The closing of Pauline letters have several standard features, among them a blessing of grace (e.g., 1 Cor. 16:23; 2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 4:23), a wish for peace (e.g., Rom. 15:33; 2 Cor. 13:11b; Phil. 4:9b; 1 Thess. 5:23), and greetings (e.g., Rom. 16:3–16; 1 Cor. 16:20b; 2 Cor. 13:12a; Phil. 4:21a; 1 Thess. 5:23). In Galatians the blessing of grace appears at 6:18 and the wish for peace at 6:16. There is, however, a conspicuous absence of any greetings. This is particularly noteworthy because Paul had a personal history with the Galatians (4:12–15). This absence, like that of any thanksgiving at the letter opening, probably signals that Paul is so focused on persuading and warning the Galatians that he either does not take the time for niceties or deliberately omits a thanksgiving and greetings so as to underscore the seriousness of his tone.
6:11 / Paul brings his letter to a close, switching from dictation to writing for himself—see what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand! Paul, like many other ancient writers, used a secretary or trained copyist (the letter to the Romans names the scribe—“I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter” [16:22]). Sometimes at the end of his letters Paul would write a few lines in his own hand (see 1 Cor. 16:21). One reason for this practice was that it discouraged forgery (see 2 Thess. 3:17).
6:12–15 / Paul does not close his letter with an easy denouement but again warns his readers of the influence of the rival evangelists. He characterizes them as those who want to make a good impression outwardly and are trying to compel the Galatians to be circumcised. The Greek contains the word “flesh,” and so reads literally “good showing in the flesh.” As Paul has used the word “flesh” throughout the letter for that which is opposed to the Spirit (e.g., 5:17), he may be denigrating the rival evangelists by caricaturing them as concerned about the flesh, not the things of God. His statement is also a question: Would you want such as these to be the ones to compel you to be circumcised?
Paul returns to the central issue: the cross of Christ. This he has referred to earlier as an “offense” (5:11) that could be removed by circumcision. The integrity of preaching Christ crucified to Gentiles involves discounting circumcision. Paul believes that faith in Christ involves co-crucifixion with Christ (2:19; 5:24). This all-encompassing and undoubtedly difficult involvement “in Christ” is adequate for justification and salvation.
Paul knew that to preach the cross of Christ the way he did was to be persecuted (5:11). To avoid such persecution is to disavow the cross of Christ.
Paul seeks further to discredit his opponents’ position by asserting that even those who are circumcised do not obey the law. The Greek “those who are circumcised” (hoi peritemnomenoi) is a present middle/passive participle. It can be translated either “those who are circumcising” or “those who receive circumcision.” That is, it can refer either to Paul’s opponents or to his converts. There is no evidence thus far in the letter that some among Paul’s Galatian Gentile readers had already received circumcision. Rather, the situation appears to be that though some are close to receiving circumcision (5:3), Paul feels he has a window of opportunity in which to dissuade them. For this reason and because Paul refers to his opponents in the rest of the verse (they want you to be circumcised), it is best to understand the participle as referring to the rival evangelists. By saying that even his circumcised opponents do not obey the law Paul may be not so much calling their law observance into question as repeating his thesis: if they did obey the law they would see that the law upholds his position (cf. 4:21–5:1).
Paul now contrasts himself with the circumcisers. Their agenda is to boast about the Galatian believers’ flesh. His way is to boast of nothing except … the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul implicitly casts the agitators among those who do not belong to Jesus Christ. By advocating circumcision for Gentiles they demonstrate that they are not “those who belong to Christ Jesus [and] have crucified the sinful nature (flesh)” (5:24).
In 6:12 Paul charged that the rival evangelists were concerned only with their flesh. Here he charges that his opponents want to circumcise so that they may boast about his readers’ flesh. This statement conveys the sense that the consequence of circumcision would allow for boasting only of flesh and not of Spirit. Circumcision would plant his readers in the realm of flesh.
Paul repeats his earlier assertion that neither circumcision nor uncircumision means anything (cf. 5:6). What counts is a new creation. This new creation is obviously something different from the current world. It signifies newness in everything—a beginning again that occurs “in Christ” (cf. 2 Cor. 5:18–19). The concern with circumcision looks to the past, clinging to categories and practices that have no place in the new creation and hinder one from participating in it.
6:16 / Paul blesses all who follow this rule with peace and mercy. At the beginning of his letter Paul cursed the one preaching a gospel other than his (1:8–9), and here he blesses those who adhere to his standard and calls them the Israel of God. The flip side of this blessing is a curse on those who do not follow this rule; although they may claim to be Israel, they are not truly so.
This is the only time that the phrase Israel of God appears in Paul’s letters. Elsewhere he refers to Jews as “Israel according to the flesh” (1 Cor. 10:18). In Galatians at least, he did not think of Israel according to the flesh as the true Israel (cf. Rom. 2:17–29; 9–11). While he does not elsewhere claim the name Israel for believers in Christ, he does so here. This phrase is similar to the “church of God” (Gal. 1:13). It may have been used by the circumcisers to assert that they were the true Israel of God, in which case Paul is here coopting the term; or it may have been Paul’s own invention. In either case it indicates that Paul is battling with his opponents over who can correctly understand the role of the law for believers in Christ.
6:17 / Paul appeals that no one should cause him trouble. He conveys an air of confidence that his letter will accomplish its task and that in the future he will no longer be troubled by this situation. Paul knows himself to be one who bears the marks of Jesus on his body. He is certain of his own integrity and that his position will win the day. And, in terms of the outcome of the struggle between the rival evangelists and himself, he was right.
6:18 / Paul ends with a grace benediction and an Amen. The final word closes the letter on a strong note. Given its character as a word of response, it is also Paul’s final invitation for his readers fully to accept his message.
6:12 / It is not unknown for Paul to end his letters with a warning (see Rom. 16:17–20), although more typically he ends with an exhortation (e.g., 1 Cor. 16:16; 2 Cor. 13:11).
The word compel (anankazousin) was used also at 2:14, where it was translated as “force” in the context of reference to forcing Gentiles to live like Jews.
6:14 / World almost always means a sphere in need of redemption because it is in opposition to God (see Rom. 11:15). In 1 Cor., for instance, Paul juxtaposes the spirit of the world with the Spirit of God (2:12).
6:15 / Paul does not often use the term new creation, but the concept is prevalent throughout his writings. The idea that believers have been given a new life (Gal. 2:19–20; cf. Rom. 6:4–6, 11) is key to Paul’s understanding of the significance of faith in Christ. Believers know a new life in this present time and also wait for it to be manifested more fully (Rom. 8:18–25).
6:16 / The phrase follow this rule has in the Greek the verb (stoichēsousin), found also in 5:25, where it was translated “keep in step.” The word “rule” means a “straight edge” or “ruler.” It might also be translated “standard.”
6:17 / The Greek for the phrase marks of Jesus is “stigmata of Jesus.” It is impossible to know exactly what these were. They may have been the physical signs of Paul’s suffering on behalf of Jesus (see 2 Cor. 6:4–6; 11:23–30). Paul considered that he carried in his very body “the death of Jesus” (2 Cor. 4:10).