Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 112

April 22;   Galatians 6:17;   168/260(I);   ‘The Marks of Paul’

Galatians 6:17 From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

There were false teachers in the church back then and there are false teachers in the church today.  Proper biblical teaching and knowing the Word of God is what protects Christians.  If we do not know the Word of God, we are susceptible to unscriptural teaching.  Once we know this, we must be diligent to spend quality time reading and studying the Word.  As is usually the case, these false teachers accused Paul of inaccuracies in his teaching.  2 Corinthians 11 lists the incredible number of things Paul suffered for the gospel’s sake.  He considered teaching the Word of God and doing the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest honor a man could have.  Paul never complained about the persecution, he knew that part of the price that had to be paid for bringing the ‘light of the gospel’ into darkness, was resistance from demonic forces.  In Acts 9:16, the Lord Jesus specifically told Paul that there would be suffering because of the ministry Paul was called to fulfill.  This verse indicates that Paul bore the scars he had received serving Jesus as badges of honor.  Since satan is the legal god of this world, because of the sin of Adam, he will resist those who go forth teaching the Word and setting the captives free. There are challenges and a price to be paid for doing anything.  How much more when your ministry deals with rescuing people from eternal separation from God and snatching them away from satan, who will fight to keep the lost in his kingdom of misery.  The Lord Jesus won when He rose from the grave.  His grace will always see us through what we suffer for severing Him.