Galatians 6:14-18
Chapter 6
14
For me, I only want to boast in the cross of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through him, the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
15
Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters—only a new creation.
16
Let those who follow this rule receive peace and mercy. They are the Israel of God!
17
From now on, let no one trouble me; for I bear the marks of Jesus in my body.
18
May the grace of Christ Jesus, our Lord, be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
Commentaries
Conclusion and Farewell.
He concludes by summarizing the main ideas and bidding farewell. He writes the final lines in his own handwriting, which served as a signature of authenticity in ancient letters. Interestingly, he writes in large letters, as if to emphasize that these sentences summarize the entire letter. All of Paul’s pride is in the cross of Christ, in his death and sacrifice for love, in participating in it and preaching it as the only means of salvation. The Apostle contrasts physical circumcision, which no longer counts, with the marks of his sufferings for the apostolate (cf. 1 Cor 1:31), which give him all the apostolic authority he needs to settle the issue with an explicit declaration: “Let no one cause me any more trouble” (17).