Bad New About the Good News

Bad News About the Good News

Bad News About the Good News

Have you ever read a passage of Scripture and thought to yourself, “that’s interesting, I know it’s important or else it wouldn’t be in the Bible, but how does that relate to us today?”

How many of you are like me?

Galatians has been that way for me. So I decided to start studying it and see what I could find out. The letter to the Galatians is about freedom from bondage and about the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: Bad News about the Good News (Galatians 1:1–10)

The Good News of salvation through faith in Christ is the most important message in the world.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: Bad News about the Good News (Galatians 1:1–10)

As you begin to read Paul’s letter to the Galatian Christians, you can tell immediately that something is radically wrong, because he does not open his letter with his usual praise to God and prayer for the saints. He has no time! Paul is about to engage in a battle for the truth of the Gospel and the liberty of the Christian life. False teachers are spreading a false “gospel” which is a mixture of Law and grace, and Paul is not going to stand by and do nothing.

This message had changed Paul’s life, and through him, the lives of others, but now that message was under attack. Some false teachers, Judaizers, had come into the churches and were teaching a different message from that which Paul had taught. As you begin to read the letter, you immediately notice that something is wrong. Paul does not open this letter with his usual praise to God and prayer for the saints. Paul is about to engage in a battle for the truth of the Gospel and the liberty of the Christian life.

As you start to read the letter to the Galatians, you will quickly notice that it is different from Paul’s other letters.

Galatians 1:1–5 KJV 1900

Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Paul begins by setting forth his authority and he gives three sources of his authority. This first one is of his ministry. Apostles were men called by God to do special tasks. The word means “one who is sent with a commission.” We all know that Christ had many disciples and from these he chose twelve apostles. Later, one of the requirements for an apostle was that he have witnessed the resurrection. Paul was neither a disciple nor an apostle during Jesus’ earthly ministry, but he had seen the risen Lord and been commissioned by Him. His apostleship was not from human selection and approval, but by divine appointment. But Paul had founded the churches in Galatia. He was not a stranger to them, but was the one who had brought them the message of life in the first place, during his first missionary journey. These are the areas of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. So, Paul had a ministry as an apostle, and specifically as the founder of the Galatian churches.

The second sourse of Paul’s authority was his message. In the very beginning of this letter, Paul clearly states the message of the gospel. This is the message that the Judaizers were changing.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: Bad News about the Good News (Galatians 1:1–10)

The Gospel centers in a Person-Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This Person paid a price-He gave Himself to die on the cross.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: Bad News about the Good News (Galatians 1:1–10)

Christ paid the price that He might achieve a purpose-delivering sinners from bondage.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: Bad News about the Good News (Galatians 1:1–10)

The Judaizers wanted to lead the Christians out of the liberty of grace into the bondage of Law. Paul knew that bondage was not a part of the message of the Gospel, for Christ had died to set men free.

But then in verse 5, we see Paul’s motive.

Galatians 1:5 KJV 1900

To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: Bad News about the Good News (Galatians 1:1–10)

The false teachers were not ministering for the glory of Christ, but for their own glory

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: Bad News about the Good News (Galatians 1:1–10)

But Paul’s motive was pure and godly: he wanted to glorify Jesus Christ

In verses 6-7, Paul expresses his anxiety.

Galatians 1:6–7 KJV 1900

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

Galatians

The first reason for Paul’s anxiety is that the Galatian Christians were deserting the grace of God. The word translated “removed” in the KJV, can also be translated “deserting.” The verb is in the present tense which indicates they were in the process of deserting and had not fully turned away. They were turning away from grace back into Law; abandoning liberty for legalism.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: Bad News about the Good News (Galatians 1:1–10)

They have become infatuated with the religion of the Judaizers, just the way little children follow a stranger because he offers them candy.

God had called them and saved them; now they were deserting Him for human leaders who would bring them into bondage.

Another reason for Paul’s anxiety is that they were perverting the Gospel of God. The Judaizers would say, “we believe in Jesus Christ - but we have something wonderful to add to what you already believe.” This was the gospel of the false teachers. The word translated “pervert” could be translated “to reverse.” The Judaizers had reversed the gospel and taken it back into the Law. To them the Law and the Gospel went together.

Acts 15:1 KJV 1900

And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

This deserting and perverting was troubling the Galatian Christians. The word “trouble” carries with it the idea of perplexity, confusion, and unrest. It was the feeling the disciples had in the ship during the storm; the feelings of King Herod when he heard a new King had been born. Grace always leads to peace, but the believers had deserted grace and therefore had no peace in their hearts.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: Bad News about the Good News (Galatians 1:1–10)

Keep in mind that God’s grace involves something more than man’s salvation. We not only are saved by grace, but we are to live by grace (1 Cor. 15:10). We stand in grace; it is the foundation for the Christian life (Rom. 5:1–2). Grace gives us the strength we need to be victorious soldiers (2 Tim. 2:1–4). Grace enables us to suffer without complaining, and even to use that suffering for God’s glory (2 Cor. 12:1–10). When a Christian turns away from living by God’s grace, he must depend on his own power. This leads to failure and disappointment. This is what Paul means by “fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4)-moving out of the sphere of grace into the sphere of Law, ceasing to depend on God’s resources and depending on our own resources.

But Paul moves on in verses 8-10 to expose his adversaries.

Galatians 1:8–10 KJV 1900

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

The Judaizers are identified by the false gospel that they preached. Christ had committed the gospel to Paul, and he, in turn, had committed it to other faithful servants. But the Judaizers had come along and substituted their false gospel for the true gospel, and for this sin, Paul pronounced them accursed. The word he uses is “anathema,” which means “dedicated to destruction.” We get some idea of the forcefulness of this word from .

Acts 23:14 KJV 1900

And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.

No matter who the preacher may be - an angel from heaven or even Paul himself - if he preaches any other gospel, he is accursed.

We also see the false motives Paul’s adversaries practiced. They accused Paul of being a compromiser and “adjusting” the gospel to fit the Gentiles. They were saying he was a man-pleaser, and therefore could not be trusted. Paul was definitely not a man-pleaser. His ministry did not come from man, nor did his message come from man. Why should he be afraid of men? Why should he seek to please men? His heart’s desire was to please Christ. Paul knew what it was to suffer for the gospel, but the approval or disapproval of men did not move him. Paul wanted the approval of Christ.

We are constantly tempted to compromise in order to attract and please men.

2 Corinthians 5:9 KJV 1900

Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: Bad News about the Good News (Galatians 1:1–10)

When D.L. Moody was preaching in England, a worker came to him on the platform and told him that a very important nobleman had come into the hall. “May the meeting be a blessing to him!” was Moody’s reply, and he preached just as before, without trying to impress anybody.