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Saturday, November 23rd, 2024
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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THE MESSAGE

Galatians 6:11

Now, in these last sentences, I want to emphasize in the bold scrawls of my personal handwriting the immense importance of what I have written to you. These people who are attempting to force the ways of circumcision on you have only one motive: They want an easy way to look good before others, lacking the courage to live by a faith that shares Christ's suffering and death. All their talk about the law is gas. They themselves don't keep the law! And they are highly selective in the laws they do observe. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast of their success in recruiting you to their side. That is contemptible!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Scofield Reference Index - Paul;   Thompson Chain Reference - Letters;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Hands, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Book;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Epistle;   Galatians, the Epistle to the;   Paul;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Galatians, Letter to the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Galatians, Epistle to the;   Nicolas;   Paul the Apostle;   Tertius;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Galatians Epistle to the;   Scripture;   Tertius ;   Token;   Writing;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Epicure'ans, the,;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Book;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Eyes, Diseases of the;   Galatians, Epistle to the;   Paul, the Apostle;   Thorn in the Flesh;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for October 28;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
This is my own handwriting. You can see how big the letters are.
Revised Standard Version
See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Beholde how large a letter I have written vnto you with myne awne honde.
Hebrew Names Version
See with what large letters I write to you with my own hand.
New American Standard Bible
See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!
New Century Version
See what large letters I use to write this myself.
Update Bible Version
See with how large letters I write to you with my own hand.
Webster's Bible Translation
Ye see how large a letter I have written to you with my own hand.
English Standard Version
See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.
World English Bible
See with what large letters I write to you with my own hand.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Ye see how large a letter I have written to you with my own hand.
Weymouth's New Testament
See in what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Se ye, what maner lettris Y haue write to you with myn owne hoond.
English Revised Version
See with how large letters I have written unto you with mine own hand.
Berean Standard Bible
See what large letters I am using to write to you with my own hand!
Contemporary English Version
You can see what big letters I make when I write with my own hand.
Amplified Bible
See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.
American Standard Version
See with how large letters I write unto you with mine own hand.
Bible in Basic English
See the size of the handwriting which I myself have made use of in writing to you.
Complete Jewish Bible
Look at the large letters I use as I close in my own handwriting.
Darby Translation
See how long a letter I have written to you with my own hand.
International Standard Version
Look at how large these letters are because I am writing with my own hand!
Etheridge Translation
You see these letters which I have written to you with my hands.
Murdock Translation
Behold, this epistle have I written to you with my own hand.
King James Version (1611)
Ye see how large a letter I haue written vnto you with mine owne hand.
New Living Translation
Notice what large letters i use as i write these closing words in my own handwriting.
New Life Bible
See what big letters I make when I write to you with my own hand.
New Revised Standard
See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand!
Geneva Bible (1587)
Ye see how large a letter I haue written vnto you with mine owne hand.
George Lamsa Translation
You can see how long a letter I have written to you with my own hand.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
See! with what large letters, unto you, I have written, with my own hand: -
Douay-Rheims Bible
See what a letter I have written to you with my own hand.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Ye see how large a letter I haue written vnto you with myne owne hande.
Good News Translation
See what big letters I make as I write to you now with my own hand!
Christian Standard Bible®
Look at what large letters I use as I write to you in my own handwriting.
King James Version
Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.
Lexham English Bible
See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.
Literal Translation
See in what large letters I write to you with my hand.
Young's Literal Translation
Ye see in how large letters I have written to you with my own hand;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Beholde, with how many wordes I haue wrytten vnto you with myne awne hande.
Mace New Testament (1729)
You see how long a letter I have writ to you with my own hand.
New English Translation
See what big letters I make as I write to you with my own hand!
New King James Version
See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!
Simplified Cowboy Version
See these big letters I'm writing to you with my own hand!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.
Legacy Standard Bible
See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand!

Contextual Overview

11Now, in these last sentences, I want to emphasize in the bold scrawls of my personal handwriting the immense importance of what I have written to you. These people who are attempting to force the ways of circumcision on you have only one motive: They want an easy way to look good before others, lacking the courage to live by a faith that shares Christ's suffering and death. All their talk about the law is gas. They themselves don't keep the law! And they are highly selective in the laws they do observe. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast of their success in recruiting you to their side. That is contemptible! 14For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them! 17 Quite frankly, I don't want to be bothered anymore by these disputes. I have far more important things to do—the serious living of this faith. I bear in my body scars from my service to Jesus. 18 May what our Master Jesus Christ gives freely be deeply and personally yours, my friends. Oh, yes!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

written: Romans 16:22, 1 Corinthians 16:21-23

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 29:1 - of the letter Philemon 1:19 - I Paul Hebrews 13:22 - for

Cross-References

Genesis 6:1
When the human race began to increase, with more and more daughters being born, the sons of God noticed that the daughters of men were beautiful. They looked them over and picked out wives for themselves.
Genesis 7:1
Next God said to Noah, "Now board the ship, you and all your family—out of everyone in this generation, you're the righteous one.
Genesis 13:13
The people of Sodom were evil—flagrant sinners against God .
Psalms 55:9
Come down hard, Lord—slit their tongues. I'm appalled how they've split the city Into rival gangs prowling the alleys Day and night spoiling for a fight, trash piled in the streets, Even shopkeepers gouging and cheating in broad daylight.
Ezekiel 8:17
He said, "Have you seen enough, son of man? Isn't it bad enough that Judah engages in these outrageous obscenities? They fill the country with violence and now provoke me even further with their obscene gestures. That's it. They have an angry God on their hands! From now on, no mercy. They can shout all they want, but I'm not listening."
Ezekiel 28:16
The Money Has Gone to Your Head God's Message came to me, "Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, ‘This is what God , the Master, says: "‘Your heart is proud, going around saying, "I'm a god. I sit on God's divine throne, ruling the sea"— You, a mere mortal, not even close to being a god, A mere mortal trying to be a god. Look, you think you're smarter than Daniel. No enigmas can stump you. Your sharp intelligence made you world-wealthy. You piled up gold and silver in your banks. You used your head well, worked good deals, made a lot of money. But the money has gone to your head, swelled your head—what a big head! "‘Therefore, God , the Master, says: "‘Because you're acting like a god, pretending to be a god, I'm giving fair warning: I'm bringing strangers down on you, the most vicious of all nations. They'll pull their swords and make hash of your reputation for knowing it all. They'll puncture the balloon of your god-pretensions. They'll bring you down from your self-made pedestal and bury you in the deep blue sea. Will you protest to your assassins, "You can't do that! I'm a god"? To them you're a mere mortal. They're killing a man, not a god. You'll die like a stray dog, killed by strangers— Because I said so. Decree of God , the Master.'" God 's Message came to me: "Son of man, raise a funeral song over the king of Tyre. Tell him, A Message from God , the Master: "You had everything going for you. You were in Eden, God's garden. You were dressed in splendor, your robe studded with jewels: Carnelian, peridot, and moonstone, beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald, all in settings of engraved gold. A robe was prepared for you the same day you were created. You were the anointed cherub. I placed you on the mountain of God. You strolled in magnificence among the stones of fire. From the day of your creation you were sheer perfection... and then imperfection—evil!—was detected in you. In much buying and selling you turned violent, you sinned! I threw you, disgraced, off the mountain of God. I threw you out—you, the anointed angel-cherub. No more strolling among the gems of fire for you! Your beauty went to your head. You corrupted wisdom by using it to get worldly fame. I threw you to the ground, sent you sprawling before an audience of kings and let them gloat over your demise. By sin after sin after sin, by your corrupt ways of doing business, you defiled your holy places of worship. So I set a fire around and within you. It burned you up. I reduced you to ashes. All anyone sees now when they look for you is ashes, a pitiful mound of ashes. All who once knew you now throw up their hands: ‘This can't have happened! This has happened!'" God 's Message came to me: "Son of man, confront Sidon. Preach against it. Say, ‘Message from God , the Master: "‘Look! I'm against you, Sidon. I intend to be known for who I truly am among you.' They'll know that I am God when I set things right and reveal my holy presence. I'll order an epidemic of disease there, along with murder and mayhem in the streets. People will drop dead right and left, as war presses in from every side. Then they'll realize that I mean business, that I am God . "No longer will Israel have to put up with their thistle-and-thorn neighbors Who have treated them so contemptuously. And they also will realize that I am God ." God , the Master, says, "When I gather Israel from the peoples among whom they've been scattered and put my holiness on display among them with all the nations looking on, then they'll live in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. They'll live there in safety. They'll build houses. They'll plant vineyards, living in safety. Meanwhile, I'll bring judgment on all the neighbors who have treated them with such contempt. And they'll realize that I am God ."
Habakkuk 2:8
class="poetry"> What's God going to say to my questions? I'm braced for the worst. I'll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon. I'll wait to see what God says, how he'll answer my complaint. And then God answered: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time. "Look at that man, bloated by self-importance— full of himself but soul-empty. But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing is fully alive, really alive. "Note well: Money deceives. The arrogant rich don't last. They are more hungry for wealth than the grave is for cadavers. Like death, they always want more, but the ‘more' they get is dead bodies. They are cemeteries filled with dead nations, graveyards filled with corpses. Don't give people like this a second thought. Soon the whole world will be taunting them: "‘Who do you think you are— getting rich by stealing and extortion? How long do you think you can get away with this?' Indeed, how long before your victims wake up, stand up and make you the victim? You've plundered nation after nation. Now you'll get a taste of your own medicine. All the survivors are out to plunder you, a payback for all your murders and massacres.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ye see how large a letter,.... Whether it be read as imperative, "see ye", observe, take notice; or as indicative, "ye see", ye do see, or you may see with your own eyes, it is of no great consequence: "how large a letter", or "with what letters"; which some understand of the largeness of the characters he wrote in; others of the deformity of them, he not writing a good hand, being an Hebrew, and not used to writing Greek; others of the grand and sublime matter which it contained; though neither of these seem to be the apostle's meaning; but he intends the length of the epistle, the prolixity of his writing; and which he mentions, as an instance and expression of his love to then, care of them, and concern for them: inasmuch as he took so much pains to write so long a letter to them, in order to set things right in their view, and recover them from error: not but that he had sent as long, or longer letters to other churches, as to the Romans, the Corinthians, and Hebrews: but then it is to be observed what follows,

I have written unto you with my own hand. The epistle to the Romans was written by Tertius, though dictated by the apostle, Romans 16:22 as very likely the others were by Timothy, or some other amanuensis. The apostle only put his name, and wrote his salutation, which was his token, in all his epistles, of the truth and genuineness of them; 2 Thessalonians 3:17, but this was not only dictated by him, but wrote with his hand, which very probably the Galatians knew; and since it was not usual for him to do so, it was the greater proof of his affection for them; that amidst so much work, and such labours as he was employed in, he should sit down and write so long an epistle to them with his own hand, in order to expose the errors of the false teachers, and reclaim them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ye see - This might be rendered see, in the imperative. So Tyndale renders it, “Behold.” But it is more commonly supposed that it should be rendered in the indicative. The sense is not materially different whichever translation is adopted. The object of the apostle is, to direct their attention to the special proof of his love, which he had manifested in writing such a letter.

How large a letter - Considerable variety has existed in regard to the interpretation of this phrase. The word used here and translated “how large” (πηλίκος pēlikos), means. properly, “how great.” Some have supposed that it refers to the size of the letters which Paul made in writing the Epistle - the length and crudeness of the characters which he used. Such interpreters suppose that he was not well versed in writing Greek, and that he used large letters. and those somewhat rudely made, like the Hebrew. So Doddridge and Whitby interpret it; and so Theodoret, Jerome, Theophylact, and some others. He might not, says Doddridge, have been well versed in the Greek characters; or “this inaccuracy of his writings might have been owing to the infirmity or weakness of his nerves, which he had hinted at before.” Jerome says, that Paul was a Hebrew, and that he was unacquainted with the mode of writing Greek letters; and that because necessity demanded that he should write a letter in his own hand, contrary to his usual custom, he was obliged to form his characters in this crude manner. According to this interpretation, it was:

  1. A pledge to the Galatians that the Epistle was genuine, since it bore the marks of his own handwriting; and,
  2. It was proof of special affection for them that he was willing to undergo this labor on their account.

Others suppose that he means to refer to the size of the Epistle which he had written. Such is the interpretation of Grotius, Koppe, Bloomfield, Clarke, Locke, Chandler, and is, indeed, the common interpretation, as it is the obvious one. According to this, it was proof of special interest in them, and regard for them, that he had written to them a whole letter with his own hand. Usually he employed an amanuensis, and added his name, with a brief benediction or remark at the close; see the Romans 16:22 note; 1 Corinthians 16:21 note. What induced him to depart from his usual custom here is unknown. Jerome supposes that he refers here to what follows from this verse to the end of the Epistle, as that which he had written with his own hand, but the word ἔγραψα egrapsa, says Rosenmuller, refers rather to what he had written, than to that which he intended to write. On this verse, the reader may consult with advantage, Tholuck on the Life and Writings of Paul: German Selections, by Edwards and Park, Andover, 1839, pp. 35, 64, 65.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 11. Ye see how large a letter — There is a strange diversity of opinions concerning the apostle's meaning in this place. Some think he refers to the length of the epistle, others to the largeness of the letters in which this epistle is written, others to the inadequacy of the apostle's writing. It appears plain that most of his epistles were written by an amanuensis, and simply subscribed by himself; but the whole of the Epistle to the Galatians was written by his own hand. To say that the apostle was unskilled in Greek, and especially in the Greek characters, is in my opinion absurd. He was born in Tarsus, a city which, according to Strabo, rivalled both Athens and Alexandria in philosophy, and in arts and sciences; and therefore he could not be ignorant of a tongue which must have been the very means of conveying all this instruction. As to writing it, there was in his time nothing difficult, because the uncial character was that which was alone in use in those days, and this character is as easily made as the capitals in the Roman alphabet, which have been taken from it. I conclude, therefore, that what the apostle says must be understood of the length of the epistle, in all probability the largest he had ever written with his own hand; though several, much larger, have been dictated by him, but they were written by his scribe or amanuensis.


 
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