29 The Book Of Galatians – Chapter 6:14 - Message 29 – What Did Paul Really Boast In? Paul And Boasting Examined. We Ought To Follow Suit Series

29 THE BOOK OF GALATIANS – CHAPTER 6:14 - Message 29 – WHAT DID PAUL REALLY BOAST IN? PAUL AND BOASTING EXAMINED. WE OUGHT TO FOLLOW SUIT

This matter of boasting is a vexed problem in scripture and Paul had a lot to say about it. I want to examine how it affected the Apostle and then to look at general scriptures about boasting.

The verse we focus on today is the next one in Galatians as we are right at the end of the book.

[1]. THE EXCEPTION FOR BOASTING

{{Galatians 6:14 “May it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”}}

When I was a young Christian, way back in those days it was stressed on us that we needed to memorise verses from scripture. We used to have Sunday School verses on small cards/tickets, memory verses, we would have to memorise for the following week. Additionally, there used to be key verses we would memorise as teens and adults. I remember making cards for myself and on one side would be the reference and on the other side would be the verse. I learned those on the tram and in lunch break.

These memory cards helped us become familiar with scripture. I am talking about the 1950s and 60s when the only bible version used was the AV/KJV and it was simple because we were all on the same page. When other translations arrived it seems verse memorisation declined.

The verses I selected to memorise were the “key ones” or some of the more familiar ones, and Galatians 6:14 was one of them. AV/KJV – {{“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”}}

At face value it seems Paul is saying the only thing he would ever boast in is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, in the crucifixion of the Lord of glory - {{1 Corinthians 2:8 “the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood, for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”}} The preaching of the salvation message through the cross was paramount to Paul – {{1 Corinthians 1:23 “but WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness,”}} {{2 Corinthians 4:5 “We do not preach ourselves but CHRIST JESUS AS LORD, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake,”}}

Before we go any further, I want to take a look at this word boasting. The word means to get glory from. This is how we see politicians using boasting. These false ones want the focus to be on them so they obtain the glory derived from how important they think they are. It can also mean to vaunt oneself, meaning to blow your own trumpet and announce your importance and impressiveness to the world.

[2]. LOOKING AT OUR VERSE IN MORE DETAIL

(a). The verse begins with this negative used in scripture to indicate what can NOT be. MAY IT NEVER BE! GOD FORBID THAT TO BE THE CASE! It was unthinkable to Paul that such a thing would happen. Paul shed himself of all glory, and all boasting, and all self-appraisement. It was monstrous that a Christian or a Christian leader would behave in any glory-seeking way. How different is it today when those who are seen to be in church leadership flaunt their robes and their jewellery and sit in acclaimed seats, and list all their degrees, and have men bow down to them. What evil has entered the churches!

(b). The cross was the only substance that Paul would glory in. The salvation Jesus procured, and the hope of all mankind in redemption, is the only aspect Paul would boast about. It means he believed it and took great delight in making it known. This is unlike the Pharisees who took delight in themselves and wanted to be noticed.

The cross stands as the greatest event in the whole history of the universe. There was once a physical creation when all was made. The cross is a spiritual creation when all is redeemed. The new heavens and earth will be a physical and spiritual creation of the utmost glory when all of creation is culminated. There is no salvation and no hope outside the cross of Christ.

(c). The cross is the dividing barrier in the world. You are on one side or the other and can not be in the middle. You belong to Christ or you are against Him – {{Matthew 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”}}. A person who has not been crucified at the cross can not claim to be a Christian. This is serious relationship. The cross separates a believer from the world. There are two systems and you belong to only one. Unless you are fully crucified with Christ at the cross then you don’t belong to Him.