Galatians 1:6-10
1:6. I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
1:7. which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
1:8. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
1:9. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
1:10. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
–NKJ
This passage picks up right after Pauls opening greeting to the Galatian church, and where he has come to them with Jesus as the sole authority behind his message. He cuts right to the problem the people were having with falling away from their faith.
Paul says he marvels, he is amazed at how soon they turned away and changed sides. The people had left their calling from where they were in the grace of Christ. They had fallen into another different message that was supposed to claim the gospel message. The phrase “which is not another;” means that there is no other Gospel. There is only one Gospel message and any others claiming to be are false.
Paul understands the source of the problem when he says, “some who trouble you.” He recognizes that there have been some who stepped in after him and were bringing troubleing messages to the people, turning their beliefs upside down. Their decisions have been turned so as to go across what the teachings about Jesus were.
Whatever the message, Paul didn’t even try to defend or compromise the message of Jesus. Paul’s message was correct and any other story was just that, a story. He even goes on to claim that should we, or anybody who was part of his original missionary team, or even if an angel from heaven should say the Gospel of Jesus happened any different than how he told it, they should be cut off. Literally excommunicated.
Paul wants to make his meaning clear and gets emphatic, he said it before and he is saying it again that if any other message has been preached to the people that person should be accursed. Literally again the word is excommunicated.
In verse 10 Paul seems to be putting the question for each Galatian to decide for themselves. Based on their previous knowledge of him, and based on what he now writes, “Do I seek to persuade me or God? Here’s a hint, God is who he is and doesn’t change his standards. It is men who must change to conform to his desire. Paul is out to convince people to get right with God.
Next question. “Do I seek to please men?” Paul gives his own answer her. Of course not, because if he wanted to bring a message that tickled the ears of people, it would not be one about He wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.
Christ.
Clearly Paul wants the Gospel message to be clear, understood, and unpolluted of any adding or taking away from it. What was this message? Through this letter Paul retells what he had told them. In short that he was converted by a personal revelation that interrupted his conquest to kill Christians, and that he separated himself from any human influence, even the disciples themselves. There was no New Testament books or writings. In fact this letter to the Galatians is the very first account of any thing about Jesus that has been written. Paul used the scripture of the Old Testament and studied it to see what it taught about the Messiah to conclude for himself that Jesus was the one, and what God’s plan meant for Jews and Gentiles everywhere. It was only then that he went to the disciples to compare notes. Paul doesn’t tell about the teachings or miracles of Jesus. He does tell about the fact that Jesus is the one who died to atone for our sins. That his blood washes away our short comings and makes us right before the eyes of God. That all it takes to claim favor from God and be included in his kingdom is only to believe and accept that grace.
There are many ways today that people believe can get us to heaven. There are many alternate lifestyles that are being presented to us as valid ways to live. The ultimate decision should be in line with the Gospel message. Read the Gospels, even read the Old Testament with a mind of how it points to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. If your lifestyle goes along with what you find, you are doing well. If things you do aren’t mentioned in those pages, that is between you and God. Still those areas of modern life that concern technologies should conform with the moral and ethical standards described in God’s word.
Discover for yourself what the Bible says and the standards that are there. Don’t accept anything less, or pollute the words to suit your own agenda.