Pinpointing what Really Matters. Galatians 6:14-16.
Dear Kingdom of Priests,
These three verses summarise what Paul has been saying in this whole letter. All along he has been telling the Christians that they should focus on faith in Christ and not pay attention to the allure of ritual and the law.
Cross (v. 14a). The cross of Christ is the symbol of suffering. Early Christians did not use the cross as we use it today, as an identification with the Christian faith. The cross was a shameful image that represented the painful execution of the worst criminals. As much as the cross was inescapable for Christians, it was nothing to be proud of. Paul’s selection of the cross as his reason to boast shows how deeply he had come to appreciate the sacrifice of our Saviour and his recognition of the fact that his efforts were worth nothing.
Crucifixion (v. 14b). Paul reiterates the idea of his having been crucified with Christ (2:20) but adds an interesting twist to it. Not only has he been crucified to the world, meaning that he is dead to its attractions, but the world also has been crucified to him, meaning that it is practically dead to him. They are mutually dead to each other, Paul and the world. The world here of course represents the system guided by the sinful nature of the people who inhabit the earth.
Creation (v. 15). Paul is saying that whether a person is circumcised or not, whether Jew or gentile, whether following the law or not, all of that is inconsequential. What matters is that we have been created anew in Christ. He puts it beautifully elsewhere, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is the gist of what Paul has been saying all along. If one misses the newness that comes with being in Christ, one has missed the whole intent of the gospel.
Conformity (v. 16). Paul wishes “Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule,” meaning the concept of the new creation in Christ. The peace we encountered before in Paul’s greeting (1:3). Mercy has to do with the kindness of God that does not repay sinners according to their sins. God withholds deserved punishment in mercy, just as he grants undeserved favor in grace. Paul wishes this also on the “Israel of God,” a term meant to show Christians that they are now in “center stage” as God’s people. They are now the “chosen people… a holy nation, a people belonging to God” (1 Peter 2:9). Who would want to give that in exchange for the uncertainties presented by legalism?
Your Loving Pastor Chris.