The marks of Jesus (6:17)
Says “From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Gal 6:17; τὰ στίγματα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματί μου βαστάζω, “the marks of Jesus in my body I bear”). Paul lists, “Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned” (2 Cor 11:25), and writes, “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus” (2 Cor 4:10).
Most of these early readers take the marks as the scars of persecution. Chrysostom: “he produces his trials, his dangers, his stripes as witnesses that he had so continued”. Burton: “the physical effects, perhaps actual scars”. Luther: “The stripes and sufferings, therefore, which he did bear in his body, he calleth marks”. Calvin: “Imprisonment, chains, scourging, blows, stoning”. Lightfoot reads the word as a brand of ownership: “the marks of ownership branded on his body”, and paraphrases Paul as “I bear this badge of an honourable servitude”. These are their readings.
Implies Because Paul gives the marks as his reason that no one should trouble him (6:17), the text presents them as bearing on his standing as Christ’s apostle.
Uncertain What the marks were and what picture the word called up for the Galatians is open; these readings do not fix the meaning of the text.
Claims
- SaysGal 6:17: from now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus; 2 Cor 11:25 lists beatings and a stoning, and 2 Cor 4:10 speaks of carrying the death of Jesus in the body.
- ImpliesBecause Paul gives the marks as his reason that no one should trouble him, the text presents them as bearing on his standing as Christ’s apostle.
- UncertainWhat the marks were and what picture the word called up for the Galatians is open; the readings do not fix the meaning.
Citations
- BSB public domain Gal 6:17; 2 Cor 4:10; 11:25
- SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Gal 6:17
- Chrysostom, Galatians (NPNF1 13) public domain Chrysostom, Commentary on Galatians (NPNF¹ 13, Oxford translation rev. Gross Alexander, 1889), on Gal 6:17, p. 47 (leaf n68); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Burton, Galatians (ICC) public domain Burton, Galatians (ICC, Scribner 1928 printing of the 1920 edition), on Gal 6:17, p. 360 (leaf n453); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Luther, Galatians (Middleton 1833) public domain Luther, A Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (London, 1833), on Gal 6:17, p. 475 (leaf n581); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Calvin, Galatians (Pringle) public domain Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians (CTS, trans. Pringle, 1854), on Gal 6:17, p. 187 (leaf n200); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Lightfoot, Galatians public domain Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (Macmillan, 1914 printing), on Gal 6:17, p. 225 (leaf n244); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
2026-11-14
Open in Reader All notes on this passage