Title: I Am Amazed
Text: Gal 1:6-12
Paul begins this section of his letter saying, I am amazed! The term is one used by Greek orators (public speakers) to express surprise at something reprehensible, something that deserves condemnation. It includes an element of intense unbelief. (from UBS Translator Handbook Series)
Who are they deserting? Not Paul, Paul was the messenger. They are deserting Him who called them by the grace of Christ. So they are in fact deserting God – who called them by grace through Christ. The word translated deserting is one that means they have changed allegiance. It would be used to describe a military traitor who had changed sides in an armed conflict. Paul can’t believe a people who were so soundly brought to Christ by the truth, were so quick to abandon that truth for something so patently so obviously contradictory.
They have deserted God because they have given in and believed the false teachers who are adding additional requirements for salvation to what Jesus has done once for all time, for all people. They have begun to follow a different gospel, Paul said but which is not really a gospel at all.
gospel - (yoo ang ghel ee on) “good message” The Galatians have begun to follow a different good message which really isn’t a good message at all. It is not good news because it puts the burden of salvation back on the shoulders those who can’t bear it. And, Paul’s words against anyone who would preach a different message is very strong. Paul is dogmatic, firmly and confidently holding to his position. He knows that he is right and standing on solid ground on the fact of Christ dying for us and rising again. He had seen the Risen Jesus Christ and no angel from heaven nor hell can change the truth of what Paul preached.
That’s a clear statement from the Bible saying all religions are not the same. That all religions do not teach the same thing and that other religions are not compatible with Christianity. That includes those that predate Christianity as well as those like Islam which is a supposed later revelation from God and I also think it is a bit ironic and prophetic that Paul would specifically mention an angel. It was an angel called Moroni Joseph Smith claimed gave him the revelation for the Book of Mormon and laid the foundation that became Mormonism, which is obviously contradictory to the gospel message of the Bible. And even Today we hear of preachers who have turned away from the truth of Christ, some preach "humanism" that humans are basically good and can change themselves, some have compromised and preach universalism that everyone will eventually make to heave, some preach salvation without the cross and some preach salvation like these false teachers in Galatia by works, trusting Christ but adding something else to earn God’s favor. The Bible makes it clear, we are saved to good works not by good works. The good deeds or good works come as a result of the cleansing power of Christ transforming life. Paul said if anyone including himself teaches a different good message let them be accursed. That’s about as strong a use of language as Paul could use and to put it politely it means let anyone who teaches a different gospel be eternally condemned. Why such strong language? Because the glory of God and the salvation of mankind is at stake. To teach a false doctrine of salvation, to teach another gospel, means that men and women will be lead away from the one thing that can truly save them away from God to eternal condemnation. And the fate of those who teach and lead astray can be no less.
So then what is “Gospel” Paul preaches? What is he referring to?
In a true sense the entire Scripture, both Old and New Testament are the gospel because from beginning to end the Bible is the good news of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament foretells the good news of His coming. The New Testament is the good news of His story, His birth, the purpose of His coming, His earthly ministry, His sacrificial death, burial and resurrection, His ascension, His continued ministry through His apostles and the written Word, His future return and the consummation of history according to the will and purpose of God
In an equally true, but more narrow sense the gospel is that unique message of how salvation is obtained. Paul defined it in this more narrow sense in several of letters. As we saw last week, he summarized the gospel message in the opening verses of this letter.
Eph 2:4-5
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (NAS)
Eph 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; (NAS)
Salvation is by grace through faith. He builds on that in:
1 Cor 15:1-4
1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (NAS)
and in Rom 10:8-13
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"-- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus {as} Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;
10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same {Lord} is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him;
13 for "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved." (NAS)
So Paul’s gospel message can be summarized in this way: We are saved by grace through faith. Grace means that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scripture, that he was buried and He rose again. In verse 9 of Rom confession is mentioned before belief to make what Paul writes follow the patter of Deut 30:14 which is quoted in verse 8. But faith or what must be believed is “Jesus Christ is Lord”. That’s the earliest form of a Christian confession of Faith. It is a proclamation that Jesus of Nazareth is in fact God. Not a good man, not a wise teacher, not a great prophet but the Lord God Himself. Dr. Robert Mounce writes that the implications of that phrase are staggering. It means Jesus’ authority is absolute, unlimited and universal. “Those who come to Christ by faith are acknowledging that they have placed themselves entirely and without reserve under His authority.” (NAC vol 27, p.209)
Outward confession is the result of intense inward conviction. “To believe with the heart means to commit yourself at the deepest level to the truth as revealed and experienced. Confession by mouth is simply giving outward expression in words, but not words alone, it is an outward expression at every level of being to that conviction. The person who places such faith in Christ will not be disappointed and no one who seeks Christ for salvation will be cast out.
That’s the “good news” Paul proclaimed. Is the conviction and confession of Jesus Christ as Lord evident in you heart and overflowing in life? Paul said on the good news of Jesus Christ the solid rock I stand and any other message, anything and everything else is not good news, but sinking sand. Are you standing on that solid rock this morning?
