In ancient Rome an owner could burn his name—brand—into a slave's flesh. Paul may have had that practice in mind when writing that his body bore the marks—brand—of Jesus Galatians 6:17. II Corinthians 11:22-27 lists some:
While suggesting those could have been the marks of Jesus, we know what they were NOT: the tattoos so popular today. What those marks DO suggest to us is:
First, the Need of Doctrine Which receives far less attention than it deserves today. The oversight comes from the misguided belief that what one believes doesn't influence one's behavior. We couldn't tell that to the Moslems who destroyed the Twin Towers. They died willingly because they believed killing non-Moslems pleased God. Remember that Jesus said the time would come when "anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God" John 16:2. More importantly, if BELIEF doesn't matter, why has God taken such CARE to REVEAL his WILL in written form—and has so perseveringly KEPT it intact through the centuries? Second, the Need of Life Equal to Doctrine To express it in show-business terms: doctrine should build in us:
Translated into discipleship...between us and Jesus...exchanging ECSTASY—he giving, we receiving. End Part I
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