Scripture Reading(s)
Galatians 1:1-12
1:1 Paul an apostle–sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead–
1:2 and all the members of God’s family who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:
1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
1:4 who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
1:5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–
1:7 not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed!
1:9 As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!
1:10 Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
1:11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin;
1:12 for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ
Reflections
There is only one God and one Gospel that points to the message of salvation that can only be attained through the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The Church that Paul is writing to has unfortunately fallen into the trap that thinking that there could be other god and idols out there, besides the one true God. They have strayed and Paul is attempting to win them back to the ultimate truth. Here Paul is fervently emphasizing the point that there is no other Gospel other then the one that speaks of Jesus Christ paying the ultimate price for our sins. He speaks directly against the notion that there could be any other gospel. He warns them that if there is any other gospel being preached that it is perverted and will lead them astray. In verses 8 and 9 Paul even goes as far to say that if anyone was to claim that there be any other gospel then let them be accursed. There is a serious tone in his writing because he wants to make sure that the church sees the error of their ways and come back to following after the one true God.
I love how Paul is not writing this letter to bring approval to himself or try and just preach a convicting message in his writing. He ultimately points back to Jesus and the personal experience he had when God saved him. Paul knew and understood what it was like to be on the other side and not believing or following after God. He knew the seriousness of what it meant to reject Christ. He also understood the blessing and joy it gave him when he surrendered his life to Christ and turned away from his life of sin.
We too have that same opportunity to turn from the false messages that the world has to offer and run towards the one who is the ultimate source of truth, joy and hope. Only through accepting the message of Christ can we truly be saved. God alone wipes away our sin and replaces it with renewed heart that no longer desires the things of this world but longs to follow after Him.
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