The Reality of Deviation Galatians 1:6-7
Dear Soldiers in the Lord’s Army,
Paul wrote thirteen letters that we still have (Hebrews is claimed by some also to have been written by Paul but that is not certain). In pretty much all of them, Paul either makes a statement of thanksgiving for the intended reader(s), makes a prayer for them, commends them, or all the above. In this case, he does not. He delves right into the subject matter he wants to discuss.
While it may be claimed that this being the earliest letter, Paul may not have developed his literary style yet, it is more likely that anger, concern, and urgency caused him to ignore preliminary matters and jump right into the fray.
Turning from Grace (v. 6). The gospel is about the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). If we take grace out of the gospel, it is not the gospel anymore. It becomes just another human attempt at reaching God – in other words, mere religion. Religion is man’s effort to reach God; the gospel is God reaching out to man. Religion is futile, the gospel is fertile.
Abandoning grace is tantamount to abandoning the Saviour. This is why everything we are taught needs to be compared with the established, biblical teaching and “vetted” (1 John 4:4). It is possible to subscribe to a false gospel and even perpetuate it.
Twisting the Gospel (v. 7). There are no alternative gospels. Anything that eliminates grace or relegates it to the periphery is fake, false, twisted.
Most corruptions of the gospel happen when people try to resolve what the human mind cannot comprehend fully, such as the Trinity and the dual nature (both human and divine) of Christ. Others are an attempt to accommodate religious and cultural traditions, while yet others are an effort to keep human efforts relevant. The Galatian problem falls in the latter two, as we will see. These and other alterations are not the gospel.
If God has not clarified something, do not be the wise guy who puts words in his mouth. If traditions do not fit with grace, do not try to fit a square peg in a round hole. If works are attractive to you, remember that they cannot save you but you are saved to do good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).
The gospel is simple – the grace of God to sinners. Let us leave it that way.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.