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In Galatia, Paul deals with Judaizers—law-keeping Jews who were compelling Gentile believers to obey the customs and ceremonial requirements of Mosaic Law (see Galatians 2:14; 6:11–17). These legalistic Jews were preoccupied with external rituals—they wanted the Galatian believers to be circumcised—while their own hearts were left unchanged. Near the end of his letter to the Galatians, Paul says, “From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Galatians 6:17, NKJV).
In Galatians 6:11–18, Paul finishes defending his apostolic ministry and wraps up his case against the Judaizers. Using an interesting analogy related to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, Paul presents three sets of “marked men”—the Judaizers, the Lord Jesus Christ, and Paul himself.
The legalistic Judaizers’ bodies were marked by circumcision (Galatians 6:12–13). Their primary motivation for winning converts was to look impressive outwardly. They wanted to rack up large numbers of followers—not to save souls or help other believers mature in their faith—but so they could boast about them. They weren’t concerned about advancing God’s kingdom or bringing glory to His name. Instead, they were trying to escape suffering for the sake of Christ. They accused Paul of not being a true apostle. Yet, they were avoiding persecution by publicly identifying as Jews rather than Christians (see Galatians 6:12). These Judaizers were ashamed of the gospel and the message of the cross.
On the other hand, Paul said, “I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus” (Galatians 6:17, NLT). He, too, was a “marked man,” letting all the world see that his life was dedicated to suffering for Jesus’ sake. Paul was willing to endure the consequences, no matter the cost. He said, “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified. . . . It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation” (Galatians 6:14–15, NLT). Paul was proud to identify with the cross of Jesus Christ.
What were the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ that Paul bore on his body? They represent all the suffering he endured as a servant of Jesus Christ and minister of the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 11:18–33, Paul recounts being thrown in prison, facing death sentences, being whipped, lashed, and beaten with rods multiple times, being stoned, shipwrecked, encountering numerous dangers such as drowning and robbing, enduring sleepless nights, hunger, thirst, cold, and always carrying the burden of church concerns. He also faced angry mobs and worked to exhaustion (see 2 Corinthians 6:5). All of these things left their mark on him.
In 2 Corinthians 4:8–12, Paul testifies why he was willing to bear the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ in his body: “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you” (NLT).
Paul and all genuine believers are “marked men” called to share in Christ’s sufferings (Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians 1:5; 1 Peter 4:13). Jesus is our example in everything: “Even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for [us] . . . [we] must follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21, NLT). Paul said, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death” (Philippians 3:10, NLT).
The marks of the Lord Jesus Christ are the sufferings He endured to show the reality of His humanity and the extent of His love for humankind (Luke 24:25–26; Acts 3:18). He was hated (John 7:7; 1 Corinthians 2:8), rejected (John 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 2:14–15), betrayed (Matthew 26:23), abandoned (Matthew 27:46), and punished for the sins of the world (Isaiah 53:5–6; Galatians 3:13; Hebrews 2:10; 1 Peter 2:24). The scars of His suffering culminated on the cross, where Jesus gave His life to redeem you and me (Isaiah 53:3–12; Luke 24:46; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Hebrews 13:11–12). May we be like Paul and never be ashamed to say, “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”
