Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9: As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10: For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Introduction

We have been studying Paul’s letter to the Galatiain churches. The practical lessons from this letter is timeless, for the problem that Paul was dealing in this letter is also the same problem we are dealing in our day and age. There are people today who trouble the church by perverting the gospel and there are also so many who think that it really doesn’t matter what you believe just as long as you believe it sincerely. But that is like saying, “it doesn’t matter what you eat as long as you sincerely believe what you eat will help you.” If you come to the table and eat food with poison scattered through it, it matters not how sincerely you thank God for it, and how sincerely you ask God to bless it, and sincerely you chew it and sincerely shallow it, sincerity will not remove the poison scattered through it. Sincerity will not remove its poisonous effect. What is true in the physical realm is also true in the spiritual realm. Sincerity is not enough; it must be according to knowledge and truth. If you believed a corrupt gospel, no matter how sincerely you have believed, that gospel will not save you. It will poison you and kill you.

My payer in this study is that we will be well-grounded and rooted in Christ and His glorious gospel. May we hold firmly and not let go of the purity of the gospel of grace. Amen!

This morning we continue to look at verses 6 to 10. In these verses I want us to see at least four things, namely, Paul’s Amazement (1:6), Paul’s Adversaries (1:7), Paul’s Anathemas (1:8-9), and Paul’s Aim (1:10). We have already covered the first two headings, and this morning consider with me the last two headings. But before we move on let’s have a short review.

I – Paul’s Amazement

Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Paul begins this section with the words “I marvel.” I am amazed. I am surprised. I am astonished. I am dumbfounded. Here, Paul expresses his disappointment with the believers in Galatia how they are so easily receiving the false teaching of the false teachers known as the Judaizers.

Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Please understand that to desert the gospel is to desert God Himself. To turn away from the Gospel is to turn away from God Himself, for God is one with the gospel. To turn from the Gospel of grace is to turn from the God of grace. To fall prey to this false gospel is to abandon and defect from God and to join up with the enemy and the devil himself. This is the worst kind of defection.

II – Paul’s Adversaries

Galatians 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 

Paul now begins to describe the enemies of the gospel and of the cross, and they are those who pervert the gospel. Anyone who perverts the gospel is an enemy of Christ and therefore, an enemy of the church. Because to pervert the Gospel of Christ is to trouble the church. To pervert the gospel is to trouble those who are saved by the one true saving gospel. 

“The legalists were determined to pervert the gospel by substituting law for grace, circumcision for the cross, works for faith, bondage for liberty, and self for Christ. Any change in the gospel of Christ is a corruption, interfering with its simplicity, its purity, and its effectiveness.” - KJV Bible Commentary

Today, there are many substitutions, perversions and distortions of the true gospel. The truth is a distortion of the Gospel is no Gospel at all. It’s so important that we are able to distinguish the true gospel from the perverted gospel.

III – Paul’s Anathemas

After expressing his amazement at how the Galatians are easily led astray, Paul have strong words to those who are perverting the gospel of Christ and troubling the believers in Galatia. Paul condemns those who are leading these Galatian believers astray.

Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9: As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 

Paul asserts that there is only one gospel, the gospel of grace, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and if any man, or an angel or even if he or any of his partners in the ministry preached any other gospel, they should be accursed. Strong words! The word translated “accursed” is the Greek word “anathema,” which means to be devoted to destruction. It speaks of the curse of God. Paul is saying, “if anyone preaches another Gospel, a Gospel that is different from what I am preaching then let him be consigned to the flames of eternal hell below.” He is saying, “if anyone preaches with a different, a gospel that is not ‘by grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone’, let him go to hell.”

Why did Paul use such strong language? Paul had no choice but to used strong language because both the glory of God and the souls of men are at stake. These false teachers were robbing God of His glory and leading many people to accept a salvation by works which would ultimately lead to their eternal destruction. 

James Montgomery Boice commenting on this verse wrote, “How can it be otherwise? If the Gospel Paul preaches is true, then both the glory of Jesus Christ and the salvation of men are at stake. If men can be saved by works, Christ has died in vain and the cross is empty of all meaning. If men are taught a false Gospel, they are being led from the one thing that can saved them and are being turn into destruction.”

How true these words are! To corrupt the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is a serious offense. Paul knows the seriousness of perverting the gospel and says to the false teachers to go to hell now before they take others with them. Paul’s love for the glory of Christ, the salvation of souls and the purity of the gospel caused him to break out into these strong negative words, pronouncing the curse of God, the anathema of God, upon anyone who would corrupt the gospel of Christ.

Then Paul continues to write,

Galatians 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Before Paul’s departure he had already forewarned them about false teachers just as he had forewarned the church in Ephesus.

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29: For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30: Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31: Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

He forewarned the elders in Ephesus that after his departure there will be vicious wolves who will come and infiltrate the church. Wolves refer to false teachers who will pervert the gospel and entice the disciples into following them.

Likewise our Jesus Christ had already warned that it would be this way. 

Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 

There are two gates, the narrow gate and the broad gate. These two gates are standing right next to each other and they both have sign above the gate that reads “This Way to Heaven!” But be careful which gate you pass through because one will take you to Heaven and the other will take you to hell. Only one gate leads to life and the other leads to death. What makes it so deceiving is that there are false teachers standing right at the wide gate which leads to destruction that are enticing people to enter the wide gate onto the broad road. 

Our Lord mentions them in …

Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

These false teachers claim to bring the true message of salvation from God, but their claim is false. These false prophets are not merely wicked at heart and opposed to the truth, but they wish to injure you, and that for their own gain.

These are Paul’s anathemas. Paul pronounces curse on those who corrupt the gospel because Paul lives for the glory of God and for the salvation of man. And anyone who rejects the true gospel and perverts the true gospel is to be rejected and let them be accursed.

IV – Paul’s Aim

Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Paul’s enemies not only undermine his authority and apostleship and attacked his gospel they also accused him of being a man-pleaser. They accused Paul of being a compromiser and adjusting the gospel to satisfy and please the Gentiles. So, Paul must defend himself in order to defend his gospel. 

Paul was not a man-pleaser. There was a time when in fact Paul was. But after his conversion to Jesus Christ, he became a servant of Christ. Notice how Paul calls himself “the servant of Christ.” The Greek word used here for “servant” is actually “bond-servant” or “bond-slave.” A bond-slave has only one person to please, and that person is his lord and master. The slave has but one thing to do and it is to do the will of his master.

Being a servant of Jesus Christ, he no longer live to please self nor to please men but to please God. He asks in verse 10, “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men?” In other word he is asking, “Am I seeking to please men or God? or am I striving to please men?” then he goes on to say, “for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” 

Paul understands that a man cannot be a servant of Christ and a man-pleaser at the same time. If he still seeks to please men, then he could not please God and he is not worthy to be called a servant of Christ.

To Paul, life is very simple; the ministry is very simple. Please God in all things. Paul knows, “if you please God it does not matter whom you displease and if you displease God it doesn’t matter whom you please.” Paul lives to please God and not men.

Actually from the tone of this letter and the strong language that he used to condemn the false teachers, it is clear that Paul was not seeking to please men. Men-pleasers simply do not speak such anathemas. But Paul did, because he must please God and not men.

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Paul was not a politician; he was an ambassador. His task was not to ‘play politics’ but to proclaim a message. These Judaizers, on the other hand, were cowardly compromisers who mixed law and grace, hoping to please both Jews and Gentiles but never asking whether they were pleasing God.”

So, Paul closes this section with this question …

Galatian 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? 

This is a question every one of us must ask and must answer. Who am I seeking to please? What do I live for? Who do I live for? If we try to please ourselves, or other people, then we are living by a different gospel. Pleasing God and pleasing self and others cannot co-exist. Our Lord puts it this way …

Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

We cannot serve two masters at the same time. Either we will hate the one and love the other or we will be devoted to one and despise the other. We cannot follow our own ambitions and follow Jesus Christ at the same time. We must choose whom to serve and whom to  please. Where will your allegiance be? Will it be with men or will it be with God?

A person who understands the one true gospel, will stop living to please self and others and will start living for God. That’s the effect and power of the gospel!

Closing Thoughts

Yes, Paul used strong words in this letter. This is because he loves the believers in Galatia. He puts it this way in …

Galatian 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? 17: They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

Paul is saying, “Don’t consider me an enemy because I tell you the truth. I only tell you the truth because I have great love for you. But these false teachers who are so eagerly seeking to win  you over, they do that, not because they have good intentions. No, they desire to discredit me and distance you from me, that you may seek them and pay attention only to them.”

Paul is like a father to this believers that he will do anything to protect them from danger and harm. Not only that, Paul’s love for the glory of Christ, the salvation of souls and the purity of the gospel caused him to break out into these strong negative words, pronouncing the curse of God, the anathema of God, upon anyone who would pervert, change or tamper with the gospel of Christ. 

Christians, be vigilant and be ready to defend and declare the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. May God bless us as we together do so!

Let me speak now to those who are still outside looking in as far as salvation is concerned. Understand that you and I are sinners and we cannot save ourselves by our own goodness and good works. This is why we need a Saviour and the Saviour is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world.” Jesus Christ paid for our sins by His death with the promise that all who believe in Him shall be forgiven and shall be given life everlasting. If you have not believe in Jesus Christ, why not? O, may you call upon Him today. May you transfer your faith and trust in Him and Him alone. Look to Him. Trust in Him. Call upon His name and be saved!

AMEN!