Free Bible Commentary
“Galatians 1:6-10”
Categories: Galatians“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”
---End of Scripture verses---
Anyone who would “distort” or “pervert” the Gospel of Jesus Christ in any way, actually change it to a “different gospel” (verses 7-8). You cannot alter the truth. You cannot change the gospel in any way without distorting it and creating a perversion of it. Even if an angel from heaven encouraged us to do this, it would not be acceptable and it would incur God’s displeasure (verses 8-9). When we alter the word of God and teach others to do the same, we are accursed by God. An “accursed” thing is “something delivered up to divine wrath, dedicated to destruction and brought under a curse”. (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament)
There were some teachers in Galatia who perverted the gospel by trying to combine it with parts of the Law of Moses. Some insisted that a Christian had to be circumcised in order to be saved (Galatians 5:1-6), and required the observance of Jewish holy days (Galatians 4:9-11). If any addition were acceptable it would certainly have been aspects of the Old Testament because that is actually the inspired revelation of God. But, God has enacted a New Covenant with mankind through Jesus Christ which has superseded and replaced God’s former covenant with Israel (Romans 10:4; Hebrews 10:9). Anyone who appeals to the Old Testament as the authority source for their religious practices functions outside the realm of God’s approved standard (the New Testament) and is accursed.
We are repeatedly warned in the Bible to not ADD TO or SUBTRACT FROM the word of God (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:19). Either one of these actions is a perversion of the gospel. Only the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is accepted by and pleasing to God.
Examples of adding to the word of God: Priests in a church. Worshiping Mary. Church raffles to raise money. Women preachers. Homosexual “pastors”. Worshiping God with manmade instruments of music. Taking the Lord’s Supper on Saturday. Most of these are not merely additions, but actually direct violations against God’s clear truth.
Examples of taking away from God’s word: Only teaching the positive and not the negative aspects of the Bible. Refusing to exercise “church discipline” on an erring Christian. Refusing to assemble with God’s people on the first day of the week. Teaching that baptism is not essential for salvation.
To say that we are not bound by the authority of the Old Testament is not taking away from the word of God. Yes, the Old Testament is a very important part of the Bible. But it has been relegated by God Himself to the status of a “teaching tool”. “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). We can learn about God and His nature, and that He demands obedience and righteousness from His people, no matter what covenant they may have lived under. But, we are not bound to the “religious ordinances” of the Old Testament, such as animal sacrifices, attending temple feasts, burning incense, etc.
To practice those things would be to depart from the gospel, be severed from Christ and fall from God’s grace (Galatians 5:4).
Please read Galatians 1:11-17 for tomorrow.
Have a great day!
-Louie Taylor
