Epilogue
At this time, I want to pull together a few verses that I purposely left out up to now. They are not crucial to understanding the letter to the Galatians, but they are helpful to understanding the heart of the Apostle Paul.
Paul dictated all of his epistles, but he signed all of his letters personally. Here are three instances:
The first is 1Co 16:21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.
The second is in Col 4:18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
And the third instance is in his second letter to the Thessalonians:
I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. 2Th 3:17
Why? He said that it was to be a sign of the ‘genuineness’ of his letter. And that is true, but I believe there is another reason that he is signing in his own hand, and that is due to his poor eye-sight. This, I believe, is why he always had someone take dictation.
Paul had damage done to his eyes just prior to his becoming a Christian. He was blinded for 3 days, then healed. Luke writes, Acts 9:3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Then skipping down to verse 8;
8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Ac 9:3-9
He was divinely directed to a Christian man by the name of Ananias, whom God had asked to pray over him. He did.
And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; Ac 9:18
Paul had a physical condition that remained with him during his entire ministry. Three times he prayed for healing, but was denied. God’s answer indicated that if he were to be healed, he would become conceited, leading us to believe that his condition was somewhat of an embarrassment.
Paul summarized his talk with God like this, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. “ 2Co 12:7
Paul signed off his letter to Galatians personally. As he said himself, this was his custom to prove that these letters were actually from him.
However, as he signed off to the Galatians, this being his very first epistle, this was no custom yet. He was setting the precedent for all the rest of his letters.
Paul signs off with, See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. Ga 6:11
Large letters indicate very poor eyesight.
We conclude that poor eyesight plagued him ever since his having been blinded and healed.
I believe that his eye condition was visible to others. This is implied in several ways. First, the Galatians could see that something was wrong with Paul’s eyes.
Perhaps it was just that they noticed he could not read or see small items. Perhaps it was more. Some Bible scholars have surmised that his eyes were always weeping due to an ongoing condition.
Paul asks, “What has happened to that fine spirit of yours? I guarantee that in those days you would, if you could, have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.” Ga 4:15
I add to that, the request of Paul to have his ‘thorn’ removed … and the fact that God connected it directly to a likely prideful response by Paul … that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was his poor eyesight and a condition that produced a somewhat revolting appearance.
Initially the Galatians loved Paul. Apparently they even said that they wished they could give him new eyes … their own eyes.
Paul asks, what happened? What did I do? Why don’t you love me anymore? These super-teachers really did a number on you!
How painful for Paul on a number of fronts, that these believers who loved him intensely, have now been turned away from the true gospel, and had been led to believe that Paul was not even a true apostle.
How do you handle something like that?
Say, through a total misunderstanding, you lose a friend. You know that you did nothing to cause it. You don’t even know, if you could do it all over again, what you could do differently. The pain is real.
In Paul’s case, we don’t know how the Galatians may have responded to this letter. I have to believe that they turned away from the false teachers and took Paul back into their lives once again. But I don’t know that.
Paul was not a stranger to this kind of Pain. He wrote from prison,
“(Timothy), Do your best to come to me soon.
For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.
Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.
Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. (2 Timothy 4: 9-15)
So Paul feels pain. Luke is with him. Likely it is he who is taking down Paul’s words.
Paul was on trial for his life. He said,
2 Tim4:16 ¶ At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them!
But then Paul adds these words: 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me,
When our pain is at the greatest point, remember the Lord stands by you. He strengthens you. He never forsakes you.
A little bit earlier in his letter to Timothy, Paul had said: “I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
It is easy to serve the Lord when things are going our way. But, if you haven't already discovered it … serving the Lord can involve pain and suffering.
Paul learned (and believed this by faith) that God is not a deserter, that God hurts for you, and He loves you and will make it all right when all of this is over.
And, with that, we will conclude our study of this letter to the Galatians with Paul’s words:
18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Paul dictated all of his epistles, but he signed all of his letters personally. Here are three instances:
The first is 1Co 16:21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.
The second is in Col 4:18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
And the third instance is in his second letter to the Thessalonians:
I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. 2Th 3:17
Why? He said that it was to be a sign of the ‘genuineness’ of his letter. And that is true, but I believe there is another reason that he is signing in his own hand, and that is due to his poor eye-sight. This, I believe, is why he always had someone take dictation.
Paul had damage done to his eyes just prior to his becoming a Christian. He was blinded for 3 days, then healed. Luke writes, Acts 9:3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Then skipping down to verse 8;
8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Ac 9:3-9
He was divinely directed to a Christian man by the name of Ananias, whom God had asked to pray over him. He did.
And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; Ac 9:18
Paul had a physical condition that remained with him during his entire ministry. Three times he prayed for healing, but was denied. God’s answer indicated that if he were to be healed, he would become conceited, leading us to believe that his condition was somewhat of an embarrassment.
Paul summarized his talk with God like this, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. “ 2Co 12:7
Paul signed off his letter to Galatians personally. As he said himself, this was his custom to prove that these letters were actually from him.
However, as he signed off to the Galatians, this being his very first epistle, this was no custom yet. He was setting the precedent for all the rest of his letters.
Paul signs off with, See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. Ga 6:11
Large letters indicate very poor eyesight.
We conclude that poor eyesight plagued him ever since his having been blinded and healed.
I believe that his eye condition was visible to others. This is implied in several ways. First, the Galatians could see that something was wrong with Paul’s eyes.
Perhaps it was just that they noticed he could not read or see small items. Perhaps it was more. Some Bible scholars have surmised that his eyes were always weeping due to an ongoing condition.
Paul asks, “What has happened to that fine spirit of yours? I guarantee that in those days you would, if you could, have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.” Ga 4:15
I add to that, the request of Paul to have his ‘thorn’ removed … and the fact that God connected it directly to a likely prideful response by Paul … that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was his poor eyesight and a condition that produced a somewhat revolting appearance.
Initially the Galatians loved Paul. Apparently they even said that they wished they could give him new eyes … their own eyes.
Paul asks, what happened? What did I do? Why don’t you love me anymore? These super-teachers really did a number on you!
How painful for Paul on a number of fronts, that these believers who loved him intensely, have now been turned away from the true gospel, and had been led to believe that Paul was not even a true apostle.
How do you handle something like that?
Say, through a total misunderstanding, you lose a friend. You know that you did nothing to cause it. You don’t even know, if you could do it all over again, what you could do differently. The pain is real.
In Paul’s case, we don’t know how the Galatians may have responded to this letter. I have to believe that they turned away from the false teachers and took Paul back into their lives once again. But I don’t know that.
Paul was not a stranger to this kind of Pain. He wrote from prison,
“(Timothy), Do your best to come to me soon.
For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.
Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.
Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. (2 Timothy 4: 9-15)
So Paul feels pain. Luke is with him. Likely it is he who is taking down Paul’s words.
Paul was on trial for his life. He said,
2 Tim4:16 ¶ At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them!
But then Paul adds these words: 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me,
When our pain is at the greatest point, remember the Lord stands by you. He strengthens you. He never forsakes you.
A little bit earlier in his letter to Timothy, Paul had said: “I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
It is easy to serve the Lord when things are going our way. But, if you haven't already discovered it … serving the Lord can involve pain and suffering.
Paul learned (and believed this by faith) that God is not a deserter, that God hurts for you, and He loves you and will make it all right when all of this is over.
And, with that, we will conclude our study of this letter to the Galatians with Paul’s words:
18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.