Stigmata

"...I bear in my body the marks of the...Iesou." Gal. 6:17


The churches of Galatia were facing powerful adversity from false teachers who sought to overthrow their faith-confession through compromise.  The compromise demanded by these false teachers went to the very heart of the Faith - they proposed another Gospel quite unlike the one they had originally received.

To Paul such compromise was abhorrent and unthinkable.  For Paul the Gospel was the unique and irreplaceable Word of God that proclaimed the Iesous as the incarnation of Theos' saving action in history.  The believers in the churches of Galatia seemed to be easily swayed by the unfounded by compelling claims of these false teachers.

Paul did not merely engage in hand wringing over this issue he braved the merciless onslaught of the false teachers and used his prophetic voice to confront the believers with their capricious ways.  Their caprice was not of God.  It originated from the flesh within them and drew them into the pro-flesh milieu.

The pro-flesh milieu within these believers caused them to steal themselves from their master - the Iesous and become enslaved to themselves.  The lie of the pro-flesh life is that we belong to ourselves and not the Iesous who purchased us at the cost of his life.

After an intense spiritual struggle on behalf of these believers Paul holds up to them the symbol of his relationship with the Iesous carved into his flesh.  Paul states in decisive and picturesque language his relationship with Iesous.  He call it his marks in the flesh.  In the Greek text the word 'marks' is the term 'stigmata' which means an incised mark that identifies ownership.

Do you claim to know the Iesous?  Is He the Lord of you?  Has knowing Him as Lord cost you something of great value?  Have you fully invested in Him?  Are you bearing the stigmata of Him?

Become fully invested in Him today and experience life in super-abundance.

For more information about Dr. Josiah Rich and his teaching ministry, please visit his website.