Galatians 1:6-10
No Other Gospel
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Following the greeting in verses 1-5, Paul would normally have a declaration of thanksgiving. For example, Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi shows a sharp contrast between his expressions of joy and gratitude he has for the Philippian church (Philippians 1:3-11), as opposed to the silence of any hint of thanksgiving and prayer for the Galatian church. In formal rhetorical structure, Paul’s absence of thanksgiving speaks louder than words. This allows us to see the Apostle’s state of mind and his wrenched heart that bled if the gospel of Jesus Christ was nullified on the account of Him [As a parenthetical thought; Paul dedicated the whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 9, to explain why he surrendered all his rights so the gospel of Christ may be preached. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:23, “I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” And in 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul says, “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”]. Paul’s life was transformed by the power of God. He was called by Jesus Christ to be an apostle to the Gentiles. Being radically transformed as he, Paul’s resolve was to “preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23). That was his heart, and he ached that the gospel of Christ may not bring glory to God.
Therefore, Paul was astonished. Yet, what is most intriguing is Paul’s use of the word, astonished. After seeing how Paul deliberately excluded his thanksgiving clause, we would assume that Paul was going to dive in and go for the jugular vein causing the greatest pain to those who have errored. But no, Paul is not that way. Paul told those in the Thessalonian church to “not regard him [those who errored] as an enemy but warn him as a brother” (2 Thessalonians 3:15). In the same way, Paul used a word that was not negative; for he could have said he was ‘shocked’, ‘flabbergasted’, or ‘excruciatingly surprised.” But instead, Paul used a more positive word that means ‘amazed’, ‘marveled’, or ‘surprised’. Paul said he was amazed that they “so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel so quickly” (Galatians 1:6). I am sure Paul’s heart was wrenched with pain and tears. There was even danger of the same attack of Judaizers on the church in Philippi. Paul says in Philippians 3:17-18, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.” To be imitators of Paul, we also need to have this same resolve and zeal to do all for the glory of God. If the enemy was at work to hamstring the churches that Paul planted, how much more is he eager to destroy our churches that preach truth today? “But by the power and the grace of God,…”
It was Christ who called us into this life of faith by grace. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). As Peter announces in Matthew 16:16, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” As Thomas declared in John 20:28, “My Lord and my God!” As men freed from leprosy, blindness, being lamed since birth, the demon-possessed, and those rejected from temple worship and Jewish society as a whole, they cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” We also need to see Jesus, not as a way to God, but as the only way to God, and our only hope to escape the plague and presence of sin that so torments us day and night if indeed we do mourn for our sin and do not partake and delight in it.
Christ is our answer to all our needs. In Him, we are saved! This is the gospel message that Paul preached and for which we are saved: that Christ died for sinners, of whom I am the greatest sinner! We were saved when God the Father delighted in us and elected those He loves unto eternal life before the foundations of the world were made (Ephesians 1:4-5). We are being saved as our lives are transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit and the living Word of God (Romans 12:1-2). And we will be saved when we are glorified to be with Him forever more (1 John 3:2). Salvation is all of God, or not at all! There is nothing that we can do to merit and gain any promise that God promised us in Jesus Christ. If we had to be circumcised to go be with Jesus, then the gospel of Christ is void. If we must complete religious ceremonies to be with God, the gospel was preached in vain. Even if we had to repeat a prayer, walk an aisle in church and go talk to the preacher, or were baptized take the Lord’s Supper or mass (as done in some churches), the cross of Christ was not preached! But Paul preached Christ and Him crucified. Christ and His atoning work on the cross are our only means of hope! In Him we trust!
But some crept in who are trouble makers and they want to distort the gospel of Christ. Sometimes this effort is malicious and vile in its intent. Other times, those who are called to serve and protect the gospel message, neglect their duty and change, maybe ever so gently, the gospel so it sounds wiser, happier, easier to digest, and has less impact on social life than the worldly or natural man truly loves. After all, being called to deny self, take up our cross, and follow Christ is a hard pill to swallow. Instead of being like Moses, they crave the pleasures of Egypt (Hebrews 11). Instead of obeying the angel or messenger of God by fleeing to the mountain and not looking back, they prefer to be like Lot’s wife who rejected the warning and turned back to see the sinful city that she enjoyed. Paul tried earnestly to help the believers in Galatia persevere in their faith and not be so quickly moved to desert Him who called them by grace.
We also are under attack by the enemy and we must have a resolve to persevere. Jude 1:17-23 says, “But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” Therefore, by having resolve and zeal to finish the race for which we were called, we can persevere by the promise of Him who is faithful. Our zeal is for the truth of God’s Word in our lives, our salvation in Christ alone, and our work as we abide in Him who is able. Then we, like Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:12. “for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (KJV).
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My Lord and my God, I come to you as my only hope. My only hope here on earth, and my only hope for eternal life. Give to me you peace and contentment. Help me to be bold in my defense of the Gospel of Christ. May I be a faithful witness to like changing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen!
Christian Hymn: I Know Whom I Have Believed by Daniel Webster Whittle in 1883
