The Price of Liberty—Galatians 6:17
Paul summarizes the persecution he has received for preaching the cross apart from the Law: Henceforth, let no man trouble me; for I bear branded on my body the marks of Jesus.
The kinds of persecutions that had marked his body are spelled out in detail in 2 Corinthians 11:22–28. There were also special marks that were given to four categories of people in those days.
Soldiers were marked and theirs was a mark of allegiance; they were marked with the name of their commander. Paul was a soldier of the cross, and he was marked with the name of his commander, Yeshua of Nazareth.
Second, slaves were marked and theirs was a mark of ownership; they had the name of the owner. Paul many times called himself a “bond-slave of the Messiah” and he was owned by his master, Jesus.
Third, criminals were marked and theirs was a mark of exposure; they had marked upon their body the name of the crime. Paul was treated and marked as a criminal for preaching Jesus.
The fourth group were the devotees to various gods and theirs was a mark of consecration; they were marked by the name of their particular god. Paul was a devotee to the Messiah and was marked with that name. So Paul had all four marks on his body and these marks were the result of the persecutions he had suffered.
Excerpt from Dr Arnold Fruchtenbaum:
MBS126 THE BOOK OF GALATIANS: Pg 39
