NO OTHER GOSPEL

Text: Galatians 1:1-12

I. APOSTOLIC AMAZEMENT (Galatians 1:6-7)

A. The Galatians were entertaining a distorted Gospel (vv.6-7)

1. “so quickly deserting Him…” (Gal.1:6)

2. “he is to be accursed” (Gal.1:8)

3. “he is to be accursed” (Gal.1:9)

4. “I opposed him (Peter) to his face, because he stood condemned” (Gal.2:11)

5. “You foolish Galatians…” (Gal.3:11)

6. “I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain” (Gal.4:11)

7. “You have been severed from Christ…” (Gal.5:4)

8. “I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves” (Gal.5:12)

9. Paul’s epistles often include a thanksgiving (Rom 1:8–10; 1 Cor 1:4–8; Phil 1:3–6; 1 Thess.1:3) but thanksgiving is missing in Galatians.

“Among Paul’s letters, only Galatians lacks a thanksgiving. That absence is probably due to the nature of that letter. Paul is extremely upset with the Galatian community. Instead of a thanksgiving Paul uses another convention found in papyrus letters, an ironic rebuke. Thus he exclaims, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you” (Gal.1:6). The lack of his customary thanksgiving signals the mood and purpose of the letter” (Stowers, Greco-Roman Letter Writing and Early Christianity p.22).

B. Galatians is a black and white book. There is no gray; no in-between; no compromise; no negotiating; no middle ground. To fall on the wrong side of these issues is to fall away from Christ. Paul states this in the strongest categorical way in Galatians 1:8-9.

“The harshest point made by Paul is the penalty he calls for on those who preach a different gospel. It is not mere rebuke, censure, or admonition. It is anathema or curse. Nor is this penalty left solely to God; it is also to be expressed by the church. It is even stronger than excommunication. Luther says: “Here Paul is breathing fire. . . . This is a passionate zeal, that he has the courage to curse so boldly not only himself and his brethren but even an angel from heaven. The Greek word anathema . . . means something cursed, execrable, contemptible, something that has no relation, participation, or communication with God.” [Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians, LW 26:55. A comment on Gal. 1:8]

“In case this pronouncement of the curse is not enough, Paul moves on to repeat himself, a Hebrew literary device to communicate strong emphasis: “As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which you [have] received, let him be anathema” (1:9 asv).

“This repetition is almost verbatim. One small change, however, requires comment. In verse 8 Paul utters the anathema on himself and on angels. In verse 9 he makes it universal, applying the anathema to anyone who preaches another gospel.” (R.C. Sproul, Faith Alone: The Evangelical Doctrine of Justification, 189).

Dear Christianity Today:

In response to Paul D. Apostle’s article about the Galatian church in your January issue, I have to say how appalled I am by the unchristian tone of this hit piece. Why the negativity? Has he been to the Galatian church recently? I happen to know some of the people at that church, and they are the most loving, caring people I’ve ever met.

Phyllis Snodgrass; Ann Arbor, MI (Satire: If Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians was published in Christianity Today)

II. ONE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MOST FALSE GOSPELS IS THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A HIGH VIEW OF THE INSPIRATION AND INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE.

A. It is not always easy to distinguish between the true Gospel that saves and a distorted Gospel that condemns. Even the Apostle Peter fell prey and Paul preached the Gospel to him (Galatians 2:11-21)!

B. One of the characteristics of most false Gospels is that they do not have a high view of the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture.

“What then can be said about this ‘other gospel’ which the Galatian Christians were disposed to embrace, or about the identity and motives of those who pressed it on them? These questions constitute what has been called ‘the singular problem of the Epistle to the Galatians’” (F.F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians p.20).

1. Some churches claim a high view of Scripture AND claim Apostolic authority. They end up adding to Scripture.

2. Others have a low view of Scripture. They place their reason on the same level as God’s (they end up denying miracles, the deity of Jesus, His substitionary death and His bodily resurrection).

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

3. When you hear a new and different teaching regarding the Gospel, take the time to ask what that person or church believes about the Bible and its authority.

III. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENT GOSPEL WHICH PAUL CONDEMNS

A. Paul alludes to the true Gospel in Galatians 1 and will develop it in Galatians 3-4.

1. resurrection (Gal.1:1)

2. “grace and peace” (Gal.1:3,6)

3. Jesus’ death/crucifixion (Gal.1:4)

B. Look at the Gospel Paul preached to the churches in the region of Southern Galatia. It is likely that the book of Galatians was addressed to these cities Paul visited in Acts 13-14.

The Gospel Paul preached in the regions of Southern Galatia (Pisidian Antioch [Acts 13:14-52]; Iconium [Acts 14:1-5]; Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe [Acts 14:6-28]; cf. Acts 16:1-6; 18:23)

The Gospel in Galatians

Acts 13:27
“For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him.

Acts 13:38
“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

Galatians 1:4
who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Acts 13:30
“But God raised Him from the dead;

Galatians 1:1
Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

Acts 13:39
and through Him everyone who believes is freed/justified from all things, from which you could not be freed/justified through the Law of Moses.

Galatians 2:16
nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Acts 13:43
Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.

Galatians 1:3
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

Galatians 1:6
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;

Acts 13:50 (see Acts 14:4-6,19; Gal.6:12,17)
But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

Galatians 5:11
But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.

Galatians 6:12
Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

C. The Jews of Pisidian Antioch (southern Galatia) hunted Paul down because they thought Paul was preaching a Gospel contrary to Moses’ (Acts 13:27-29; Galatians 1:4; 3:10-14).

1. Paul’s Gospel was so profound that the Jews of Pisidian Antioch tried killing Paul (Acts 13:50; 14:4-6,19; see Galatians 6:12,17)!

2. Paul taught that the Law was impotent when it comes to our justification (Acts 13:38-39; Romans 7:18-8:4; cf. Hebrews 7:18; 10:1ff.).

3. Paul proclaimed that the cross alone was potent for our justification (Acts 13:27-30; Romans 7:18-8:4; cf. Hebrews 10).

4. The Jews thought circumcision and the Law of Moses was potent for justification (Acts 15:1,5). What seems to have happened to the churches of Galatia is that Paul’s message of the Gospel was changed to accommodate the Jews. Instead of believing in Christ’s work alone, the Gospel became a faith in Christ + Works (Galatians 5:2-4).

PAUL’S GOSPEL

DISTORTED GOSPEL

Acts 13:39
and through Him [Jesus] everyone who believes is freed/justified from all things, from which you could not be freed/justified through the Law of Moses.

Galatians 5:2-4
Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

and through Him [Jesus] & the Law of Moses everyone who believes and works is freed/justified from all things…

Acts 15:1
Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

QUESTIONS FOR SABBATH DISCUSSION & MEDITATION

Pray that God would enable you and give you the desire to be conformed to His Word as read and preached today.

Why might the Galatians have fallen away so quickly from the Gospel? How should this be a warning to us?

It is not always easy to detect distorted/different Gospels. However, one of the characteristics of most every false Gospel is a low view of __________________.

What other false Gospels can you think of beside the one in Galatians?

The region of Galatia was in modern day _____________.

Can you summarize the Gospel in your own words?

Why did the Jews of Pisidian Antioch hunt Paul down?