One Gospel

Introduction

Our second week into studying this letter to the Churches of Galatia might make you uncomfortable. It is not a very “feel good” passage of scripture. I am reminded that we every passage the does not help us feel good is ultimately calling something to our attention so that we can feel good later on. Scripture exists to help us in our Christian walk.

2 Timothy 3:16 NIV84

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

Our text today in Galatians contains several things that we need to be aware of and gain understanding in application to our lives today.

Galatians 1:6–10 NIV84

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Harsh Concern (vs. 6-7)

We move from Paul’s introductory remarks that we discussed last week to a very harsh concern. Paul is having a bit of a tizzy fit! In verse 6, his first words are “I am astonished.” The word is translated “marveled” in other translations. It means basically to scratch your head and think, “I wonder why they are doing what they are doing.” This is very atypical of Paul. We know that Paul wrote at least 13 letters of what have in the New Testament.

Absence of a Greeting

Each one of them follows a Greek custom in the salutary remarks and includes a greeting. All but one have in that salutation a greeting that includes a word of thanksgiving. Guess which one does not have the word of thanksgiving? Galatians in the only letter that does not have a warm and fuzzy thanksgiving. We see in these verses an attitude of a harsh concern with the absence of a greeting. Paul jumps into this letter with words of a reproof. What has Paul so upset? What is making him scratch his head and ask, “I wonder what they are thinking?” We will see later in Galatians 4:20 that Paul longs to have this conversation face to face. However, the urgency of the matter calls for the fasted form of communication.

Away from Grace

Paul states that he is astonished that the Galatians have so quickly departed away from the grace that has called them. We know from studying Acts, that Paul went to Galatia.

Acts 18:23 NIV84

23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

The way he strengthened the disciples was teaching them about the grace of God that was given to all through Jesus. Remember, Ephesians 2:8

Ephesians 2:8 NIV84

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

Paul consistently taught that it was by grace people were saved. It is from nothing that we can do. However, Paul had gotten word that the Galatians had moved away from the idea of being saved by grace and were teaching that one had to do rituals, ceremonies and laws in order to be right with God.

Another Gospel

Paul calls this action a different gospel. Why would he do that? Simply because anytime one deviates from the Gospel taught and shared by Jesus, they are creating a new version and calling it the gospel. Paul goes on to say, “which is really not gospel at all.”

2 Corinthians 11:4 NIV84

4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

Have you ever noticed how appealing it is to take a short cut? I was listening to my grandson read this week a modern version of the story the three bears. I was reminded that Goldilocks ended up in a mess of trouble because she decided to take a way that she was not supposed to take. She ends up at the bears’ house and she has to try out things until she finds the porridge, the chair, and the bed that are “just right.” There are a bunch of Goldilocks’ Christians that want to fine their path to God in a way that makes them the most comfortable. God just doesn’t comfort the disturbed, God disturbs the comfortable! He does this to show us that the only way we can access Him at all is through His grace. There is no other way! There is no other gospel. You can’t go to church enough to be a Christian. You can’t give enough to the church to become a Christian. You can’t act good enough to be a Christian! The Galatians thought they could pick and choose their pathway by choosing another gospel. The gospel became a bunch of rituals and regulations with the idea that if you were good enough, God will accept you. Paul reminds his readers that there is only one way and that is God’s way, through His gift of grace!

Holy Conviction (vs. 8-9)

God’s way should always reveal to us a holy conviction. However, when mankind starts thinking and thinking there is a better way, it turns into a confusing mess.

The Mess

Paul calls this confusion and that those that are doing it are perverting the gospel. We see from the very first book of the Bible that God is not a God of confusion.

Genesis 1:1–2 NIV84

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

The words for formless and empty mean chaos. God did not want the chaos or confusion, rather He wanted just the opposite for mankind. He wanted order. He wanted a process. He wanted the Gospel and the Gospel comes about through His method and that is grace. The mess that mankind continues to make can become more confused by the messenger.

The Messenger

Paul reiterates that it doesn’t matter the credentials of the messenger. I have heard lots of speakers and preachers over the years. Some have had doctorate degrees and some have hardly had an education. Some were good looking and some were not. Some took an hour to speak eloquently, some said the best I have ever heard in just a few minutes. The point is that the messenger does not make it happen. Notice what I mean. In verse 8 Paul is saying that even the brilliance of an angel from heaven comes with a message other than the message of grace, he will be eternally condemned. He basically repeats this in verse 9.

Galatians 1:9 NIV84

9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

We preachers need to make sure we are teaching the right things in the right way! We especially do not need to be causing divisions, which by the way is chaos! In fact, Paul gives this person a strong rebuke in his letter to the Romans!

Romans 16:17 NIV84

17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

If the messenger is not important then what is?

The Message

It is the message not the messenger that is important. Theologian F. F. Bruce wrote, “The gospel preached by Paul is not the true gospel because it is Paul who preaches it; it is the true gospel because the Risen Christ gave it to Paul to preach!” F. F. Bruce

The message again is based on the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The message is that “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.” We know that as John 3:16.

John 3:16 NIV84

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Again, the message is a gift. It is not something that is earned or achieved. However, there is another message here and we see mentioned twice in verses 8 and 9.

Galatians 1:8–9 NIV84

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

If the messenger brings any other message other than the grace of God, he or she is to be eternally condemned. There is a strong emphasis on this condemnation. There is nothing worse for the messenger than to deliver a message apart from grace.

2 John 5–11 NIV84

5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. 7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11 Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.

The true message leads comes from a messenger that is true to the word of God. This person becomes an honorable Christian.

Honorable Christian (vs. 10)

Again look at verse 10:

Galatians 1:10 NIV84

10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Three things from this last verse that you and I need to hear.

Overcoming the Approval Trap

First, we must overcome the approval trap. We are not in this to please mankind. We are not to water down the gospel. We have one obligation and that is to the Almighty God!

Obligation to the Almighty

Proverbs 3:5–6 NIV84

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

As we trust the Lord, He ordains us to be awesome.

Ordained to be Awesome

Let me explain this further by looking at the word servant in this last verse. Servant comes from the Greek word doulos. It means one who gives himself or herself up to another’s will. In this context, it is one whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing His cause among mankind. In other words, Paul is sure about the message of grace he has previously acclaimed. Pleasing men and women was not called to do. He was called to serve Christ. So are you and I!