Salutation (Galatians 6:16-18)

(Class Notes)

"The Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16)
- Paul enjoins PEACE AND MERCY upon those who "WALK ACCORDING TO THIS RULE" (Galatians 6:16):
  - The ONLY OTHER PAULINE OCCURRENCES concerning the enjoining of PEACE AND MERCY are found in the OPENING SALUTATIONS of the PAULINE PASTORAL EPISTLES (I Timothy 1:2; II Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4)
  - It is the RULE OF GRACE which GOVERNS the "ONE BODY" (Ephesians 3:1-3,6-8 cf. Colossians 2:6-7 cf. Ephesians 2:8-9)
  - It is the RULE OF LIBERTY which REIGNS OVER the "NEW CREATION" (Galatians 6:15 cf. Galatians 5:1-4)
  - It is the RULE OF PEACE which OPERATES WITHIN the "NEW CREATION" (II Corinthians 5:17-21 cf. Ephesians 2:14-17)
- Paul's REFERENCE to "the ISRAEL of GOD" (Galatians 6:16) is a REFERENCE to a SPIRITUAL ELECTION WITHIN ISRAEL - "they are NOT ALL ISRAEL, which are OF ISRAEL" (Romans 9:6):
  - "They which are the CHILDREN OF THE FLESH, these are NOT the CHILDREN OF GOD ... the CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE are COUNTED FOR THE SEED" (Romans 9:8):
    - ISAAC, NOT ISHMAEL:
      - (Romans 9:7 cf. Genesis 21:12)
      - (Romans 9:9 cf. Genesis 18:10)
    - JACOB, NOT ESAU:
      - (Romans 9:10-12 cf. Genesis 25:21-23)
      - (Romans 9:13 cf. Malachi 1:1-3)
- Paul's DEFINITION of a TRUE JEW (according to the OT) is one who has the TRUE CIRCUMCISION, i.e. one who has a CIRCUMCISED HEART (Romans 2:29):
  - UNDER the LAW (Jeremiah 2:8; Hosea 8:1 cf. Deuteronomy 31:9,24-26):
    - ISRAEL had an UNCIRCUMCISED HEART (Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 9:26)
  - UNDER the NEW COVENANT (Jeremiah 31:31-34):
    - ISRAEL will have a CIRCUMCISED HEART (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
- Both "the ISRAEL of GOD" (Galatians 6:16 cf. Isaiah 60:1-3) and "the CHURCH, which is HIS BODY" (Ephesians 1:22-23):
  - Are the RECPIENTS of DIVINE GRACE:
    - ISRAEL (Zechariah 12:10)
    - CHURCH Colossians 2:6-7 cf. Ephesians 2:8-9)
  - Are the POSSESSORS of ISRAEL'S "SPIRITUAL THINGS" (Romans 15:25-27),
    i.e. the SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS of the NEW COVENANT (II Corinthians 3:6):
    - DIVINE SPIRIT (II Corinthians 3:3,8,17-18):
      - ISRAEL (John 3:3,8 cf. Ezekiel 37:9,14)
      - CHURCH (Romans 8:2,9; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 4:30)
    - DIVINE RIGHTEOUSNESS (II Corinthians 3:9):
      - ISRAEL (Jeremiah 23:5-6; Isaiah 45:23-25)
      - CHURCH (Romans 5:17; I Corinthians 1:30; II Corinthians 5:21)

"The Marks of the Lord Jesus" (Galatians 6:17)

Paul's FINAL APPEAL to those that "TROUBLE ME", i.e. to the DOCTRINALLY DEPARTED (Galatians 1:6):
- "I BEAR in MY BODY the MARKS of the LORD JESUS" (Galatians 6:17):
- He BORE these "MARKS" (Galatians 6:17) VISIBLY TO THEM (Galatians 3:1) - for he was STONED TO DEATH in LYSTRA, a CITY in the REGION of GALATIA (Acts 16:1,6 cf. Acts 14:8,19-21)
The SIN BEARER (John 1:29) SENT FORTH the "CHIEF OF SINNERS" (I Timothy 1:15) as a LIVING DEMONSTRATION (I Timothy 1:16) of "the POWER of HIS RESURRECTION" through "the FELLOWSHIP of HIS SUFFERINGS" (Philippians 3:10):
- The TESTIMONY of MIGHT (Colossians 1:29) from the APOSTLE of GRACE (I Corinthians 15:9-10):
  - "Who NOW REJOICE in MY SUFFERINGS ... and FILL UP that which is BEHIND of the AFFLICTIONS OF CHRIST in MY FLESH" (Colossians 1:24) - "for HIS BODY'S SAKE, which is THE CHURCH" (Colossians 1:24; Ephesians 1:22-23)
  - "REMEMBER ... JESUS CHRIST ... ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL: Wherein I SUFFER TROUBLE ... Therefore I ENDURE ALL THINGS for the ELECT'S SAKES, that they may also OBTAIN ... SALVATION ... IN CHRIST JESUS WITH ETERNAL GLORY" (II Timothy 2:8-10)

The Lord said of HIS FORMER PERSECUTOR (Acts 9:12-14) - NOW HIS APOSTLE TO "ALL NATIONS, FOR HIS NAME" (Romans 1:5 cf. Acts 9:15):

"For I will show him how GREAT THINGS he must SUFFER FOR MY NAME'S SAKE" (Acts 9:16) - the SAME KIND of SUFFERINGS that HIS SAVIOR ENDURED FROM HIM (Acts 9:4-5):

NOW (of Paul)

<---SUFFERINGS--->

FORMERLY (from Paul)

(II Corinthians 11:23,28)

"Labors More Abundant"

(Acts 26:9-11)

(II Corinthians 11:23-25)

"Stripes Above Measure"

(Galatians 1:13)

(II Corinthians 11:23 cf.
Ephesians 6:20;
Philippians 1:7,13,14,16;
Colossians 4:3,18;
II Timothy 2:9;
Philemon 10,13)

"Prisons More Frequent",
i.e. "Bonds"

(Acts 8:3)

(II Corinthians 11:23,26-27)

"In Deaths Oft"

(Acts 9:1)

OTHER THAN the LORD JESUS CHRIST, NO ONE BUT the APOSTLE PAUL SUFFERED MORE IN THE FLESH:
- The LORD JESUS CHRIST was SO "SMITTEN" and "PLUCKED" (Isaiah 50:6) THAT "His VISAGE was SO MARRED MORE THAN ANY MAN" (Isaiah 52:14)
- The APOSTLE PAUL was SO "BEATEN" and "STONED" (II Corinthians 11:24-25) THAT he said, "I MORE ... STRIPES ABOVE MEASURE" (II Corinthians 11:23) - SO THAT they said, "his BODILY PRESENCE is WEAK, and his SPEECH CONTEMPTIBLE" (II Corinthians 10:10)
- THUS, PAUL ALONE, could say, "BE YE FOLLOWERS OF ME, EVEN AS I AM ALSO OF CHRIST" (I Corinthians 11:1) - for He was the Lord's "CHOSEN VESSEL" (Acts 9:15) to be the LIVING DEMONSTRATION of the POWER of the Lord's "GRACE" (I Corinthians 15:9-10)

"The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:18)
- Paul's CLOSING BENEDICTION is that "the GRACE of our LORD JESUS CHRIST be with YOUR SPIRIT" (Galatians 6:18 cf. II Timothy 4:22; Philemon 25):
  - It is by "the WORD of His GRACE" that the BELIEVER is BUILT UP (Acts 20:32)
  - To be "FILLED with THE SPIRIT" (Ephesians 5:18) is to be FILLED with "THE WORD of (the) Christ" (Colossians 3:16):
    - They BOTH YIELD the SAME RESULTS (Ephesians 5:19-21 cf. Colossians 3:16-17)
    - The BODY CHURCH (Ephesians 1:22-23), i.e. "the BODY of CHRIST" (I Corinthians 12:27), is called by the Name of Its Head (I Corinthians 12:12) - just as the woman was called by the name of her head (Genesis 5:2)
  - Paul PRAYED that believers would have a MATURE SPIRIT that would be characterized by the KNOWLEDGE of what the BELIEVER has IN CHRIST (Ephesians 1:17-19)
  - Paul PRAYED that believers would have a STRONG SPIRIT that would be characterized by being ROOTED and GROUNDED in the KNOWLEDGE of what CHRIST is TO THE BELIEVER (Ephesians 3:16-19)
- It is ONLY BY FAITH (Romans 5:1) in the WORK OF CHRIST (Romans 4:25) that BELIEVERS "have ACCESS into THIS GRACE wherein" THEY "STAND" (Romans 5:2)

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NOW (of Paul)	<---SUFFERINGS--->	*FORMERLY (from* Paul)**
(II Corinthians 11:23,28)	*"Labors More Abundant"*	(Acts 26:9-11)
(II Corinthians 11:23-25)	*"Stripes Above Measure"*	(Galatians 1:13)
(II Corinthians 11:23 cf. Ephesians 6:20; Philippians 1:7,13,14,16; Colossians 4:3,18; II Timothy 2:9; Philemon 10,13)	"Prisons More Frequent", i.e. "Bonds"	(Acts 8:3)
(II Corinthians 11:23,26-27)	*"In Deaths Oft"*	(Acts 9:1)