Galatiansનમૂનો

Paul concludes his letter by revealing the true motives of the Judaizers. They were trying to avoid persecution from their own countrymen, which is understandable in one sense. However, by doing this, they betrayed the core message of the gospel and their fellow believers. Instead of confessing their faith in Jesus, they sought human approval, betraying both Christ and their brothers in faith.

To Reflect On
Today, the Christian faith still clashes with popular opinion. For many, the message of the cross remains "a stumbling block and foolishness" (1 Corinthians 1:23). Paul knew the cost of following Jesus—ridicule, rejection, and persecution. Yet, he says, "But I will boast only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14). His plea to the Galatians is, "Don't cause me any more trouble. I have suffered enough to bring you the truth. Now I ask you: hold fast to this truth."

What Happened Next...
In Galatians 6:8, Paul warns that those who sow to their flesh will reap destruction. This was especially true for the Judaizers. Their strategy failed. Initially, their adherence to the law earned them some approval from their countrymen. However, when the Jewish War broke out (66–70 AD), they were pushed to the sidelines. Because they fled Jerusalem based on Jesus's words (cf. Luke 21:20–21), their Jewish countrymen considered them traitors. The synagogue shut them out. But even Christians distanced themselves because the Judaizers increasingly abandoned central truths of the gospel.

In the decades that followed, they became more and more spiritually isolated, eventually even denying Jesus's sonship and seeing him only as a prophet. Nevertheless, their influence was felt for a long time. In the 2nd century, the Church Father Ignatius of Antioch still warned:

"Do not be led astray by the false doctrines and old fables, which are useless; for if we still live according to Judaism, we confess that we have not received grace." (Ignatius of Antioch, "The Seven Letters")

So, church history also shows that where grace is abandoned, in the end, nothing of the gospel remains.