Day 55: What Are the “Other Gospels”?
Galatians 1:6-7
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Since the very beginning, there have been false teachers – those not in line with the Truth of Jesus – who have sought to lead others away from the true teaching of and about Jesus. We must be on the lookout for these types of people and the “false gospels” they proclaim.
WORDwork:
Galatians 1:1-9 From Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor by human agency, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead) 2 and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia. 3 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever! Amen.
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed…{ESV}
In verse 4, what has Jesus done for us? From what has he rescued us?
In verse 6, what is this assembly being tempted to do? Why is this a problem?
According to verse 7, what is the real problem?
What does Paul think about people who teach false gospels?
Since the very beginning, false teachers have tried to deceive with their false “gospels.” This is the problem that the churches in Galatia were facing. These assemblies were tempted to believe in and live according to another, false “gospel.” Paul, in correcting this situation makes it very clear that there is only One True Gospel and to reject it for other alternatives is to reject both the power and the joy that comes from receiving the Message of Truth in faith.
As you grow in faith, you will more than likely encounter false teachers who willing try to deceive. You will also encounter sincere, professing Christians who will insist there is more that you must do to become a Christian other than simply believing the Gospel and receiving Jesus. They will readily agree that you must believe the Gospel but then they will add something else that you must do. Some of these will be corrupt false teachers, others will be sincere, but biblically ignorant teachers. Whatever the case, you must aware that their teaching can steal the power and joy of the Gospel and send you into spiritual paralysis.
Because of the deadliness of these false gospels, Paul says that these false teachers who willfully try to deceive should be accursed. To willfully teach a false gospel is a severe error. God is not pleased when the truth of His Word is twisted into a message that brings bondage instead of liberation and anxiety instead of joy.
It is interesting to note that in Galatians Paul tells us the Peter once got caught up in some practices that were not in-line with the truth of the Gospel. When Paul began his ministry, Peter came to Antioch to check out Paul’s “Gentile Ministry.” While there Peter would eat with the Gentiles and not keep Kosher Law (eating only foods that were deemed clean in the Law of Moses). But then when James sent a group of Jewish brothers to see what all was going on, Peter withdrew from eating with the Gentiles and he along with Barnabas, influenced by the Jews, began to be hypocritical implying that to be a “good Christian” you had to keep Kosher Law (for the full story see Galatians 2:1-14).
Paul challenged them sternly about this hypocrisy:
Galatians 2:14
But when I saw that their conduct (Peter and the others) was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” {ESV}
Because Peter was basically saying, “You have to eat the right kinds of food to be pleasing to God,” he was not walking “in step” or “in-line” with the truth of the Gospel. Consider what Paul says:
2 Timothy 1:9-10
He [Father-God] has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. 1:10 This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Let me say very simply and plainly that God the Father working in Christ by the power of the Spirit has DONE everything that is necessary for you to have a right relationship with Him. In Christ we have been filled and made complete. We want to live in a way that is pleasing to God the Father as beloved Children, but this comes only after we are fully convinced that we in a secure relationship with God in Christ. We do not do good things to be saved; we do good because we have been saved.
When people try to add to what we must do to be saved or to continue to be acceptable to God, they take something away from what Christ has accomplished. God is not pleased with such things. If He has said, “My Son has done everything necessary for you to be my child,” but then someone adds, “well that is true, but you must also ______ (fill in the blank),” this makes God a liar.
You have been made complete, or “filled-up” in Christ (Colossians 2:9-10; Ephesians 1:3-4). There are many false teachings in our times that would deceive you and entice you away from the simplicity of this truth. But as Paul advises us, we must be careful not to let anyone captivate us through such teaching.
*You can find a complete list of all the MilktoMeat readings here.
