Gal. 1:3-10, A Curse on False Prophets and Teachers

Paul was an apostle of God, appointed by the Head of the Church.  And he was an apostle to the churches.  But today’s passage should strongly remind you that he was called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God (Rom. 1:1).  To the typical “grace and peace” start of one of his letters (1:3), Paul adds a description of our Lord Jesus Christ as the One who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age (1:4).  The issue that caused Paul to write this letter was a challenge to the gospel.  It was another gospel, one that would not satisfy the guilt of our sins, and one that would leave us bound to this present evil age.  In other words, it was not another gospel because it had no good news.

You cannot miss Paul’s passion in this matter. This fervency is the result of his calling by God.  Yes, God has moved Paul to anger.  It is easy to understand.  Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles; Paul will clearly establish this in the first two chapters of Galatians.  Believers in the Church who have Jewish background are insisting that the believers in the Church who have a Gentile background must live by the Jewish law, the law of Moses.  Included in this is the requirement that they undergo circumcision in obedience to God’s word to Abraham (Gen. 17). 

Why is this such a horrible thing?  Let me use Peter’s words in the council at Jerusalem to give the short answer: Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear (Ac. 15:10)?  It makes sense, doesn’t it, that this would be the first doctrinal challenge to the early Church?  God was doing something new and amazing, through the New Covenant.  It brought together Jew and Gentile in one Body of Christ.  We can understand that this might be expected.

But having said that it makes sense, it is still a twisting of the gospel that should bring a curse on those who continue to perpetrate it. 

·       Any message that takes away from the grace of God through Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, is a different gospel (v6), and is not good news at all, but rather perverts the gospel (v7).

·       This message troubles people rather than delivering them from the present evil age (v7). 

·       Those who preach this message are accursed (v8-9).  They have taken Christ, who is unique and complete in His person and work, and have added to Him. 

This corruption of the gospel creates confusion in those who hear the message, and thus must be condemned soundly.  It must be!  That is why Paul is right in his anger.  He is not out to please men but to serve Christ.  Galatians should, if nothing else, teach us that “tolerance-in-the-name-of-love” for those who corrupt the gospel is anathema.  In other words, let him be accursed!