The Description and destiny of a false teacher Galatians 5:7-12

Opening Comments:

Please make you way in your copy of God’s Word this morning to Galatians 5:7-12 as we continue in our series through the book of Galatians that we’ve titled “Freedom through Christ.”

As we have been making our way through Galatians together we have seen the apostle Paul expose the false teachings that were threatening the freedom in Christ that the Galatians had. Namely the false teaching that salvation is not acquired through faith in Christ alone but also through the adherence to religious rites and rituals. (Circumcision) and secondarily to that is that the favor of God is earned through law keeping.

Last week on our time together, we saw that when we allow ourselves to be held in bondage to legalism that we forfeit all that grace brings to our lives.

In our text today, Paul is going to get a little more pointed in his argument as he will describe to us the character of the Judaizing false false teachers who were plaguing the Galatians churches. We will also see that these descriptions really fit all those who desire to lead God’s people astray through false teaching today.

This is the Word of the Lord, lets observe it together this morning.

Galatians 5:7–12 NKJV

7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. 11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. 12 I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!

Introduction:

The Apostle Paul seemed to have a lot of patience with believers who were struggling with sin, even when it was deep moral sin. He never condemned the person committing the sin but only the sin that they were committing. He always demonstrated a genuine love and concern for the believer who was tangled in sinful behavior. That is Christ like behavior by the way. In the Gospels, you will never see Jesus condemn a person caught in sin, his only condemnation is on the sin they are committing. However, like Jesus as well, Paul was not as kind to those who were guilty of leading others astray by teaching false doctrine and perverting the clear teaching of scripture. That is the case here in the text that we have just read. Paul does not come out directly and call the false teachers of Galatia out by name but he attacks them using an indirect approach and speaking against their behavior instead.

In doing so, the Apostle Paul describes several characteristics and the final destiny of these false teachers in Galatia and they are no different then those who would desire to lead believers astray today. Let’s dive into the text together this morning.

1.) False teachers hinder the truth and do not come from God. (v.7-8)

Paul begins this section by using the analogy of a race. He tells the Galatians that they started off the race of the christian life well. They had placed their faith in Christ and had begun living for Christ. They had been witnessing and worshiping with zeal and living out what they were professing before others.

But then Paul asks a rhetorical question “who hindered you...”

While the Galatians were running the “christian race” someone had stepped in and hindered them in the race.

Hinder- to cut in, to edge into, to interfere, to obstruct or to impede progress.

Let’s go back to the race analogy. While the Galatian believers were running the christian race, some had edged in on them and began to interfere with their running.

The false teachers hindered them from obeying the truth.

What truth? The truth of the Gospel of Christ and the truth of how to live out their lives in the gospel. The legalism of the Judaizers was both preventing people from coming to genuine faith in Christ and keeping those who were saved from following Christ in faith.

These false teachers were not well intentioned. Their sole purpose was to raise a following for themselves. They were self-promoting not unlike every false teacher who has plagued the Lords church and will continue to until the Lord’s return.

In an effort to gain a following they will knowingly put a trap in front of believer to cause them to stumble.

Galatians 6:12 NKJV

12 As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

We must understand that those who seek to bind you into legalism are not sent from God.

Galatians 1:6–7 NKJV

6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

The Gospel that these Judaizers were preaching was not the gospel of God.

2.) False teachers contaminate the church. (v.9)

These false teachers were spreading their heresy amongst both the genuine believers in Galatia and those who were potential believers.

Just as a little yeast can have a profound effect on a large clump of dough, just a little false doctrine can have a profound effect on an entire church.

In scripture, leaven or yeast is often used as a type or picture of sin. But, it is also used to just indicate something with permeating power.

Paul is using it both ways here.

1 Corinthians 5:6 NKJV

6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

One false teacher can inject his false teaching into a church and cause great damage.

When false teaching permeates the church, Jesus will no longer be the focus of attention. All the focus will become on the rituals, ceremonies, good works and traditions and not on Christ and the Gospel.

Just like on single cell of cancer can attach itself to good cells until it has affected the entire body, a single false doctrine can multiply itself and spread through an entire church.

Most forest fires are started by just a little spark and quickly spread to devastate entire areas.

3.) False teachers will be judged. (v.10-12)

Paul begins vs.10 with a statement of confidence that the Galatian believers would not ultimately fall prey and entirely give in to the false teaching being peddled in the Galatian churches. But, his confidence was “through the Lord.”

2 Peter 2:9 NKJV

9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

While the Lord securely holds the destiny of his children secure, he also holds the destiny of false teachers in his hand as well.

A.) Because they pervert the truth.

Any one who perverts the truth in order to purposely lead others astray will be judged.

Matthew 18:6 NKJV

6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

1 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV

17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Because these Judaizing false teachers in Galatia stood opposed to God and His truth, they will bear the full weight of God’s wrath in judgement.

False teachers may seem to go unpunished as they lead large numbers of people astray but rest assured their judgement is coming.

2 Peter 2:2–3 NKJV

2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

B.) Because they persecute those who do teach the truth. (v.11a)

False religion has always been and always will be the number one persecutor of the Lord’s church.

John 16:1–3 NKJV

1 “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.

We can surmise from v.11 that among the false things that these Judaizers were teaching in Galatia was that they were telling the people that Paul himself was preaching that God must be approached by both faith and ritual (circumcision).

So, Paul answers back, “if that were the case, why are these false teachers still persecuting me?”

The false teachers had attacked Paul, attempting to discredit his ministry but rest assured, God will not tolerate false attacks on those who preach and teach the truth.

Romans 14:4 NKJV

4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

C.) Because they are offended by the cross. (v.11b)

Paul preached that a person was only justified and made acceptable to God only through the cross of Christ.

This offended the Judaizing false teachers.

Offense-Stumbling or stagering.

These false teachers stumbled and staggered over the teaching of the cross of Christ. They were teaching that the finished work of Christ on the cross was not enough to make a person acceptable to God. The cross was not sufficient, there must be more. Christ was not sufficient we must add works and law.

Scripture is clear, the Christ is sufficient. Salvation is only found through Him alone.

Anyone who follows or teaches any other salvation will be severely judged by God.

D.) Because they deserve to be condemned. (v.12)

Paul is displaying very strong emotion here as he states that he wishes these false teachers who are preaching that circumcision is necessary for salvation would just go all the way with their teaching and castrate themselves.

These language seems very severe and almost offensive and rightly so because false teaching is a serious offense to God.

To add or take away from the work of Christ on the cross is a serious offense. To get the preaching of the cross wrong is to lead people to hell.

Here is what Paul is essentially saying: False teachers deserve to be judged. There is no punishment that is too severe for those who knowingly lead people to hell.

They will stand before a holy and righteous God one day and face his wrath and it will not be unjust.

Jude 14–15 NKJV

14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Conclusion:

The sin of false teaching is a serious offense to God. You may be sitting here today thinking this message is harsh but it is the Word of the Lord.

False teachers do great harm to the message of Salvation and the Lords church.

They may wear a suit, carry Bible and claim to be sent from the Lord but they are actively working against him hindering the truth. They are not his servants, they are his enemies.

False teaching must be rooted out of the Lord’s church because even just a little can contaminate and destroy an entire congregation.

Those who trouble the Lord’s church and pervert the truth of the Lord will bear the full weight of their judgement from God one day.

Christians we must stand firm in the truth and not allow those who would do harm to the bride of Christ to gain a foothold.

If you are here today, and you are guilty of the crime of perverting the truth of the Lord, I call you to repentance. No, the Lord calls you to repentance.