Anchor My Faith

Title: The Gospel of Christ

^1:6 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. (Galatians 1:6 – 10 ESV)

In the previous lesson we finished Paul’s greeting to the churches in Galatia. In this lesson we find Paul astonished by how quickly believers in Galatia are turning to a different gospel away from the grace of Christ. There is not a different gospel, only the one brought by Jesus Christ and validated by his death and resurrection. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 ESV). Jesus is the only way to the Father!

There were some, as there are today, who cause trouble for the church in trying to distort the gospel of Jesus Christ. It seems that Paul had presented the gospel to those in Galatia at an earlier time and now after just a short time the grace of Christ has been supplemented with works necessary to obtain salvation. The true gospel is ⁸ “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8 – 9 ESV). Through false teaching, the Galatians are beginning to believe grace alone is not sufficient for salvation. Paul refers to this as a different gospel.

There were visiting preachers coming out of Judaism, who were trying to persuade the Galatians that they should require circumcision and obedience to the whole law as a means of justification before God. This condition of circumcision became an issue we looked at in Acts 15 and was finally resolved in a meeting in the Jerusalem church to not be a requirement. In Acts 18, the time when the letter to the Galatians was written, there were still some who believed circumcision was required and was causing problems for believers in Galatia by distorting the gospel.

The gospel that Jesus died on the cross for cannot be changed and still be the gospel. Jesus paid the full price for our salvation and presents it to us as a gift. Anyone who says otherwise will face God’s judgment. Paul says, “even if an angel from heaven should peach a different gospel, let him be accursed.” An example of this today is found in the Mormon church which embraces a religion supposedly given to them by an angel which teaches a gospel different from justification by faith alone in the substitutionary death of Christ. If anyone preaches or teaches a gospel contrary to the one Jesus Christ died for let him be accursed.

This brings us to verse 10 which is a transition to the next topic in his letter. In this verse Paul presents two totally different goals: pleasing man or pleasing God. Is the gospel being presented man’s gospel or is it God’s gospel? It must be one or the other, as it cannot be both. God’s gospel is given as a gift as the price was fully paid by Jesus on the cross. Man’s gospel includes some form of work which implies that God’s grace is not sufficient.

To be a servant of Christ, one must present God’s gospel. Man’s gospel is “a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12 ESV). Let us be sure we embrace the correct gospel as it will determine where we will spend eternity.