The message is important.
Apostles (Paul) where commissioned by God.
Paul received message from God; We have received Paul’s (from God) message.
1:6 “deserting” is “metatithesthe” is not just “had been removed.”
They were deserting the Christian camp altogether.
The Greek word speaks of:
1) a military revolt
2) Change of attitude
This verb is in the middle voice (not passive) meaning they did it to themselves.
This verb is in the present tense meaning they were still in the process of revolt and the action was not yet completed
“Deserted the one who called them” meaning God the Father. They had left God and turned to legalism.
POINT: 1- God does the calling, it is not a ritual or legalistic attempt by man.
2- It is by grace not by merit.
“another gospel” –
1- “heteros” – another of a different kind
2- “allos” – another of the same kind
1- “heteros” – qualitative differences
2- “allos” – numerical differences
1- “heteros” – distinguishes one of two
2- “allos” – adds one beside
1- “heteros” – involves the idea of difference of kind
2- “allos” – denotes simply distinction of individuals
“heteros” leaves room to say it is so different it is evil.
Every “heteros” is an “allos,” but not every “allos” is a “heteros.”
“Heteros”
Gospel is “euaggelion” or “good news”
The gospel of “good works” is an evil gospel, or not the Gospel at all:
1) Titus 3:5, “not by works of ritghteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.”
2) If
by works how many works are required and which kind of works count?
i. To
attain salvation
ii. To maintain salvation
POINT: This is no message at all. This is to say we do not know, but keep working, keep looking. To teach legalism quickly turns into no message at all but ideas of hitting and missing to get something from God.
“Allos”
“Heteros” is opposition gospel. “Allos” is an alternative gospel.
The Judiazer’s legalism is an opposition(“heteros”) gospel which makes it no alternative (allos) gospel.
“There are some that trouble you.”
“trouble” is “taraso” and means to “mentally disturb”.
Present tense means the false teachers were still in
False teachers are rebuked not by name but by their teaching and the resulting actions:
1) they were perverting the gospel.
2) They
were troubling the church (To tamper with the gospel is to trouble the church.)
i. The
churches greatest trouble is not those outside but those with in.
ii. The greatest
trouble (“to mentally disturb”) does not come from ridicule or
persecution, but from those who change the gospel.
iii. The best way to serve the church is to believe and preach/teach accurately the gospel.
1:8 POINT: You can not evaluate the message by the messenger .
The Galatians may have said: “But these men came from
(Remember: Peter and legalism in
Paul said here: “It doesn’t matter if the message came from an angel of God, nor does it matter if the new message came from Paul or Barnabus, if it isn’t the gospel it is wrong.”
You can not judge the message by the messenger.
In Act 14:8-18 the Galatians in Lystra received Paul and Barnabus as a visitation from the god’s.
Satan can disguise himself in a messenger, but he cannot disguise himself in the truth.
2 Corinthians 11:14-15
Matthew 16:23
“Though” is supposing a case that has not occurred and probably won’t.
“Anathema” is related to the Hebrew word “herem” which denotes a thing devoted to God for destruction because of hatred for God. It means damnation.
“Damn those false teachers.”
It is not an ecclesiastical decision like excommunication, but is affirming a spiritual principal.
The concept of “anathema” and Paul’s strong attitude and pronouncement is foreign to modern Christian’s. This shows how little the gospel of grace is:
1) Understood
2) Appreciated
3) How little Christians are concerned for the advance of biblical truth
Paul does not name names but classifies the “damnation” to any false teachers including himself.
The conflict is not between teachers, but between truth and error.
A false teaching will affect:
1- The glory
of Jesus. . . . Galatians
2:21
2- The salvation of men. . .Matthew 18:6 and Matthew 23:13-15
1:9 Paul repeats “anathema”
This is not a reference to 1:8, but refers to something that Paul had already
taught them in
The repeat of the damnation has changed from “ean” (an unfulfilled or hypothetical situation) to “ei” which speaks of a fulfilled condition.
1:8 was a hypothetical situation. 1:9 has occurred.
Other switches:
1- “The one we preached” to “what you accepted”
2- The potential of ait occurring is increased
3- A future possibility is taken to a present reality
“Damn the Judiazers in
Transition to his personal Defense:
1:10 Paul had been accused by the Judiazers as presenting an easy, greasy gospel just to please men. Paul now says after “damning” anyone who teaches false truth:
“There, does that sound like the talk of a man pleaser?”
Paul does not have the crusader mentality of the belligerent, fault finding religious zealot.
Paul does try to please men (1 Cor. 9:19-22) but he does not oppose God to please men.
“Be a servant of Christ.”
Matthew 6:24, can’t serve both.
Servant is slave – the letter is about freedom in Christ.
That freedom is from all by being a bond-slave to Christ.