“The Stigmata of Jesus” in Paul’s Body. An Examination of Gal 6:17

At the end of the Epistle to the Galatians, Paul writes: “From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry in my body the marks (stigmata) of Jesus”. According to most scholars, Paul refers here to scars caused by the wounds he suffered during his apostolic ministry. By calling them the stigmata of Jesus, according to many, Paul was metaphorically thinking about a tattoo or a burn mark – a sign of belonging to Jesus. However, a philological and contextual analysis suggests that by the stigmata of Jesus Paul metaphorically had in mind the wounds of crucifixion, whereas the words “I carry in my body” should not be understood literally.