COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS
LESSON NUMBER 5
Gal 1:8 “ But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Galatians 1:8-9
THE RESPONSE TO “ANY OTHER GOSPEL”
INTRODUCTION
PROPOSITION: That “the Gospel of Christ” is “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom 1:16)
Other versions read, “the power of God FOR salvation,” NASB “power of God for the salvation,” NIV “power of God giving salvation,” BBE “powerful means of bringing salvation,” CJB “God's power to save,” GWN and “God’s power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death].” AMPLIFIED The word “salvation” is used in its most thorough sense – from beginning to ending: from the time of initial believing and confession (Rom 10:10), to the salvation that is “ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet 1:5). To put it another way, “salvation” refers to the ”so great salvation” that is possessed now (Heb 2:3), and to the salvation that is “nearer than when we first believed” (Rom 13:11). It also includes the entire process of working out our “salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). The dynamo that drives the length and breadth of that salvation is the Gospel of Christ. All of the power that is required to bring that process to its intended culmination is resident in the Gospel. That is, there is a sense in which the effectiveness of the Person of Christ has been imputed to the Gospel, and faith is the thing that enables men to tap into it. The Gospel is the only “good news,” or “glad tidings” effective for the accomplishment of the salvation of men. It is not the good news of what men can be! It is not the good news of what men ought to be! It is not the good news of what life on earth can be! It is rather the good news that what God promised of old is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and the Gospel is the delineation of what Jesus has done. It is summarized in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and is more fully made known in the exposition of those realities. Apart from the need for those verities, and the participation in their power, men have nothing whatsoever to do with them. The Gospel is not about men, it is about Christ. Now, we will find there is a holy and total intolerance of any other message delivered, or presented as though it had something to do with Christ. Absolutely no room will be made for any other message to be presented as good news from God. No Divine power will be dispensed through any other message.
A GOSPEL WHICH WE HAVE NOT PREACHED
Gal 1:8 “ But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you . . .”
The condition with which Paul is dealing is this: the Galatians had “removed from Him” who had called them “into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.” They had deserted the Lord, and it was owing to a message they had embraced – a message purporting to be good news from God. Paul knows, and we do well to know it as well, that a departure from God equates to being condemned, for there is no salvation outside of the Lord. The only hope is to bring the people within the perimeter of Divine fellowship. Otherwise, there is no hope for them.
This word takes into consideration that the conversion of the Galatians was genuine. That is not something Paul takes for granted. This is why he wrote to them of the legitimacy of their conversion. “Removed from Him . . . Received ye the Spirit . . . begun in the Spirit . . . ye are all the children of God . . . have been baptized into Christ . . . have put on Christ . . . are all one in Christ Jesus . . . ye are sons . . . have known God . . . ye did run well” (1:6; 3:1-3,26,27,28; 4:6,9; 5:7). This, then, is not calling their conversion into question, or affirming that they never were really saved. In fact, it is the genuineness of their conversion that moves Paul to write.
THOUGH WE. Other versions read, “even if we,” NKJV “even though we,” NASB “even if he is one of us,” GWN “if we ourselves,” NJB “anyone, including myself,” LIVING and “even though I myself,” MONTGOMERY Paul now refers to not only himself, but the entire group of Apostles, and those who traveled with them – “we.” This would include defectors like those of whom John wrote, who once traveled with the apostles, yet finally went out from them (1 John 2:19). It also includes those who James told the Gentiles churches “went out from us,” and “troubled” them with preaching the necessity of circumcision (Acts 15:24). It included people like those of whom Paul warned the Ephesian elders, who come speaking “perverse things” (Acts 20:30). “False apostles” are also included, who have “transformed themselves into the apostles of Christ.” As it is written, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ” (2 Cor 11:13). All distinctions concerning such personalities pertain to what they taught – to the gospel they preached.
OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN. This is not a holy angel, but is either Satan himself or one of his ministers who has transformed himself into a minister of righteousness. As it is written, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Cor 11:14-15). One of the significant cults of our day – the Mormons, or Church of the Latter Day Saints – is founded upon a revelation purported to have come from an angel named Moroni, referred to in Mormon literature as “an angel of light.” A statute of this angel stands before the Mormon Temple in Bern Switzerland. WIKIPEDIA There are also “doctrines of demons,” which may be communicated by means of an angelic personality (1 Tim 4:1). This could also be involved in “the worship of angels,” of which Paul warned the church at Colossae. That was associated with teachers who were “intruding into things they have not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind” (Col 2:18).
PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL. Men must keep themselves from the undue reverence of men, and angels as well. It is what is said that is important, in particular, the purposed gospel they are disseminating. There is only one Gospel that is sanctioned by heaven. It is consistently referred to as ‘THE Gospel” (71 times in Acts through First Peter; i.g. Acts 8:25; Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 4:15; Eph 1:13; Phil 2:22; Col 1:5; 2 Thess 1:8; 2 Tim 1:10; Heb 4:2; ; 1 Pet 1:12).
THAN WHAT WE HAVE PREACHED UNTO YOU. The uniqueness of the Gospel is found in its contents, and in its effects as well. The effects of the Gospel confirm its truth and singleness. Ponder what is said of the real Gospel. [1] It is the power of God (Rom 1:16). [2] The means through which men are made acceptable to God (Rom 15:16). [3] Brings the fulness of the blessing (Rom 15:29). [4] The means through which men are begotten (1 Cor 4:15). [5] Believing it results in being sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13). [6] Enables men to partake of the promise of God (Eph 3:6). [7] Equips men to stand against the wiles of the devil (Eph 6:15). [8] Declares the hope that is laid up in heaven (Col 1:5). [9] Brings life and immortality to light (2 Tim 1:10). [10] Is preached with the Holy Spirit send down from heaven (1 Pet 1:12).
The things with which the Gospel are associated (i.e. “Gospel of”) include: [1] The grace of God (Acts 10:24). [2] God (Rom 1:1(. [3] His Son (Rom 1:9). [4] Christ (Rom 1:16). [5] Peace (Rom 10:15). [6] Your salvation (Eph 1:13). [7] Our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess 1:8). [8] The blessed God (1 Tim 1:11). The omission or diminishing of any of these associations identify a gospel as another gospel – another kind of gospel. Such did not come from God, and cannot possibly be the means through which God accomplishes the effects that are uniquely identified with the true Gospel. That is the gravity of the things with which Paul is now dealing!
LET HIM BE ACCURSED
1:5b “ . . . let him be accursed. . .” Other versions read, “let him be eternally condemned,” NIV “let that one be accursed,” NRSV “Let him be anathema,” ASV “let there be a curse on him,” BBE “let him be under a curse forever,” CJB “should be condemned to hell,” GWN “Let God’s curse fall on,” NLT “hold him as cursed,” TNT “should be condemned,” IE and “let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!” AMPLIFIED
This statement is of particular strength in order to jar the Galatians out of their complacency. They had removed themselves from God and the grace of Christ, and were headed to perdition. This was no time to indulge in intellectual niceties. Prospects are held before them in this letter that disrupt whole bodies of theology: Christ is dead in vain (2:21); something evident has been hidden to them (3:11); Christ profiting nothing (5:2); fallen from grace (5:4).Yet, to this very day, there is little concern about the messages that are being preached to the churches, and the effects they produce. It is not unusual for groups of people who are actually growing in Christ and being enlightened to be criticized for their posture against wayward teaching. Such is perceived as being spiritually uncultured, inconsiderate, and even arrogant. Let such poor souls give their assessment of the text before us – if they are even able to do so. Let them acquiesce with what Paul, writes, and cease to throw up opposition to it.
LET HIM. The words “let him be” are translated from a single Greek word – e;stw. The lexical definition of this word is, “connects the subject with the predicate, where the sentence shows who or what a person or thing is as respects character, nature, disposition, race, power, dignity, greatness, age, etc.” GINGRICH That is, the preaching of “any other gospel,” regardless of the reason for it, or the conviction of its perpetrator, classifies such a person as “cursed.” He is not “cursed” because he preaches such an aberrant gospel, but rather preaches it because he is already cursed, and is to be so recognized. Such a persuasion is not to be recognized as sincere, but “accursed.” It is not that the person thinks this false gospel is true, but that he is preaching it, spreading it, affirming it, and subjecting the people of God to it. Here Paul is speaking of blind leaders, not the ones who are led by them. In the text before us, Paul does not pronounce a curse upon the Galatians, who had been influenced by “another gospel” (1:6), but on the ones that delivered it to them. Paul is writing to retrieve them, not the ones who had taught them this erroneous message. He tells them to consider the teachers in question as “accursed” – that is how they are to view them. He does not tell them to respect such men, but to view them as under a curse. Whether a person chooses to accept this assessment or not, that is what Paul means.
BE ACCURSED. As one might suppose, this is not a light word. It is also translated “anathema,” which is the transliteration of the Greek word avna,qema (a-nath-e-ma). Several versions use the word ”anathema” in this text (ASV, DOUAY, ERV, YLT, AMPLIFIED). The meaning of the word is as follows: “without hope of being redeemed . . . a person or thing doomed to destruction . . . devoted to the direst woes.” THAYER “someone delivered over to divine wrath, curse, one accursed,” FRIBERG and “under the curse of God.” UBS This curse is pronounced against those who “love not our Lord Jesus Christ” – “let him be anathema” (1 Cor 16:22).
The word “accursed” is associated with being reserved for cursing. That is, it is not at all apparent that the one who is “accursed” has the curse of God upon him. That, of course, is what makes them so dangerous when they are allowed to teach the people of God. Someone who is “accursed” is technically irredeemable. From the standpoint of their relationship to God, they have been rejected, or are reprobate. From the viewpoint of the saints, they are to be thrust from them, ignored, and avoided. Thus we read of false teachers, “mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Rom 16:17); “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness . . . from such withdraw thyself” (1 Tim 6:3-5); “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Tim 3:5); “But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness , , , And their word will eat as doth a canker . . . If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Tim 2:16-21).
The above texts spell out what it means to “let him be accursed.” They apply to all who deliver “another gospel,” and are to be treated with the utmost sobriety. The preservation of the people of God is at stake here, for false words are like cancer that eats away at the fabric of both mind and soul (2 Tim 2:17). The individual who imagines they can continually subject their minds to distortions of the Gospel without it infecting and affecting them cannot possibly be more wrong in their thinking. The Galatians, as well as the Corinthians (2 Cor 11:4), are a testimony to the impact of erroneous teaching upon the people of God. It is this very kind of thing that prompted our blessed Lord to admonish His disciples to “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matt 16:6) – i.e. beware of their “doctrine” (Matt 16:12).
SO SAY I NOW AGAIN
1:9 “ As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”
I SAY IT AGAIN. Other versions read, “I say again now,” NASB and “now I repeat.” NRSV There are not many records of holy men saying things “again” – particularly in the same discourse. One of the only other references is found in Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Phil 4:4). Most of the time “again” is used, it does not refer to mere repetition, but is rather used to introduce different statements bearing on the same subject (Rom 15:10-12; 1 Cor 3:20; Heb 1:5-6; 2:13; 10:30). However, here Paul repeats the same statement, thus signifying the dullness that had settled over the Galatians. Once a people are “removed” from the Lord, their hearing is deficient, and their minds are not as capable as they once were in the processing of the truth. The belief of the truth has an opposite impact upon the human spirit, unstopping the ears and bringing the mind to its most alert point.
IF ANY MAN PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL. We cannot afford to be ambiguous in the handling of this text. It is too critical for that. Paul will be specific in the kind of things that had been taught among the Galatians – particularly the obligation to be circumcised (Gal 2:3,7-9,12; 5:2,3,6,11; 6:12,13,15). Keep in mind, this was being presented as gospel – good news, glad tidings, and a message that would make a significant difference for good in the hearers.
Such gospels have flooded our land, and are rapidly growing in their popularity. Let me name a few of them that are most current.
• You can have a healed and happy marriage.
• God wants your dreams to be fulfilled in Jesus.
• God wants you to have the best of this world.
• You can be delivered from drugs and other forms of addiction.
• You can have your best life right now.
• God wants you to be in good health and to prosper.
• We have the answer for your hurts, hangups, and habits.
• We have a plan that will cause you to have more peace and to live triumphantly.
• You do not have to be poor.
• Through God we can recover our nation.
• We will teach you how to manage your addictions.
These are messages and programs that are presented as “good news.” Some of them do make mention of God and Jesus. Few of them make any reference to the Gospel of Christ. That is because they are actually competing with the Gospel. None of them require faith, and all of them rely heavily upon human disciple and repetition. Make no mistake about it, they are other gospels – a different form of good news that neither originated nor is sanctioned by God.
THAT WHICH YE HAVE RECEIVED. The Gospel that the Galatians received was the one that brought all of the redemptive benefits to them. It is the one through which all of their sins and trespasses were forgiven (Col 2:13). It is the one through which they realized peace with God, and were reconciled to Him (Col 1:20-21). They received the Holy Spirit as a result of receiving this Gospel (Eph 1:13). They were apprised of the hope that was laid up in heaven for them (Col 1:5). The truth of the Gospel they had received sanctified them (John 17:19), and gave them access with confidence to God Himself (Eph 3:12). That Gospel was the word by which they were begotten (James 1:18; 1 Pet 1:23). This was the Gospel by which they were called (2 Thess 2:13). Faith came by the hearing of it (Rom 10:17). They had come to trust in Christ because they heard it (Eph 1:13). It told them of the peace that is realized in Christ (Rom 10:15), and was the means through which they could be “established” (Rom 16:25).
None of these things – not a single one of them – is, or can be, realized through “another gospel.” In fact, these fraudulent gospels do not even speak of such realities. Their perpetrators seem to sense they are too lofty to be included in their mundane methodologies and the heralding of better lives in this present evil world. Unless a message can deliver the things I have just mentioned, it is a futile message, and the curse of the Almighty is upon its perpetrators. How can any other conclusion be drawn? If this is not true, then why does Paul speak with such power and conviction concerning what had happened at Galatia? – and he has only started his letter.
LET HIM BE ACCURSED. Once again Paul announces the stance that is to be taken against those who dare to deliver a gospel that did not have its genesis with God. This is the posture that is to be taken against those who promulge powerless, spurious, and fraudulent gospels: “Let him be accursed!” “Let there be a curse on him,” BBE “that person should be condemned to hell,” GWN “let him be eternally condemned,” NIB “hold him accursed,” TNT and “let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!” AMPLIFIED Let there be no doubt about the seriousness of the letter to the Galatians, or of the jeopardy of their condition.