Well, having finished up 2 Timothy last week, we are beginning a new book, which is Galatians. I think I preached through Galatians on Wednesday evenings maybe around 10 years ago. However, I can’t find my notes on it, so this will be like starting from scratch for me. But in 2 Timothy, we had what many believe to be the last words that the apostle Paul wrote before he was martyred. In Galatians, we have what many believe to be the first epistle that Paul wrote. Galatians was probably written very early in Paul’s ministry. The chances are that he wrote it sometime during the years of 48, 49 AD, and therefore the Epistle to the Galatians probably is the first of the Pauline epistles. In it we get a very good picture of the apostle’s theology at this earliest stage of his ministry.
It’s believed that Paul is writing to the churches in Galatia that he had started when he visited that region on his first missionary journey. Those churches were Lystra, Derbe, Antioch and Iconium. So Galatia then is not a city, but was a region, a Roman province, which Paul had visited in order to establish churches there.
In this letter, the apostle Paul was seeking to counter false teachers who had come in among his churches, and had sought to teach them that it was not only necessary to believe on Jesus Christ to be saved, but it was also necessary to be circumcised and obey the Jewish ceremonial laws such as pertained to diet and the Sabbath and certain festivals.
In fact, it would seem that the doctrine of the Judaisers, (the name given to those who taught the doctrine that it was necessary to keep the law), is the same doctrine of those described in Acts 15, who came down from Judea to Antioch and said, “Except you are circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved.” So the purpose of this letter is to counter that false doctrine.
We learn in the first verse, of course, that the author of the letter is the apostle Paul. It is his most harsh, explosive letter. He doesn’t take his usual approach with such letters and start by commending the church. Instead it is mostly a letter of rebuke. But the rebuke is based on the fact that the Galatians had surrendered to false teaching which would lead them back into bondage. Paul has a better message, a message of liberty that is found in Jesus Christ. This is the same message of salvation by faith that he had preached when he founded these churches, and so he is reminding them of that as a means of countering this false doctrine of salvation by works.
By the way, Galatians is sort of a rough draft of Romans. You will find much of the same material, in roughly the same order, in both books. Galatians is basically a more brief summary of Romans. If you were to put the books of Romans and Galatians side by side in comparison, you would find that on the whole Romans tells us what the gospel is, and Galatians tells us what the gospel is not.
Now notice in his salutation he emphasizes the fact that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ in vs 1, “Paul, an apostle (not [sent] from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia.” The foundation of the church’s doctrine was laid down by the apostles. They had a very special ministry. They were given supernatural, miraculous power to illustrate that they were sent by God with the gospel of Jesus Christ. They had the authority to say “thus says the Lord.”
And so on the basis of that authority they established the churches, laying down the doctrinal foundation of the faith. Their doctrine was the true doctrine of Jesus Christ, the gospel. And their ministry was authenticated by miraculous signs for the time that they were given to establish the church. In 2Cor. 12:12 it says, “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.” The purpose of their miracles was not to make everyone around them healthy, but to authenticate that they were sent by Christ with the message of the gospel. And that gospel was the foundation of the church.
Eph 2:19-22, speaking of the church says, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner [stone,] in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”
So Paul’s apostleship was very important, because he had established these churches in Galatia, and under his apostolic authority he had laid the foundation of the gospel, and now false teachers were attempting to undermine and distort that gospel.
It’s also likely that Paul gives such a reminder of his apostleship credentials in order to counter the Judaisers, who themselves claimed to be sent from the 12 apostles in Jerusalem. The word apostle means "one sent forth.” But a true apostle was sent by Jesus Christ. That’s why Paul emphasizes that he was sent not by men but by Jesus Christ and God the Father. These Judaisers were probably from Jerusalem, but they were not sanctioned by the 12 apostles. But nevertheless, they claimed some sort of credentials from the church in Jerusalem which the used to validate their false teaching.
Though he doesn’t commend these churches at the beginning of this letter, yet he does issue a blessing upon these churches. He says in vs3, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom [be] the glory forevermore. Amen.”
Paul blesses them by saying “Grace to you and peace…” Notice the order, it is always grace first. Then peace. No one ever has peace with God who does not first know the grace of God through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is something that we experience throughout the whole of our Christian life, the grace of God and the result is peace.
Paul’s blessing emanates from the great event that displayed the grace of God and issued the peace that they enjoy. And that great event is the cross. The grace of God is the sacrifice that Jesus became on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, that we might have peace with God. But not only justification is brought about by that transaction, but sanctification. He says “who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age.” To be rescued is to be saved, delivered from the present evil age. That’s a reference to the natural state of man, to be dead in your trespasses and sins. To be held in captivity by the dominion of darkness. To be condemned to death as the wages of sin. That’s the present evil age. But by grace Christ rescued us from sin, from both it’s penalty and it’s power. And one day, when Christ returns, He will rescue us from it’s presence. Sin and death will be done away with forever.
Paul emphasizes this doctrine of salvation through grace in this introductory blessing in order to establish that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works such as the false teachers were advocating. If the Galatians remembered the gospel, they would not have been so easily influenced by the Judaisers. And that’s a standard temptation today, to come to faith in Christ by simple faith, but then be taught by false teachers that you need to add something else, something that you are missing, which will provide the missing link and complete your salvation. False teaching has at it’s roots the idea that Christ’s work of atonement was not satisfactory, it is not enough. We must add something that is missing.
So in light of this doctrine then, we might ask - are we saved by good works? Are we saved by joining a church? No. Are we saved by baptism? Are we saved by observing the sacraments? Are we saved by keeping the Sabbath? No. Are we saved by culture? Are we saved by education? Are we saved by some great act of philanthropy? No. The Apostle Paul puts it most plainly in the 2nd chapter in the 16th verse. He says, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
On the basis of the doctrine of salvation then, Paul turns to rebuke the Galatians for adopting another gospel, or better said, a distortion of the gospel. He says in vs 6 “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.”
First notice that Paul is amazed that the Galatians would be so easily persuaded by the false teachers. I have said it before, but I think the characteristic of our fallen nature is that man is more prone to believe a lie than he is to believe the truth. It is our nature to be contrary. As it says in [Rom 3:10-18 "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS"; "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS"; "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, 1DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN." "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."
We that have been saved have been given a new nature, but there is still the old nature that lies dormant in our lives, and given the slightest provocation or inducement it rapidly rises up again. The Galatians had listened to the false message of the Judaisers, and ended up believing their lies, swallowing their doctrine hook, line and sinker. And it amazes Paul. Really, I think it angers Paul. He uses very strong language in his argument to the Galatians which I think illustrates his anger. His anger is mostly directed towards the false teachers. But perhaps some anger towards the churches who have accommodated such teaching.
I will say that I too feel a great deal of anger towards false teachers that are at work in the church today. I believe it is righteous anger. Jesus said such who put stumbling blocks before His children should have a millstone tied around their neck and the whole bunch dropped off a boat in the middle of the sea. I think that indicates a certain degree of righteous indignation is appropriate. But I am also dismayed, and even amazed when so called believers, when self described “mature Christians” are so easily duped by false doctrine. They should know better. They should be more on guard against such things. It’s evidence that they are walking according to the old nature, and not living in the new nature. And when you have invested into these people and poured into them the word of God for months and sometimes even years, and then see them wander off into la-la land doctrinally speaking, it’s kind of upsetting. And usually they don’t just go away alone. They want to take others with them as they go away.
Paul says that they aren’t just abandoning his gospel, they are abandoning Christ. They are deserting Christ who died for their sins so that they might receive His righteousness. But instead of trusting in His righteousness alone, they want to establish their own. And Paul says that’s equivalent to desertion. Desertion is a military term. One breaks rank and leaves the church, the body of Christ for another gospel.
But I think it also speaks of a desire to know some secret to the gospel. I see a lot of people attracted to the idea of some mystery, something secret, some key that unlocks the mysteries of God. That was the temptation that took down Eve. Satan tempted her with a deeper knowledge, the knowledge of God, so that she might be like God. She believed a lie that she thought would make her wise. That’s the doctrine of Gnosticism. That’s the false doctrine of the Judaisers. That’s the false doctrine of the Charismatics. That’s the false doctrine of numerology. That’s the false doctrine of every cult that has come down through the ages. That they have discovered some truth that no one else is privy to that unlocks the kingdom of heaven. They have discovered the key to wisdom. But invariably they all lead to spiritual ruin.
Paul says there really isn’t such thing as a different gospel. There isn’t a different method of salvation. What the false teachers do is simply distort the gospel. That’s really the devil’s most successful strategy. Not to come out with a completely new, different gospel. But to simply distort the true gospel so that it’s out of balance, it’s corrupted, parts of it are swollen out of proportion. They do that by emphasizing certain passages of scripture and minimizing others. In Acts 20:27 Paul said he did not shrink from teaching the whole counsel of God. The gospel is from Genesis to Revelation. Not just isolating some verses out of context but teaching the whole counsel of God.
Paul says the goal of these false teachers was to disturb the Galatians. To draw them out of the peace that they have with God through Christ and say that there is something else, something that they are missing, something that the false teachers are able to provide. And so they draw the Galatians away from the simplicity of the gospel and the peace that they have with God, to follow after them.
Is it any wonder that Paul is angry? What shepherd of his sheep would not be angry at another shepherd who comes along and seduces his sheep from the rich and peaceful pasture that they are feeding in, by enticing them with greener pastures just over the way. When in fact, such greener pastures do not exist. Greater spirituality, more intimate communion with God, more power to work miracles and so forth are not just beyond the doctrinal fences of the sound church. But since the sheep are naturally prone to wander, the devil makes sure that there are false shepherds to lead them astray.
What they end up with is a counterfeit gospel. A counterfeit dollar bill may look like a dollar, it’s got the same pictures and symbols on it as a dollar, and some may believe it’s a dollar, but when you go to the bank you find out it’s not a dollar. It does not have the authority of the US Government behind it. And if you gave up your goods or services for counterfeit money then you have been swindled, you have been robbed. The same can be said for a counterfeit gospel. It may look the same, sound similar, and believed by many, but when it is brought up into heaven’s court for scrutiny, it is revealed as a false trust. You were trusting in something that was not the accepted currency of heaven.
So Paul has every right to feel righteous indignation at these apostles of Satan. He says in vs8 “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!” In 2 Corinthians Paul was addressing some other false teachers who were leading the flock astray. And he said this in 2Cor. 11:13-14 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
These false teachers are Satanic apostles. They are sent by Satan to confuse and deceive and mislead. I don’t care if they purport to be saved. I don’t care how much they claim to love Jesus. I don’t believe in the supernatural powers that they claim to possess. I would go so far to say that the majority of them you see on television and so forth are even saved. I can’t say that conclusively, but I can see the evidence of their ministries, and I see the error of their false doctrines.
Paul says that even if an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to what he had laid down, he is to be accursed. What Paul is saying is that to veer from the truth of the biblical gospel brings one under the divine curse. Now that’s a pretty heavy statement, isn’t it? But there is no other way to interpret this statement. The Greek word is “anathema.” It means a person or thing doomed to destruction. That’s a pretty strong word, and Paul says it twice. When a statement is said twice in scripture, it is to show that it is a certainty.
In vs 9 “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!” That accursed, anathema, is the millstone that is to be tied around his neck and then he is thrown into the deepest sea. That’s why James says “let not many of you become teachers brethren, for as such we shall incur a stricter condemnation.” It’s a dangerous thing to be a preacher of the gospel. Because God will hold you to a very high standard. And those false shepherds that glibly spew their false doctrine to gullible church people will one day face a very angry Great Shepherd, who will judge them with a righteous judgment.
The apostle’s doctrine is written down for us that we might be more sure of it as the word of God. It’s important that we teach the whole counsel of God, not leaving out the more controversial parts, nor adding to the more exciting parts, but faithfully shepherding the flock of Jesus Christ according to His gospel.
Our hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’s blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name. I hope that you have trusted in the finished work of Jesus Christ as the atonement for your sins. There is salvation in nothing else. There is not salvation in any works that we have done or might do.
No work of religious ritual can save you. No work of human attainment. No human merit. No keeping of the Law, only by faith in the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. In what is your trust? Are you trusting only in Christ? I pray that the Holy Spirit has brought you under conviction of your sin, and your need for salvation, and the message of the gospel has illumined your eyes to see the grace that God has provided so that you may be saved. Call upon the Lord, and receive the gift of His salvation.
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