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 “Henceforth,
let no man trouble me; for I bear branded on my body the marks
of Jesus.” (Gal. 6:17) With these words the apostle Paul
concludes his remarks concerning the circumcision which
Judaizing teachers were seeking to bind upon Christians. In
contrast to this body-mark insisted upon by these Jews as proof
of obedience, Paul offers his “marks of Jesus” as a truer
trademark of allegiance. As with warriors of old, these scars
were Paul’s badges of honor. They were evidence of being on
active duty for the King. They proved dedicated involvement for
Jesus.
The
conflict which scarred the body of Paul continues. Every
faithful follower of Christ stands on the same battlefield —
one that is stained with the blood of the Savior himself.
Loyalty to Christ and His gospel makes opposition unavoidable.
Standing for God’s truth means actively opposing error. The
soldier of the cross not only abstains from sinful practices, he
boldly reproves them as well. (Eph. 5:11) Following Christ means
entering the arena of conflict, and to live godly in Him is to
suffer persecution. (2 Tim. 3:12)
As
the conflict continues, so do the casualties. Those who will
stand where Paul stood need not expect to escape unscathed. They
too will incur “marks of Jesus” just as real, if not so
apparent, as Paul’s. For some, allegiance to Christ has meant
a divided family (Matt. 10:34—37). For others it has meant the
deep wounds of a severed friendship. None can deny the hurt and
injuries inflicted by hostile and vindictive brethren. Scourging
or stoning would be easier to bear. Sincere hearts have been cut
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deeply by slanderous tongues. Such
wounds leave invisible scars which abide for a lifetime.
But,
not every man who suffers does so “as a Christian” and not
all marks are of Jesus”. Even false teachers encounter
opposition and conflict which they construe as proof of their
faithfulness. Suffering, in itself, is no more a sign of loyalty
than circumcision. Error, no doubt, can boast as many martyrs as
truth, but in no way does this enhance error or those who may
die for it. Much suffering is the result of dissipation and
reckless living. Its wounds could be more appropriately termed
“marks of Satan” than of Jesus.
“Marks
of Jesus” are incurred only as the result of faithfulness to
Him and His word. Conflict and its fruits need not be sought by
Christians for it will surely come in following Christ. The
faithful must learn to EXPECT sufferings, persecutions,
injustices, social pressures, railings and reprisals from “within
and without” — and in fact should be more surprised when
they DON’T come than when they do! Christ said, “Blessed are
they that have been persecuted for righteousness sake: for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall
reproach you and persecute you, and say all manner of evil
against you falsely for my sake.” (Matt. 5: 10-11)
The
marks we avoid by doing and/or saying nothing, may be marks we
need to enter heaven. Dan S. Shipley
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