The Ten Minute Bible Hour Podcast

Episode: GAL269 - The One Thing You're Allowed to Boast About
Host: Matt Whitman
Date: September 4, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Matt Whitman continues his deep-dive into the closing "rant" of Paul in the book of Galatians, focusing particularly on Galatians 6:13-14. Matt explores the New Testament's strong disdain for spiritual pride and boasting—except in the singular case of boasting in the cross of Jesus Christ. Drawing on stories from both the Old and New Testament, Matt brings humor, candor, and insight to unpack why the Gospel’s values run counter to self-glorification, and how Paul’s passion in this letter fits perfectly with the teachings of Jesus.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Paul's “Rant” in Context

• Matt picks up from the previous episode, noting Paul’s passionate conclusion in Galatians and clarifying that following along is possible even without hearing the last installment.

• Galatians 6:13-14 comes into focus: "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..."

  "There's this theme that runs throughout the New Testament that if you are bragging about your spiritual awesomeness, you're an idiot. It's a terrible look. It's dumb and it's stupid."
  (Matt, 01:30)

2. Spiritual Boasting—A Bad Look in the Bible

• Matt draws parallels between Paul’s critique and various New Testament stories where spiritual bragging is rebuked— Jesus repeatedly scolds the disciples for self-promotion.

• Example: The mother of James and John lobbying for her sons to get honored seats beside Jesus (Matthew 20:20-23).

  "If you want to be first, you got to be last. The kingdom is upside down. Jesus takes that and he flips that stuff."
  (Matt, 03:00)

• The “values of the kingdom” are fundamentally different from worldly values; seeking status in the church is “the worst” and “doesn't fit.”

  "This isn't a chest-thumpy thing—‘Look at me, I am the best at Christian.’ You just look like a clown when you do that kind of thing."
  (Matt, 04:10)

3. Real-Life Examples of Spiritual Vanity

• Matt points to biblical figures who epitomize the foolishness of self-exaltation:

  • Diotrephes in 3 John: “loves to be first” and becomes the “mnemonic hook” of that letter.
  • Pharisees in Matthew 23: Seeking honor and public recognition for piety—"snakes and a brood of vipers."
  • Ananias and Sapphira in Acts: Faked generosity for recognition and faced dire consequences.

  "The New Testament really doesn't like the thing where we try to prop ourselves up as being awesome and the best at Christianity. And it really, really doesn't like it when it's all predicated on lying."
  (Matt, 10:15)

4. Paul’s Passion and Consistency with Jesus’ Teachings

• Paul, despite his intensity, is not out of step with Jesus; his criticisms fit the consistent biblical message about humility and authenticity.

• Matt addresses possible discomfort with Paul’s boldness (“big letters”) but reassures that this passion is justified by the context and teachings of Jesus.

  "When we compare what (Paul's) saying and what he's calling these guys out for to the rest of the New Testament, he is perfectly in keeping with... the teachings of Jesus."
  (Matt, 12:20)

5. The One Thing Worth Boasting About: The Cross

• The only legitimate boast for a Christian, as Paul insists, is in the work of Jesus—not in personal achievement or credentials.

  "If I'm going to brag about anything, it is going to be what Christ has done in my life."
  (Matt, 15:05)

• Matt recalls a quoted phrase:

  "The only thing that you and I contributed to our salvation was the sin that made it necessary."
  (Matt, 15:45)

  • Although the author is unclear, Matt finds it a powerful summary of the gospel’s upside-down logic.

• God alone gets credit for salvation, echoing Paul's argument that “God gets all the credit. He owns life, he owns salvation.”

6. Authenticity vs. Stolen Valor in the Early Church

• The so-called “Judaizers” in Galatians, whom Paul critiques, are compared to spiritual imposters—claiming authority and credibility without suffering or sacrifice.

• Paul’s own “marks” and hardships are “marks of someone who is serving the cross”—a contrast to those seeking praise without cost.

  "At its heart, Paul's charge is legitimately stolen valor. They're trying to claim Christian credibility and authority... but they've avoided all of the service and avoided everything that would be hard and avoided every bit of pain by changing the message in a very consequential way..."
  (Matt, 19:50)

• Matt reiterates that Paul’s rant brings together criticisms of motive, psychology, cowardice, dishonesty, and willful disregard of Jesus’ teaching, tying the whole letter’s themes together.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Christian Competition:

  "You've all seen it, you've all been around it. Maybe we've even done it a little bit here and there. It's the worst."
  (Matt, 03:50)

• On Religious Showmanship:

  "Everything they do is done for men to see... they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogue."
  (Matt, quoting Matthew 23, 06:04)

• On Prayer as Performance:

  "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corner to be seen by men... they have received their reward in full."
  (Matt, quoting Matthew 6, 08:15)

• On Boasting in Weakness:

  "What do boast in? My own weakness that somehow brought glory to God and that he was able to somehow redeem this. That he was able to redeem the weird twisted up, screwed up things about me that you know and that you don't know."
  (Matt, 16:20)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–01:30 — Introduction and set-up for today’s topic
• 01:30–05:00 — Critique of spiritual boasting; examples from Jesus’ teachings
• 05:00–09:30 — Biblical examples (Diotrephes, Pharisees, Ananias & Sapphira)
• 09:30–12:20 — Paul’s passion in Galatians and consistency with New Testament teaching
• 12:20–16:00 — The one worthy boast: the cross of Christ
• 16:00–20:00 — Stolen valor, authenticity, and Paul’s closing argument

Conclusion

Matt Whitman delivers a pointed yet playful analysis of Paul's closing words in Galatians, emphasizing that true Christian boasting is found only in the redemptive work of Jesus. Drawing on vivid biblical examples and practical church life, Matt illustrates how seeking status, recognition, or religious “clout” is antithetical to the gospel. Instead, only the cross—what God has done for us—is worthy of celebration. The episode is a compelling call to humility, authenticity, and a cross-centered life.