The Marks Of Jesus, Stigmatas and Gal. 6:17

Paul was a man of sorrow and tears, who also had the marks of Jesus on his body. He mentioned those marks of Jesus as an endorsement for his teachings:

Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. (Gal 6:17)

The Greek word translated marks also means scars and is translated that way in several versions. Paul had scars on his body from the various severe persecutions he survived. One even included being severely stoned:

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea (2 Cor 11:24,25)

NOTE: The listing of different types of persecutions cited in 2 Cor. 11 was early in Paul’s ministry! At that point, Paul had already shed his blood 9 different times in God’s service. No doubt the stoning at Lystra (Acts 14) alone left some serious scars on his face and head! When the Jews stoned someone, they picked up large stones to smash into a person’s head to kill him! Those stones might have easily weighed 5 pounds or more. Acts 14:19 reports that they thought Paul was dead after the stoning! Blood must have been all over him. He might have gotten a broken nose, busted lips, teeth knocked out, etc. just that time alone. Paul’s back probably had more marks of Jesus than any other part of his body. For him, his faithfulness added scars upon scars to his body, as the years passed by and he received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. In contrast to Paul who was willing to suffer and die for the Lord Jesus, false teachers taught in a way to avoid persecution:

Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. (Gal 6:12)

It is clear the marks of Jesus on Paul’s body were scars and came from persecution! They were not similar in any way to the stigmata the Catholic priest Padre Pio, Therese Neumann or others had. Therese Neumann
Unfortunately, some have wrongly tried to equate the marks of Jesus on Paul’s body or scars (stigma in Greek) to those Catholic stigmatas and further think such is a supernatural endorsement for Catholicism. Folks, the devil can and does come as an angel of light and will move in the supernatural to deceive and destroy SOULS, if possible. DO NOT BE DECEIVED by his supernatural abilities nor the true meaning of the marks of Jesus. God bless you.

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