ASTONISHING INDIGNATION
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Opening Prayer
Father, as I begin Paul’s letter to the Galatians, give me ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. Use it to increase my faith and refine my walk with Jesus.
Read GALATIANS 1:1–10
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
1 Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers and sisters[a] with me,
To the churches in Galatia:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
No Other Gospel
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Footnotes
- Galatians 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 11; and in 3:15; 4:12, 28, 31; 5:11, 13; 6:1, 18.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What is your motivation for faithfully reading your Bible? For praying? For living a ‘Christian’ life?
Paul begins this letter differently from others he wrote. He extends the same ‘grace and peace’ as he does elsewhere, but begins here in the context of rescue from the present evil age (v. 4). The tone is very different from the thankful remembrance extended to the Philippians1 —and Paul quickly gets to the point. Many commentators refer to verse 6 as the start of the ‘rebuke’ section of the letter—which continues until we reach 4:11. So, fasten up tight for the ride!
Paul’s astonishment is not centered on the Galatians rejecting the gospel message, but rather their rejection of Christ. He is clearly frustrated with the new believers in Galatia, but this frustration is directed toward those who had been deceiving them. Paul uses provocative language to describe their deception, and this anger and language will intensify later in the letter. The ‘some people’ Paul refers to in verse 7 are those who were teaching the Galatian converts that accepting the gospel message proclaimed by Paul was not enough and that to be fully Christian they must first become Jews and adopt Jewish religious practices. Paul curses these Judaizers and will continue to do so throughout the letter.
You may appreciate Paul’s indignation here, but there is a need for introspection. What have we, ourselves, subtly added to the gospel as a prerequisite for God’s acceptance? Are you attending church often enough? Do you pray daily? Dare I say, are you keeping up with your daily Bible study guides or, like me, often catching up? Of themselves, all these are valuable, but we should engage in them as a consequence of the faith we hold and not as a form of Christian loyalty card to earn grace. May we never allow our study to become a mere quest for knowledge, but rather a means to know God better.
Apply
What may you have added to the gospel?
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, I rejoice that my hope is found in your blood shed for me, in your finished work on the cross. Thank you that there in nowhere else I need turn, but to you, for salvation today and for eternity.
1 Phil 1:3
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