I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. (Galatians 1:6-10 NKJV).
The great apostle Paul is marveling that these Galatian believers, who had received the “word of grace’ regarding salvation through Christ, are now moving in another direction back to “trusting the law” as a means of righteousness.
Verse 3, the apostolic blessing given in many of the epistles, reveals God’s will and desire for the believers. His intention is “grace and peace.” You can receive from God grace and peace only by believing and receiving what the Lord is making available. Paul will be addressing that one way of believing throughout his letter to the Galatians and indeed throughout his whole life modeling.
As we saw in our last study, Jesus gave Himself for our sins. What a powerful and concise expression of what our Lord did for you and me. But in His giving of Himself for our sin condition, He also “delivered us from this present evil age.” That evil age began in the generation of Christ and His apostles. That age has continued down through time to our present situation. At the same time, a new era began; it is now Messiah’s Day. It is the time of Messiah and His reign which leads to Christ’s return for His own, two opposite ages are happening at the same time. Those are the “evil age” or the kingdom of darkness. And the new generation, “of the kingdom of light,” that is “the kingdom of His dear Son.” Remember what we learned in Colossians 1:13. “He hath delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” That is a present reality which we can live “by the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us!” (See Paul’s victorious testimony in Galatians 2:20). (footnote: Many Christians simply revile in the fact that their sins are forgiven and they are going to heaven, They miss the part of “deliverance from this present evil age.”) Thus they do separate themselves in the spirit of holiness to God and His eternal purpose in the here and now.
This truth of the Kingdom of God’s dear Son and His present reign over darkness is why Paul marvels and is concerned for these Galatian believers. It should be a concern today with all the flavors of “Christianity” available in our time of life. Nothing has really changed in regard to the battle against the Lord’s church, His body, and His Holy Nation.
Look closer at verse 6. Paul is marveling at their “turning away so soon.” Paul was not ignorant of the battle for the soul and minds of men and women. Paul was fully aware of other “gospels” that were being promoted. Paul emphasizes that the gospel these Galatian believers had received came by a “calling in the grace of Christ.” That is, the word preached to them was the word of God. It is the good news that Jesus Christ did everything necessary to provide for their salvation. That is, “In the grace of Christ.” In other words, in His gift or in His favor that we call grace. No Old Testament law, no Old Testament form, no Old Testament sacrifices. Just grace, God’s goodness, and God’s favor applied to us in the here and now and on into eternity.
Even today, there are different gospels. Some would say, “If you are not baptized in our church denomination, you are not truly saved.” Some would teach that you must go through our classes or confirmation to be saved. Some do not think of it as salvation, but “church membership” is what qualifies you for heaven. There are those who believe that it is their good works that qualify them for God’s favor and heaven as a final destination.
In verse 7, Paul makes it clear that these different requirements are not another gospel at all. He says they are from men who want to “trouble you” and “pervert” the gospel of Christ.
Remember what Paul instructed the “elders of Ephesus” in Acts 20. I cannot say it better than Paul as he instructed the “eldership” of the great church of Ephesus on his final visit with them. Let’s read the whole context of what Paul said to those elders.
“From Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. 18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; 20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. 24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
25 “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities and for those who were with me. 35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”
36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, 38 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship (Acts 20:17-38 NKJV).
What about the church today after 2,000 years of church history? Is our confidence in a rule of doctrine devised by man or a religious system lead by mere men? What are we baptized into, a religious church system or the message of Paul and Peter and the other apostles? Do you know that you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit apart from man and wholly because of faith in Christ’s finished work? Do you trust fully in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ? Is the gospel you have trusted a perverted or distorted gospel, which, as Paul stated, “is not another.”
There is only “one true gospel.” It is the gospel that Paul preached, it is the gospel that Peter preached, and it is the gospel of James and John. It is the Gospels as recorded in the New Testament by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It is Jesus’ story; it is His “kingdom rule” over the kingdom of darkness. It is David’s greater Son reigning in the Father’s Throne in Zion, the City of our God. It is Jesus’ return for His own, Jew and Gentile, bond and free, male and female, those saved by grace. As Paul stated to Titus, when he wrote, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5 NKJV).
Paul seals his strong view above with these words, which follow in Galatians 1:8-10:
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
There is no wiggle room in what Paul is saying. He is bound by the word of “grace.” He is bound by the gospel of Christ’s kingdom. He tells the believers that if he came preaching another “gospel” than the one he preached, he should be accursed. He extends this to the proposition that even if an “angel” comes and preaches a different message than what Paul had preached to them, let that angel be accursed. Now he repeats himself and says, “if anyone preaches any other gospel to you, than what you have received, let him be accursed.”
Preaching the gospel is serious business with heaven. In our day, there are multitudes of messages, variations of Paul’s message, and many that are speaking out and out distortions in false messages in the name of the “gospel.”
Today the Lord is judging His church; the Lord is dealing with false apostles and prophets. The teacher will be held accountable for what is taught.
The letter to the Galatians is as essential today as when Paul wrote to these believers who had been “bewitched” (see Galatians 3:1).
10 For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. NKJV
As we close today, we close on verse 10. Paul declares that his motives are not to “persuade” men. He underscores that he is fully committed to representing God faithfully. He seeks to please God only. Paul, who has declared himself a bondservant of Christ, says that it would not be accurate if trying to please men.
Beloved, our whole purpose should be to please God in all that we do. But most importantly in our representation of His word and His Christ, our Lord.