that Christ is the only true way for a man to be justified, and escape the condemnation to
come by becoming a new creation in Him.
Lets read through the last part of the letter together.
[Read Galatians 6:11-18]
Lets go back to verse 11.
v. 11 Paul had just finished exhorting the true brethren in the assemblies to persevere in doing good. Later
Paul would write, We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them (Eph 2:10).
God has already determined every good work that He intends to have done on the earth, that He purposes
the members of Christs Body to do. We are to walk in His good works; that is, to conduct ourselves in
them, in the course of our life. How do we do that? By walking in the Spirit. As we walk in the Spirit,
submitted to the Spirits leading, we will be doing the good works that God has purposed. We will do good
to all (Gal 6:10).
You can see that verse 11 is unrelated to what Paul has just been saying. In fact, it doesnt relate directly to
what follows, either; the verse stands alone.
At first take, this is a rather cryptic verse. You cant help but wonder why Paul would make this statement;
what the significance of it is. The key to its meaning comes from an understanding of the way ancient
letters of this time were written, as well as observing Pauls pattern in his other letters.
First of all, the word letter in the Greek is plural; Paul is saying to his readers to observe what large
letters he has written; not what a large letter he has written a lengthy letter as in the KJV. The fact that
Paul is referring to letters of the alphabet is reinforced by the fact that Paul routinely used the Greek word
epistole when referring to the letters he wrote to the churches. Also, this is a rather short letter; it would not
be considered lengthy.
In that day, it was common to dictate letters to a professional scribe, who was trained to write rapidly and in
a refined, small script, to get the job done quickly and efficiently. After the author had dictated his letter to
the scribe, he would then take the pen himself and write the concluding greeting.
The letters that we have of Paul in Scripture show that he adhered to this custom. Usually, it appears that
Paul just wrote a simply greeting, and then signed the letter.

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An example of this would be how he signed his second retained letter to the assembly in Thessalonica:
The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write. The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (2 Thes 3:17-18).
In Pauls letter to the Galatian assemblies, we can see that Paul took the pen before the last greeting, and
wrote some concluding remarks himself before signing it. And Paul emphasized the fact that he was
writing personally now, pointing out the change in script from the scribes diminutive script to his own
larger handwriting. The question is, why did Paul do this?
I think it is clear that Paul wished to draw his readers attention to his final words, by penning them
personally. We could compare it to a mother, who has been talking to her child, who then takes the childs
face into her hands, to make sure the child is listening attentively to what she has to say. She would do this
with something that was vital to the child; that they must not miss, and must get straight.
Thats what Paul was doing with the Galatians here. It was vital that they listen carefully to Pauls final
words, so that they would stop being deceived by the false teachers, who had gotten their attention.
Paul was particularly addressing those in the assemblies who had not yet placed their faith in Jesus, to
receive His salvation. They must not miss what Paul had to say, because it was a matter of life and death to
them. If they would truly receive Pauls last words to them, they would finally get the whole matter
straight that they cannot justify themselves by the works of the Law, but must simply place their faith in
Jesus, who would then justify them.
So Paul himself begins to write.
v. 12-13 First, let me direct your attention to whom Paul was specifically addressing these statements.
Who is he speaking to, here? Those who were contemplating circumcision for themselves that would be
the Gentiles, the majority members of the assemblies in Galatia.
Remember that it was those Gentiles whom had not yet truly believed who were considering circumcision,
as we saw back in chapter 5 (vv. 1-12). Paul had made it clear then that if these Gentiles got circumcised,
they would be committing to keeping the whole Law as a means of justifying themselves before God; and
they were rejecting Christ as their means of salvation. This was an issue of life and death for them.
Within these two verses, Paul exposes the hidden motives of the false teachers in Galatia and elsewhere.
Paul has previously made it clear that these false teachers were Jews, most likely Pharisees, who
masqueraded themselves as believers (Gal 2:4). Subversively, they had been brought in by the enemy to
Galatia, as they had elsewhere, to stir up the assemblies by introducing mixture into them; mixing lies in
with the truth (Gal 1:7, 5:10).
These false teachers were bewitching the Galatians with a false, works-based gospel, a perversion of the
gospel of Christ (Gal 3:1, 1:6, 7). Those who had not yet believed into the gospel of Christ were deceived
into thinking they could be justified by the works of the Law (Gal 5:1-4); and even the true believers
bought the lie that the works of the Law could sanctify them (Gal 5:13-18).
Paul had stated before that the motivation of the false teachers was to make the Galatians zealous for
them (Gal 4:17) that is, these false teachers desired to have a following, seeking to exercise power over
their adherents.

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Now Paul delves deeper into their motivation. He shows that there were three other things that they were
driven by: they desired to make a good showing in the flesh; they wished to avoid the persecution that
comes from the cross of Christ; and they desired to be able to boast in the flesh of their converts. Well
look at each of these separately.
The idea of making a good showing in the flesh has to do with appearances. The false teachers pretended
to believe into Jesus, but as Jews, they were concerned with how they looked to other Jews. They
subscribed to Judaism, which stripped the Scriptures of their true meaning, reducing them to a system of
works of rules, rituals and ceremonies of religion.
With religion, the thing that matters is the outside appearance. You simply conform to a set of rules in your
flesh. Religion never approaches the heart of the issue which is the issue of the heart. But the heart is
what concerns God which is why religious acts can never please Him.
With religion, the motivation of the heart is always, always selfish you do good deeds, thinking to
improve your position with God, so to speak. But the truth is, you have no position with God to improve;
God cannot help the religious man, who insists on helping himself.
Since God can have no part with religion, religious men seek out others for self-affirmation, trying to find
some assurance that they are genuinely on the road to immortality. So they look into each others eyes,
seeking that assurance; and as long as they can keep on deceiving each other, they will never come to the
realization that what they are actually on is the road to destruction.
This is what the false teachers in Galatia were doing; they were seeking affirmation from other unbelieving
Jews that they were advancing in the kingdom of God.
They made a good showing in the flesh displaying how zealous they were for the Law, as they circulated
through the new assemblies among whom the gospel had been preached, trying to impose the bondage of
the Law on those who had been offered the freedom of Christ. They looked good to other unbelieving
Jews giving them a false assurance of their righteousness before God.
And they were particularly driven to compel the Gentiles in those assemblies to become circumcised. This
would cause great rejoicing in the religious ranks that the Gentiles would be willing to mutilate their flesh
for the sake of joining the true people of God the adherents of Judaism. Talk about a good showing in the
flesh; that was the ultimate showing. And all to make the false teachers look good, that they might sing
their own praises before their religious brothers.
There was a final reason why the false teachers were pressuring the Gentiles to become circumcised. It was
so that they might not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
We explored this back in chapter 5. Look back at verse 11 in that chapter. Paul is speaking about the false
teachers trying to circumcise the Gentiles. He says, And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do
I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased (Gal 5:11).
Paul suffered persecution for the cross of Christ from whom? Not from the false teachers, but from the
other unbelieving Jews; they persecuted him wherever he went, preaching the gospel. The reason they did
so was because they were offended by the preaching of the cross the cross was a stumbling block for
them (1 Cor 1:23).

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The cross was where Christ suffered death in order to pay the penalty for mens sin. Having suffered death
in mans stead on the cross, Christ paid the death penalty in full, for all mankind.
All that is required is for each man to join himself to Christ by faith, so that this becomes true for him,
personally. Once a man does this, he is saved; completely saved. The cross, then, eliminates the need for a
man to work for his own salvation; in fact, he must cease to work, in order to genuinely place his faith in
Jesus to be saved.
That was a stumbling block for the religious Jews. Their identity was in the works of the Law; it was a way
of life for them, even though the Law could never have provided them with salvation. After all, could they
keep the Law? No; no mere man has ever kept the Law perfectly. But the Jews were used to living by the
Law, and their religion taught that it was the only means by which to enter the kingdom of heaven.
There were many false messiahs, in Jewish history; and the religious Jews were will to tolerate those in
their ranks who followed one who was thought to possibly be Gods anointed; as long as those who did so
continued to keep the status quo, by observing the Law. The cross of Christ would not allow men to do
that; that was the great offense of the cross.
These false teachers thought they had found a happy medium between those who followed Christ and those
who adhered to the Law; why not have both? That way, they could make the adherents of Judaism happy,
while still professing to believe in Christ.
But one who truly believes into Christ cannot live by any external law. The Christ One has the law of
Christ written in his heart; the royal law of love. He lives by the Spirit of Christ, within him. You can
either have principles or the Person; you cant have both. This is what Paul had made so clear in his letter
to the Galatians; and now he exposed the false teachers as the hypocrites that they were.
Here they were, trying to force the Gentiles in Galatia to keep the Law by going so far as to be circumcised,
while the truth was that these so-called teachers didnt even keep the Law themselves for no man can.
These false teachers were hypocrites. They might profess Christ, but they were none of his. Their thinking
was never for the Galatians, but only for themselves; to make themselves look good; to make themselves
comfortable in the world; to avoid persecution, by compromise. But with Christ, there can be no
compromise as Paul shows next, for himself.
v. 14 Whereas the false teachers sought to make their boast in the flesh seeking the praise of men for
their proselytizing efforts Paul made his boast in the very thing the false teachers sought to negate and
avoid the cross of Christ. In fact, Paul indicates the cross was his only boast. It is the only boast of
everyone who has truly received Jesus as their Lord, their Master.
What does it mean, to boast in the cross? We have to understand the Greek word translated boast here.
The Greek word is a basic expression of praise, unlike the English word, boast. Boasting includes an
aspect of pride; that sense is not present in the Greek word. The idea is glorying in, or exulting in.
To glory in the cross necessarily involves absolutely no exaltation of self, but only of Christ. It is to have
Gods view on the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus suffered what He did because God so loved the world; His creation of mankind. Only Jesus alone
could suffer death in our place, as our substitute, to reconcile us to God. In so doing, He saved us from that
sentence of condemnation that we were under, and freed us from the burden of sin that we carried.

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We have a new Life, because of Jesus; a Life that Death has no say over. And that Life will be manifest in
a body of glory one day, which will fit us for our heavenly home, along with all of our dear brothers and
sisters in Gods family. We will dwell there, together, in that heavenly home with the One who made it all
possible, forever; with the One who loved us, and gave Himself for us. This is why the cross of Christ is a
glorious cross.
Paul would later reflect on both the Father and the Sons view of the cross. Turn to Philippians chapter 2.
[Philippians 2:5-11]
v. 5 This is how the Son saw His part.
v. 6-7 That is, He wasnt robbing God of His glory, because Jesus is equally God. But He left His own
glory behind, in heaven, when He took on a body of flesh (Jn 17:5). He made Himself of no reputation as
God, in his incarnation as the Son of Man.
v. 8 Here is the submission of Jesus to the sufferings of the cross; He drank the cup of mens iniquity to the
dregs.
Now we see the Fathers view on the cross.
v. 9 The Fathers perspective is the exaltation of Jesus, from that deepest humiliation of the cross. The
Father exalted Jesus out of death, and into heaven, to the highest throne in the universe His own where
Jesus sits at His right hand the place of power and authority. His name is above every name.
v. 10-11 When we choose to have Gods perspective on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are rightly
humbled at its foot, and Jesus Jesus alone is exalted in our eyes. And even for those who refuse to have
Gods perspective on Jesus, they will one day recognize Him to be the Lord when they see Him as their
Judge.
[Return to Galatians 6]
The false teachers have many boasts in themselves but none of their boasts will be recognized by God.
The only boast that Paul and all believers have is in the cross of Christ. They recognize that it is by
Christs work, and no work of their own, that they have been saved lest anyone should boast (Eph
2:9).
This is the only boast of men that will be recognized in heaven. In bringing out this contrast, Paul has once
again touched upon the only way a man can be justified by God; through faith in Christ.
Paul makes a unique statement here concerning the cross, for himself and for all believers. He says that it
is by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ that the world has been crucified to him, and he has been crucified
to the world.
By the world, Paul is referring to this world system, of which Satan is the ruler; that political, economic
and religious system into which men are born, and according to which men walk, fulfilling the lusts of their
flesh and of their minds (Eph 2:2-3). The world is the present order of things on earth; the present evil age.

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Some translations have by whom before the words the world, pointing to Christ; others have by
which, pointing to the cross. We will see that both the Lord and the cross are both implied in the words
which follow.
Now, the manner in which Paul makes his statement about his relation to the world switching the order
is not some type of literary device. Paul is actually looking at two different, but related things, in their
logical order. First Paul says that through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, the world has been crucified
to him. In using the pronoun our, Paul is including all who believe into Jesus in this statement, while
using himself as the example.
It was through the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus that the world has been crucified to believers. Turn to John
chapter 12. Jesus spoke of the hour having come, when the Son of Man would be glorified (Jn 12:23). He
was speaking about His death on the cross. Jesus was that grain of wheat that must fall into the ground and
die, in order to produce much fruit (Jn 12:24); to bring many sons to glory (Heb 2:10).
[John 12:31-32] Now means at the hour that has come, the hour of Jesus death on the cross. Jesus
alludes to the fulfillment of the first prophecy given, spoken to the serpent in the garden of Eden: I will
put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise His heel (Gen 3:15).
The seed of the serpent are the devils minions who perpetuate his world system. They would see to it that
Jesus was put to death on the cross; but it would only wind up being a bruise to His heel, serving to
momentarily interrupt His walk on the earth.
Meanwhile, through that very piercing of theirs, delivered through their enmity, God would pour out His
love onto all mankind, as Jesus paid the penalty for mens sins, and brought forth life and immortality to
men through His resurrection.
The victory of Jesus at the cross was effectively what pronounced the sentence of judgment on Satan and
his world system; a sentence that will be executed in the last days. First, the world system will be
destroyed (Rev 17:16-18:24). Then, after the reign of Christ on the earth, Satan will be thrown into the
Lake of Fire (Rev 12:9, 20:10); the final crushing blow.
Jesus spoke of being lifted up from the earth a euphemism for crucifixion. Jesus was saying that when He
has been glorified in His death and resurrection, He will draw all to Himself. Notice He says, all,
meaning all men; not only believers.
Jesus died for the sins of the whole world; He paid every mans death penalty, with His own death. The
cross of Jesus has crucified the world to every man, who is willing to enter into the work that Jesus has
done there on his behalf. Jesus did it for everybody, without exception. It is just a matter of receiving it, by
faith.
This is what Paul is referring to when he says that through the cross, the world has been crucified to him
and to every believer. Believers are the ones who have entered into what Jesus has done for them which
bears witness to the next part of what Paul says.
[Return to Galatians 6]
Paul also says that by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, he, Paul and all who believe have been
crucified to the world.

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The first part of what Paul said that the world has been crucified to him is objective, and general,
pertaining to what Christ did for all men, judging the world and drawing them out of it to Himself.
But the second part that Paul has been crucified to the world is subjective, and personal. Jesus has done
the work of redemption, by which all men might be freed from their bondage to this world system. But
unless a man personally and individually enters into that work, he will always remain a slave to this world,
and will come into judgment with it.
How did Paul enter into the work of Christ on the cross? By faith. Through Pauls faith, Jesus drew Paul to
Himself, taking Paul into death with Him. Paul was then buried with Christ, and just as Christ was raised
from the dead by the glory of the Father, Paul was raised to walk in the newness of life (Rm 6:3-4) alive
to God in Christ Jesus, his Lord (Rm 6:11).
This is true of everyone who personally, individually places their faith in Christ; they are crucified with
Him, and therefore, crucified to the world; they no longer have their being in it.
If believers no longer have their being in the world, where do they have their being? In Christ; and where
is He? He is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
We have been made alive together with Christ. We have been raised up together with Him, and made to sit
together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:5-6). Thats where we now have our citizenship (Phil
3:20). And when we believe it, by faith it is given substance (Heb 11:1), and we live there.
Thats how Paul began this letter to the Galatians. Turn back to Galatians chapter 1. Look at the prescript
of the letter, down in verse 3. Paul says that our Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins, that He
might deliver us from this present evil age thats our crucifixion to the world. And where weve been
delivered to is the kingdom of the Son of Gods love (Col 1:13); thats the age to come, which is realized in
our lives here and now by faith.
Lets go back to the end of the letter. Paul continues with a statement that is meant to clarify what he has
been saying.
v. 15 The word for means that Paul is giving more understanding of what he has said before this. We see
that he is going back to a thought about circumcision.
Earlier in the letter, Paul started a statement the same way: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love (Gal 5:6).
Paul is making it clear that being circumcised does not have value or efficacy, any more than being
uncircumcised does. Why not? Because whether the flesh is at work or not, it is still the flesh, and it
cannot please God (Rm 8:8).
As we learned before, circumcision was just a sign to Israel, pointing the nation to the eternal covenant, that
has now been ratified in the blood of Christ. Circumcision was that cutting away of the flesh which
showed that this body of flesh must be put off, though crucifixion with Christ, in order for the new life in a
body of glory to issue forth.
But now Christ has been crucified; the reality has come; and the sign was no longer needed. Circumcision
is obsolete; and the physical act was never a way by which a man could be accepted by God; the value was
in the meaning of it, fulfilled in Christ.

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Paul is showing that it isnt the flesh that has value, but a new creation - the new creation, in Christ
Jesus, the Body of Christ; Gods workmanship, His masterpiece (Eph 2:10). The Body of Christ is of great
value to God, because it is the culmination of His plans for His creation of mankind; to have sons of God,
in glorified bodies.
What we see is that the cross marks the end of the old world the present evil age and the beginning of
the age to come. Through our co-crucifixion with Christ, old things have passed away our former manner
of life in Adam and all things have become new as a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17).
Paul continues.
v. 16 The question we immediately think to ask is, What rule? Logically, it bears on what Paul was just
writing about; it is this rule. The word for walk here means to keep pace with, to hold to or agree.
What rule or standard are men to agree with? Gods standard; faith in His Christ. Those who are willing to
simply put their faith in Christ will be blessed with peace with God being mercifully delivered by Him
from the condemnation to come.
This is true for the Body of Christ in this age, as well as for the Israel of God not the unbelieving Jews,
but true Israel the believing remnant, who will finally place their faith in Christ at the end of this age.
Then Christ can be merciful on them, as well, and they will rule and reign with Him for 1000 years, in
peace and righteousness.
Paul has now said his peace; through the Spirit, he has definitively shown these troubled Galatians the error
of their ways, and exhorted them in the way of righteousness. He has loved them to himself even as the
Lord loved them; and he can do no more, through his letter, so he brings it to a close. He makes one more
statement which would serve as a reminder to those in Galatia that the gospel is free, but that it is often
shared at great cost.
v. 17 the word here for trouble means to vex. Paul was grieved and upset by the Galatians, but it was the
false teachers who vexed him, particularly as they subverted his work, undermined his authority, and made
false accusations concerning him, in his absence.
Twice before, Paul has pointed out that he has suffered persecutions for the cross of Christ; he has made it
very clear where his absolute loyalty lay. Now, he points out that his physical body actually bears the
marks which demonstrate that loyalty.
The word here for marks in the Greek means brand marks. This word was commonly used to describe
the brands that distinguish a slave as belonging to a particular master. Pauls master was the Lord Jesus. In
Pauls unswerving devotion to Him, he had already been given many a brand, as he preached the good
news of Jesus in Asia Minor, including Galatia.
Turn to Second Timothy chapter 3. Paul wrote of how Timothy has followed his lead.
[2 Timothy 3:10-12] The persecutions and afflictions Paul mentioned in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra
those were all cities in Galatia. Luke does not detail all the afflictions in his record, but he does mention
Paul being stoned and left for dead in Lystra (Acts 14:19).
[Return to Galatians 6]

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The readers of Pauls letter would have known well what Paul had suffered in Galatia for the sake of
bringing the gospel to them. The marks in Pauls flesh for his obedience to Christ stood in stark contrast to
the meaningless, ritual mark of circumcision that the false teachers were trying to impose on the Gentiles in
Galatia. Could the Galatians see the difference between the reality of faith, with its selfless love, and the
loveless outward form of religious works?
There would be many more brands on Pauls body as he continued to faithfully preach the gospel (2 Cor
11:23-30). And they would just serve to remind Paul that he belonged to Jesus; they were a tangible aspect
of the fellowship of Christs sufferings (Phil 3:10), and so were precious to Paul. And they were the proof
of what it was that Paul believed; something that the Galatians had to ponder for themselves.
v. 18 We see that Paul closed his letter in his typical way, ending on the note of the Lords grace. That
grace would indeed be with the spirits of the Galatians, if they had truly placed their faith in the Lord Jesus.
And so Pauls letter to the assemblies in Galatia ends. We cant help but wonder what happened in these
assemblies; did they continue to be deceived by the false teachers, or did they take Pauls words to heart,
and return to their simple faith in Jesus for salvation, and for living their lives?
We have no other preserved letter to these assemblies, but we do have Lukes record in Acts, and it does
bear witness to what happened in Galatia. Turn to Acts chapter 16. Paul returned to Galatia on his second
missionary trip, this time with Silas. Proceeding overland, they came to the assemblies in reverse order,
with Derbe first, and then Lystra, where they met Timothy, and he became a part of the missionary team.
[Acts 16:1-5]
v. 1-3 Timothys father was a Gentile, but the Jews determined heritage through the mothers side, so they
would have considered Timothy an apostate Jew, if he was not circumcised. Paul circumcised Timothy so
that this would not be a stumbling block for the Jews as they preached the gospel.
v. 4 The decrees simply means the letter that was drafted in Jerusalem regarding the false teachers that
had come into the assemblies, teaching that the believers had to keep the Law and be circumcised. The
church in Jerusalem made it absolutely clear that believers were free from these things (Acts 15:23-29).
v. 5 You can see that it is implied that the assemblies readily received the missionaries, that they accepted
the letter of authority from Jerusalem, and that they continued in Pauls teaching - the teaching of Jesus
and were therefore strengthened in the faith, as well as continuing to grow in numbers. This would suggest
that the doctrine of the false teachers had been rejected by the assemblies.
Turn to Acts chapter 18. This is Pauls third missionary trip, and the last mention of Galatia in the record.
[Acts 18:23] Clearly they received Paul and his teaching again, and were further strengthened in the faith.
So it would seem that the false teaching had been rejected by Galatia. But we know that eventually, that
very thinking which mixes faith with works was taken in by some in the church, until those who truly
believe became the minority amongst those with this mixture of thinking which we find everywhere in
Christendom today. Those who subscribe to such thinking name the name of Christ, but they are none of
His and in the end, Jesus will reject them, as He gathers His true church, His beloved, to be with Him in
their heavenly home.
And so we, true believers, will always be with the Lord. Amen, come quickly, Lord Jesus!