The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity. Galatians 6.11-18

The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity.

The Collect.

KEEP, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church with thy perpetual mercy: and, because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. Gal. 6.11-18.

SEE see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand. 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. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

11 ιδετε πηλικοις υμιν γραμμασιν εγραψα τη εμη χειρι

12 οσοι θελουσιν ευπροσωπησαι εν σαρκι ουτοι αναγκαζουσιν υμας περιτεμνεσθαι μονον ινα τω σταυρω του χριστου [ιησου] μη διωκωνται

13 ουδε γαρ οι περιτεμνομενοι αυτοι νομον φυλασσουσιν αλλα θελουσιν υμας περιτεμνεσθαι ινα εν τη υμετερα σαρκι καυχησωνται

14 εμοι δε μη γενοιτο καυχασθαι ει μη εν τω σταυρω του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου δι ου εμοι κοσμος εσταυρωται καγω κοσμω

15 ουτε γαρ περιτομη τι εστιν ουτε ακροβυστια αλλα καινη κτισις

16 και οσοι τω κανονι τουτω στοιχησουσιν ειρηνη επ αυτους και ελεος και επι τον ισραηλ του θεου

17 του λοιπου κοπους μοι μηδεις παρεχετω εγω γαρ τα στιγματα του ιησου εν τω σωματι μου βασταζω

As we look at the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, we confess that we are weak, frail, and need protection from “hurtful things” that are unprofitable. Integral to the Epistle lection of Galatians 6.11-18, this includes specifically the prayer for protection from false, arrogant, pompous, boastful and fleshly Pharisees, heretics adulterating the Gospel of God. This is an unavoidable conclusion in view of the entire epistle. The intruders in the Galatian churches had perverted the true Gospel of justification by faith alone by grace alone by Christ alone, apart from the works of the law. Paul doesn’t hesitate to use tough-minded language about these showmen and boasters, virtually calling for non-peace upon them at points and excluding them from the true Israel of God, as we shall see shortly. This Epistle is the Sentinel of the True Gospel and serves as a mark of a true and Catholic Church. We would do well this Sunday to specifically pray that we would be delivered from false Gospellers. We are put on the alert in the prayer and by the Epistle.

Some observations from the text.

First, Paul calls attention to his authority and, by implication, his authoritative Gospel again. He’s written the closing to this epistle with his own hand, presumably a contrast to an amanuensis whom Paul often employed, and in large letters, as a servant bearing the stigmata of suffering. In other words, the sense is: “I’m serious about these matters.” “Stick to the Gospel.”

Second, the false apostles came boasting of religious supremacy and superiority by way of name, lineage, and the call to circumcision as a work, among other works, as the ground and meritorious basis for entrance to the kingdom of God and for communion with Christ. It’s the spirit of the Pharisees again. They are an ambitious breed, with the intent to make a lovely and grand, but specious appearance. οσοι θελουσιν ευπροσωπησαι εν σαρκι. They are religious showman with a false gospel, an antithesis of Paul.

Third, Paul accuses them of insincerity in a swipe when he says, in essence, “Though claiming circumcision, pride of place and pre-eminence, they don’t even themselves keep the Law they purport to keep.” They want a cross-less Christianity, believing their works justify themselves before God. It’s about showmanship and their religious self-justification. It not only is odious, but it is anti-christ and not to be believed, even if an angel should come and teach otherwise.

We have been blogging Book IV of Calvin’s magisterial Institutes of the Christian Religion. We read of courtly, princely, and pompous “asses” in the leadership of Calvin’s day. Bishops, Elders and Deacons not preaching the Word of God and rightly administering the Gospel. As a retired military man, we do not find that an offensive term, "asses"; the idea of Numbers 22-24 suggests that a "donkey" or "ass" has more wisdom than a false prophet; in short, Balaam's "ass" exhibits more wisdom. Calvin calls them “rude asses” and “babblers” with little biblical literacy. St. Paul will not hesitate to call such "merit-mongers" as "dogs" in Philippians 3.2.

We feel this appropriate and applicable to our own times. Such leaders come with showmanship making works a basis of justification, as they did in Paul’s time. These “glory in the flesh.” εν τη υμετερα σαρκι καυχησωνται. As we learned from last Sundays lesson, the flesh includes false doctrines and the flesh, which dominates these babblers, make war with the Spirit. What emerges is Calvin's "High" view of preaching and teaching, a mark of an "High Churchman," sticking with the Word, Sacrament and the disciplines of the Word.

Fourth, St. Paul states a bold antithesis. But God forbid that I should glory in anything but the Cross of Christ. 14 εμοι δε μη γενοιτο καυχασθαι ει μη εν τω σταυρω του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου. The disjunctive phrase is powerful and not to be missed. Christ bore our curse (Gal.3.13) on the Cross and by Christ alone, by faith alone apart from works, we are justified. This is why there needs to be exegetical and expository preaching with a controlling theme on every page: Paul’s Gospel. God forbid that there should be anything else. There’s no other salvific ground or basis for boasting.

Fifth, the world is crucified to me and I to the world says Paul. The vanity, boasts, and pompous shows are consumed by the supremacy of Christ alone, His saving grace, and His Presence with His people. Religious pride and circumcision are meaningless, but what counts is being a new creature. αλλα καινη κτισις. We are born again by an invasion, invisible, effective, loving and governing by our real baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection to His likeness.

Sixth, those who walk and are established (στοιχησουσιν)according to this rule, peace and grace upon them. 16 και οσοι τω κανονι τουτω στοιχησουσιν ειρηνη επ αυτους και ελεος και επι τον ισραηλ του θεου. Paul calls it a “canon,” or “rule,” or "benchmark." That is, those who speak of grace, justification by faith alone, grace alone and Christ alone is the “canon.” Here is our salvation, comfort and assurance.

Ministers of the Gospel have this Pauline canon of Galatians. It’s not negotiable. This epistle is the rule, the canon, the truth and this canon shall inform and govern the churches, their prayers, their liturgies, their music and their sermons. This also may be an implied snipe at the pompophiles. Paul also says peace upon the Israel of God, another swipe at the boasters. It’s an advisory that one breed is the False Israel (the Pretending Israel) and the other is a True Israel, the children of Abraham by faith alone in Christ alone (Gal.3.6-9, 26-29).

For a younger Christian reading this, be advised. You’ll see pompophila again and again. You’ll hear “add this” or “add that” to the Gospel for a “fuller Christianity.” It’s a false voice. It's an attack on Christ and His total sufficiency for salvation.

For older and skilled Churchman, our challenge is always to “Confess” the Gospel” in doctrinal truth, but with humility and kindness—a challenge because there are wolves out there with strange and erroneous words. They vex us. Often one will witness doctrinal correctness but with an erroneous spirit. Having said this, Paul brooks no other Gospel but what he has canonically taught.

Seventh, Paul reasserts his authority. Let no man trouble me as to anything else. Let the agitators and false gospellers have nothing else to say about these matters. Let them make no contradictions to what I’ve said.

Eighth, Paul points to the stigmata in his flesh, to wit, the markings born through imprisonments, chains, scourgings, and a stoning. The plural, stigmata, or marks in the flesh, is important. I live moments from Camp Lejeune, NC, home to the largest, eastern concentration of United States Marines. I am a disabled Veteran myself. One frequently sees license plates here with “P H” on them, for “Purple Hearts.” We have a "Wounded Warriors" unit at the Navy Hospital here. We honour our wounded veterans. We never leave a man down or behind. So, also, St. Paul suffered in the service of His Saviour, under His General, unlike the boasters with a cross-less, grace-less and arrogant perversion of Christianity. Paul has further proofs of his Gospel-integrity.

If we had to put the observations under one statement here, a paraphrase, it must be noted along this line. “Stick to the Gospel that I, St. Paul, taught you. Nothing more. Nothing less. Away with the pretenders and false teachers. If you boast, let it be the Cross of Christ with all that that means.”

We offer an adapted prayer from our prayer for this Sunday as informed by the Epistle lection.

Keep, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church with thy perpetual mercy: keep us, spare us, and help us as we deal with false teachers today who claim to be Christians but have the false gospel, including Rome, Tractarians, Puseyites like Bp. Jack Iker, charismatics, and others; and, because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.