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Pathways Through Paul, Vol 2
Daily Devotional
January 4
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Today's Pathway:
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Yesterday we saw that the Galatians were removing themselves from God and His Word. Paul now writes that they were turning to another gospel. The word "gospel" simply means "a good message". Paul is using this term in an interesting way. It is obvious that the "gospel" that the Judaizers were preaching was not "a good message", for it was contrary to the Scriptures. Paul uses this term to distinguish the message being given by the Judaizers from the message that he had preached to them. He calls the Judaizers' gospel "another" gospel. He then says in verse 7 that it is "not another". This seems contradictory. However, the Greek language helps us to understand what he means. The term "another" in verse 6 is the translation of the word "heteros" that means "another of a different kind". Kenneth Wuest wrote,
"'Heteros' sometimes refers not only to difference in kind, but also speaks of the fact that the character of the thing is evil. That is, the fact that something differs in kind from something else makes that thing to be of an evil character. When Paul speaks of the Galatians turning to a 'heteros' gospel, he means that they are turning to a gospel that is false in its doctrine. It is not only different in character from the gospel which he preached, but it is different in a bad sense. It is essentially evil."
In other words, it is a "gospel" that is not good news at all! A "salvation by works" message is not good news for two reasons. First, the Bible says that salvation is
“not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).
Second, if salvation could be achieved by good works a person would never know how many good works he had to do in order be saved, or, once he was saved, how many good works he would have to do to keep himself saved. No one could ever have any assurance of salvation from this type of "gospel".
The word "another" in verse 7 is a translation of the Greek word that means "another of the same kind". The Judaizers' doctrine was not simply a slight variation of the true Gospel. It was completely false. Today we see many people following teachings that they say are similar to the Gospel. However, these are all heretical. There is only one Gospel, and any deviation from it is incorrect. In fact, Paul calls these deviations "perversions" in verse 7. The Gospel is being twisted in such a way that it is no longer the Gospel. There are numerous churches today that teach that a person needs to receive Christ as Savior, but that baptism is also necessary. Or they teach that someone can lose their salvation. I see many Christians who claim to be born again who are sitting in churches that teach that there is no eternal security. To deny eternal security is to deny that accepting Christ as Savior is sufficient for salvation, and in so doing adds works to grace for salvation. How can believers encourage family and friends to attend a church where a perverted gospel is preached, and then give money to perpetuate that false teaching around the globe? The doctrine of eternal security cuts to the very heart of the Gospel. Either Christ's sacrifice for sin was sufficient or it wasn't. A man is either saved by grace through faith or he isn't. Anything that adds works to grace for any reason is a "another gospel", and must be rejected.
Notice that in verse 7 Paul says that the false teachers "would" teach perversion. The idea here is that they had a desire to distort the true Gospel. Obviously, all this would "trouble" the churches. The word "trouble" means to "agitate", and conveys the idea of causing a mental or emotional disturbance, or an unsettled mind. The false teachers were trying to confuse the Christians and then change the churches' doctrine from Scriptural to heretical. These false teachers still exist. Don't let them turn you away from Biblical truth.
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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