The Show Must Go on. And on and on.

Legalism is a lot of work.  It simply never stops.  It's a never ending battle of keeping up external appearances and religious rule-keeping.

The show must go on.  And on and on.

In these verses Paul describes the unrelenting and endless life of the legalist.  There's always something to do.  There's always a mistake to deal with.  There's always something on your religious to-do list.

Let's remember the context of this little book called Galatians.  Paul and Barnabas rolled through the south central part of what is now modern day Turkey with the Gospel of Jesus (Acts 13:13-14:23).  

God used them to reach both Jews and non-Jews with the radical news that Messiah Jesus has thrown open the doors of salvation to the entire world through His life, death and resurrection.  

They established a network of churches in the cities of Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe.  

Almost immediately after they headed back to their home church in Antioch in Syria, a team of false teachers rolled into Galatia.  

The Judaizers infiltrated the churches (Gal 2:4) and convinced these new believers that they were affiliated with Paul (Gal 5:12).  

They duped them into a counterfeit gospel (Gal 1:6).  They said that Jesus may have gotten them into His kingdom but it's up to each of us to stay in through a life of endless self-salvation.  

According to the Judaizers, Jews had to remain completely obedient to the OT law and Gentiles had to become Jews.  And a big part of that was circumcision (Gal 5:2-12).  

If what these false teachers said was true, their gospel was no gospel at all.  It was just more legalism.

It’s a show that must go on.  And on and on.

When Paul hears the horrific news of what's happening Galatia, he fires off a letter almost immediately.  He can't believe how foolish the Galatians are in buying this spiritual snake oil (Gal 3:1).  

The apostle makes it VERY clear that "no one is justified before God by the law" (Gal 3:11).  

We're saved when place our trust in what Jesus has done for us.  He lived the perfect life that we couldn't live.  He died the perfect death that we should have died.  He rose to an eternal life that we don't deserve.  

Our only source of righteousness is NOT what we do but what He's done for us (2Cor 5:21)!

Paul makes a very interesting comment in verse 11.  "See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand."  He wants the Galatians to know that this REALLY is their old friend Paul.  

Apparently some of the folks in these churches would recognize his handwriting.  They could attest that this letter was indeed from the apostle who had just left.

Why would Paul be writing in such "large letters?"  We have a clue in Galatians 4:13-15.  The apostle basically says that his stop in Galatia was due to illness.  He was apparently suffering from some sort of eye infection.  

He remembers the compassion of his hosts, "if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me."  It could well be that Paul used such a big font when writing was because he simply couldn't see all that well.

The apostle makes it clear here that he personally penned this letter.  The grammar here seems to indicate that he's not just talking about this sentence or paragraph.  He wrote the entire epistle himself.  

Later he would use an amaneunsis or biblical secretary.  This is someone to whom Paul would dictate or direct the writing of a letter through.  

Not this time.  My guess is that the situation in Galatia was dire and this needed to go out immediately.  When the apostle got word of what the Judaizers had done, he grabbed his pen immediately and began writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Paul then takes one final swing at these false teachers.  "It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised" (v12).  He's already destroyed the Judaizers' case for circumcision as a requirement of salvation.  

The home office in Jerusalem saw no need for it (Gal 2:4).  God didn't require it of Abraham until AFTER he "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness" (Gal 3:6; Gen 15:6).  

Paul went so far as to say if the Judaizers were so hepped up on circumcision, why don't they just cut it ALL off (Gal 5:12)!

The apostle describes these false teachers as "those who want to make a good showing in the flesh" (v11).  The Greek verb here is ευπροσωπεω/euprosopeo.  It's a compound word that literally means to do well (ευ-/eu-) in front of someone's face (-προσωπεω/-prospeo).  

This is the only time the word appears in the Bible.  It means to put on a good show; to please and make a good impression.  The emphasis is on outward appearances.

This is a powerful reminder that I cannot be driven by what others think of me.  The Bible calls it the fear of man.  "The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe" (Prov 29:25).  I am to stop worrying about what others think, "by way of eye-service, as people pleasers" (Eph 5:6).  

In the opening lines of Paul's letter to the Galatians, he writes that I have to choose whose approval I seek.  "For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God?  Or am I still trying to please man?  If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Gal 1:10).  

Otherwise, I am consumed with what others think of me.  And Jesus warns against becoming obsessed with "practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them" (Mt 6:1).  There is absolutely no reward in that.

And that means the legalism show must go on.  And on and on.

When my identity is found in Jesus and not my own futile attempt at self-salvation, I can be completely secure in who I am.  Or I should say Whose I am.  

Never forget Jesus' words on the bloody Roman cross.  "It is finished!" (Jn 19:30).  He did for me what I could never do.  And because of that, I live to please the Audience of One and no other.

Paul says that the entire reason that the Judaizers want to put on their religious show is so "that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ" (v12).  They didn't want to face the opposition that Jesus' followers continually dealt with.  

The apostle saw it first hand while he was in Galatia (Acts 13:50; 14:2).  Unbelieving Galatian Jews actually tried to rub him out, not once but twice (Acts 14:5, 19)!

Jesus told us that declaring our faith in Him would paint a target on our chests.  "In this world you will have trouble" (Jn 16:33).  But He also said there is tremendous blessing when stand up for Him (Mt 5:10-11).

When we place our faith in the finished work of Jesus, the show's over.  And what a relief that is!!!

©2012

JayJennings