https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/04\/TheMarksOfJesus.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Galatians 6:11-18<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I. Paul battled much of his life with his own Jewish brethren<\/p>\n
A. They insisted on preserving the Law in many ways.<\/p>\n
B. A motivation is to be expected – Galatians 6:12<\/p>\n
C. It appears some tried to justify it by appealing to Paul.<\/p>\n
1. After all he had Timothy circumcised! – Acts 16:3<\/p>\n 2. Paul points out, though, that if they agreed with him then they wouldn’t be\npersecuting him or taking offense at the teaching of the cross – Galatians\n5:11\n D. Acceptance of the cross and acceptance of circumcision was something even these\npeople understood were contrary purposes.\nII. Paul points out they are focused on external details – making a showing in the flesh; that\nis, circumcision, as if a physical cutting would save a person.\n
A. It is a milder charge than the one Jesus made – Matthew 23:15<\/p>\n B. The problem is the focus on physical compliance with no thought to a change in\nheart. \n
C. Not that circumcision was even required by God in the New Law – Galatians 5:2-4<\/p>\n D. But even those demanding this physical sign from the Old Law don’t keep that\nsame Law – Galatians 6:13\n
III. It isn’t the outward marks, but the inward change<\/p>\n
A. Circumcision does nothing. Faith working through love does – Galatians 5:6<\/p>\n
B. It is not some physical mark, but the changed life – Galatians 6:15<\/p>\n
C. It is the keeping of God’s commands – I Corinthians 7:19<\/p>\nIV. But if a physical sign is so important, Paul points out that he wears the marks of Jesus on\nhis body – Galatians 6:17\n
A. The word Paul uses is “stigma.<\/i>” It means a mark or a brand.<\/p>\n
1. Paul has suffered much in the cause of Christ – II Corinthians 11:24-25<\/p>\n 2. They would have left scars as reminders. Reminders Paul was willing to\ncollect – Colossians 1:24\n
B. A stigma<\/i> was the mark a slave owner placed on a slave to indicate ownership<\/p>\n
1. Paul saw himself as the Lord’s slave – Romans 1:1; Titus 1:1<\/p>\n
2. Jesus had pick him to bear His word – Acts 9:15<\/p>\n
3. It was his job – II Timothy 1:11<\/p>\n 4. He preached from necessity, though it was a command that he willingly\nfollowed – I Corinthians 9:16-18\n C. A stigma<\/i> was also the tattoos pagans put on their bodies to indicate what god they\nserved. That is why tattoos were forbidden – Leviticus 19:28\n
1. The practice is referred to in the mark of the beast – Revelation 13:16-18<\/p>\n 2. Now Paul didn’t scribed Jesus’ name literally in his body, but his body did\nshow the fact that he served Jesus.\n
3. But Christians do show the marks of their God – Revelation 14:1<\/p>\n
a. It is an illustration long used – Ezekiel 9:3-7<\/p>\n
V. But Paul doesn’t speak of external marks on his body, but of marks in his body<\/p>\n
A. Sin leaves marks on the practitioner – Jeremiah 2:22<\/p>\n
1. God marks those for correction – Habakkuk 1:12; Jude 4<\/p>\n
2. If God marks iniquities, who can stand? – Psalm 130:3<\/p>\n
3. What misery! – Job 10:14-15<\/p>\n
B. But God changes the marks by the blood of Christ!<\/p>\n
1. We show new signs – Galatians 5:22-25<\/p>\n
2. We put on a changed life – Colossians 3:12-17<\/p>\n
C. So what will you choose to show to the world? <\/p>\n
1. The scars of a sin filled life?<\/p>\n
2. Or, the marks of service to God?<\/p>\n
3. James 2:18<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Galatians 6:11-18 I. Paul battled much of his life with his own Jewish brethren A. They insisted on preserving the Law in many ways. B. A motivation is to be expected – Galatians 6:12 C. It appears some tried to justify it by appealing to Paul. 1. After all he had Timothy circumcised! –…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[480,118,1515,780],"class_list":["post-5197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-circumcision","tag-paul","tag-slavery","tag-tattoos"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":63236,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/pauls-fears-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":5197,"position":0},"title":"Paul’s Fears (Sermon)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: II Corinthians 7:4-7 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0What causes you to be afraid? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Most of us face fears at different points of our lives. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Most of our fears come from things that we cannot control or things we cannot foresee. More fear is born of our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":35267,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-made-paul-an-apostle\/","url_meta":{"origin":5197,"position":1},"title":"What Made Paul an Apostle?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 16, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Galatians 1:11-24 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paul was different from the other apostles \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0He wasn\u2019t with Jesus when he was on earth \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0He was not among the original twelve apostles - Luke 6:12-16 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0He started out as a zealous persecutor of the church \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0D.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How is it that Paul\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":87444,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/paul-and-jesus\/","url_meta":{"origin":5197,"position":2},"title":"Paul and Jesus","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 3, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Zeke Flores In many ways, Galatians is about Paul and Jesus. One of the things I love about the short book of Galatians is how, although Paul writes on deep theological themes concerning the differentiation between the old and new covenants and their respective purposes, he often refers to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12277,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-would-like-to-ask-you-about-the-book-of-galatians-and-paul\/","url_meta":{"origin":5197,"position":3},"title":"I would like to ask you about the book of Galatians and Paul","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 12, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I would like to ask you about the book of Galatians and Paul. I was reading this book for one of my Bible studies. I had not done so before in-depth, only certain verses. As I was studying and reading, it seemed to me that what Paul was saying\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":63017,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/let-us-do-good-to-all\/","url_meta":{"origin":5197,"position":4},"title":"Let Us Do Good to All","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 11, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Galatians 6:1-10 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0What is meant by \u201cdoing good\u201d? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Often we think of giving money to the poor, feeding the hungry, etc. And these are good things. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0But when we read Galatians 6:10, is that what Paul was talking about? II.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Understanding the context\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":47334,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/who-is-responsible\/","url_meta":{"origin":5197,"position":5},"title":"Who Is Responsible?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Galatians 6:1-10 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0One of the issues that has divided brethren is that of doing good. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The question is who is responsible? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0One side argues that it doesn\u2019t matter, so long as the good is done. The other side argues that you cannot\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5197"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5197\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}