Apostle Paul’s persecution are the marks.
2 Corinthians 11:25–27
1) Three times I was beaten with rods.
2) Once I was stoned.
3) Three times I was shipwrecked
Paul points to the scar or wounds he had received in his Master’s service.
Wounds or scars are his credentials, qualification to preach or certificate if we
may say. You use certificate to look for job, isn’t it?
What’s your qualification to talk about this Jesus? We all say we accept &
preach?
What experiences do you have with him that can persuade someone to give
their lives to Jesus if u share?
4) A night and a day I have been in the deep high sea.
5) In journeys often (travel a lot for the gospel’s sake).
6) In perils of waters.
7) In perils of robbers.
8) In perils of my own countrymen (Jews).
9) In perils of the gentiles.
10) I have faced danger in the city.
11) In perils in the wilderness / deserts.
12) In perils in the stormy sea.
13) In perils among false brethren.
14) In weariness and hard labor / pain.
15) In sleeplessness often / long & lonely night.
16) In hunger & thirst.
17) In fasting often.
18) In cold and nakedness.
19) Despite daily persecution, he still thinks of the church of God and the Gospel.
The Background of Galatians 6:11–16 (NIT)
Is that man likes to glory in the flesh, i.e. show off generally which includes spiritual show off , I am born again, circumcised, fast, pray etc.(Demonstrate Self-righteousness, spiritual pride), forgetting that only the message of the cross of Christ Jesus qualifies you for righteousness and acceptance by God. So the Judaizers were attempting to get the Galatians to embrace the law along with Christ.
But Apostle Paul made it clear that these same people who wanted the Galatians to be circumcised to accept them as people of God, as they are, do not even keep the law themselves. So their circumcision is outwards and not inwards. (Their hearts are not circumcised). They just want self-glory because this can be achieved by self-effort. However, the message of the cross puts self-effort in its proper place. (vs 14) Apostle Paul said, God forbid that I should glory (boast) except in the cross of our Lord Jesus.
(vs 15); he said- For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision mean anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. So, he is basically saying all of man’s religious ceremonies mean nothing, but being truly a new creature and this can only be achieved by trusting Christ and what He did for us on the cross, not by self-effort. That’s why we need the Holy Ghost, otherwise we will struggle.
So all that was happening then was what led to Apostle Paul saying in vs 17 – “Henceforth, let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body “the marks of the Lord Jesus.” He was basically saying -“Don’t trouble me, leave me alone, I know what I am
doing, and to the Galatians don’t listen to his teachers; it’s not about self-effort, circumcision, they don’t have any marks or thing to show for their love for Christ, All they do is external (‘for show’), pretending to love God but glorying in the works for God.”
Then he said “For I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” – meaning he has gone through a lot of things for the gospel’s sake and the message of the cross, so it’s not about “show off” (nice house, cars, shoes). It’s deeper than we think.
Apostle Paul points to the scar, marks, stigma, wounds he had received in his Master’s service. Let’s look at some of them :- 2 Cor 11:25–27