"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with your spirit, brothers. Amen."
-Traditional leavetaking here, with some added elements. Often times Paul simply says, grace [be] with you. Grace for Paul had replaced the even more traditional Middle Eastern leavetaking of peace (shalom/salaam), as Paul had come to learn that while overall well-being is nice, unlimited underserved divine favor was, and is, way better.
-Paul does frequently attribute the grace to our Lord Jesus Christ, as he does here. He here adds the word, "brothers". And he lastly adds here that the grace would be "with their spirit". Is there any significance to these additions? Or is Paul simply being eloquent, or possibly verbose? This author doesn’t believe that the Holy Spirit is inclined to waste words of divine inspiration. The attribution of grace to the Lord Jesus Christ here could easily serve to reinforce the truth for these readers that we are saved not by any human work but only by grace - through faith in the finished work of Christ (Who God also raised from the dead and seated at His right hand, thus affirming Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords of all). It is at the name of Jesus that every knee will bow. Every tongue WILL confess that He is Lord. It is not about me and what I do - it is all about Him and all that He did. He must increase - I, and all others (including Moses), must decrease. This was one point on which those circumcising Judaizers whiffed for sure.
-Paul adds that grace would be with their spirit. He says this to only one other assembly (Philippians 4.23), and he says it also to Timothy (2Timothy 4.22) and Philemon (Philemon 25). He’s talking about this unlimited undeserved divine favor resting upon and abiding within them in that core part of their being which was designed and burdened with glorious purpose, to commune with their Creator. It was our spirit which was dead to God before grace came into our lives, and it is our spirit which has been reborn to everlasting life, a never-ending relationship with our Father in Heaven. Glory in the highest.
-Brothers - Paul could be adding this for several reasons. This assembly (or assemblies) in Galatia was mixed, containing many Gentiles as well as Jews. Paul has addressed the potential clash of culture and religious background at several points throughout this letter, but as he closes he reminds the Galatians that they are brothers. They are family. Part of God’s family. Whatever else they are, whatever they may go through, God Himself has removed the dividing wall and has brought them together to journey together. They are brothers. And Paul is their brother as well. They are on this journey together with him, and he is there for them, encouraging them, praying for them, cheering them on, right along with all the rest of their brothers who have gone before them (Hebrews 12.1). They - and we all - journey TOGETHER - in brotherly love - for the forward progress of the Good News in our lives and in our world, or else we make little or no progress at all. A new command I give you, Jesus said - that you love one another, and by this all men will know that you are following Me. Amen.
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