Galatians 6:11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.
12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
Verse 11 shows us that Paul had some eye trouble. Some have suggested that this trouble was the result of the time when the Lord stopped him on the road to Damascus. Saul was struck blind at that time. He was blind for three days. Ananias was sent to pray for him and restore his sight to him and to tell him what God’s plan was for him.
Generally, when God heals someone, they are made whole. We cannot say for sure that Paul’s eyesight issue was related to that time in his life.
One thing God wanted us to know is that Paul wrote this letter himself. He was directed by God to write this. There was no third party. God did not tell Paul what to write and then Paul told someone else to write it. Paul wrote this letter under God’s direction.
In verse 12 we see the motivation of false teachers. They may talk of love and they may talk of Jesus, but their love is not the love of God and their Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible. False teachers are in it for personal gain. They think that the world needs them more than it needs God. Any true saint lifts up the true God and the true Jesus. Any true saint understands that God has preserved His Word from this generation and for ever. Any true saint is not ashamed to stand upon the sure Word of God and is willing to contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints. False teachers do not believe that. They have a faith that is fluid. It is in flux. It is not settled. God’s Word is settled. The faith that true saints live by is the faith of Christ.
In the book of Galatians, the main fight was over the law of circumcision. What was the place of circumcision. It was a law given to Abraham for the nation of Israel. It had no saving merit.
In the Bible Genesis chapter 15 comes before Genesis chapter 17. In chapter 15 we read:
Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
It was Abraham’s faith in God that was counted to him for righteousness. Because Abraham lived by that faith, he was willing to obey God’s command to be circumcised and to circumcise his son.
The Pharisees, who rejected God and rejected Jesus Christ, had developed a false religion based on works. The main work for them was circumcision. They were pushing a lie that circumcision was necessary for salvation. They did not want to identify with the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. They saw Jesus Christ as weak. They had cried out:
Matthew 27:42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
They rejected the fact that Jesus rose from the dead three days after He died on the cross. They rejected the fact that He ascended back up to heaven and is seated on the right hand of His Father in heaven. He is the Saviour, the King, the Judge, the Great High Priest, etc.
Yes, the apostles suffered for identifying with Jesus Christ. Yes, other true saints have suffered and will suffer for identifying with Jesus Christ. It is better to suffer a short while on this earth, rather than suffering for all eternity in hell.
In verse 13 Paul pointed to the hypocrisy of the Judaizers. They demanded law keeping of the people, but they did not keep the law themselves. They could not keep it. No man can keep the law perfectly. Jesus Christ, the God/Man kept the law perfectly. He went to the cross and shed His blood on that cross so that we could be delivered from the bondage of sin.
Those Judaizers demanded circumcision of the Jews and Gentiles so that they could glory in how they had subdued the people. They were control freaks. They had no love for others. They loved themselves and wanted to hold on to power. They did not want to live under the power of God. They wanted to live under an imaginary power that was nothing.
The apostle Paul was directed by God to write these words almost two thousand years ago. Over those many years, thousands of false teachers have arisen who continue to use people as stepping stones for their own flesh. Men like Kenneth Copeland and Joseph Prince and even women like Paula White, are deceiving the gullible. Even men like President Trump are being deceived due to their pride. They listen to what they want to hear, but they reject the Truth.
The few who are saved need to be careful that we do not lose hope. We need to remain strong in the Lord. We are nothing in and of ourselves. We need to trust in the Lord and work in the power of the Holy Ghost. Our neighbours and our nation need the Truth. The Truth does not change. It is the Word of God. That is what the apostle Paul wrote. He was concerned for the spiritual well-being of the Galatian saints. He was also concerned with the impact they would have on succeeding generations.
The book of Galatians has endured because it is God’s Word. He is still preserving it today. We can still know the Truth today. The Truth is still found in God’s holy and inspired and preserved Word.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Pastor Bartel