Troy a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ
Galatians 1:8-9 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary. To that which you received, let him be accursed.
*The Judaizers who were misleading the Galatian churches probably had impressive credentials and may have been among those who claimed to be from the Jerusalem church and to be authorized by James, the leader of the church ( see Acts 15:24 ). In addition to proclaiming their modified form of the gospel, which Paul declared to be no gospel at all, they sought to undermine Paul's authority and teaching in every way they could.
*Althoug the particular heresy of the Judaizers was legalism. Paul's warning applies equally to the opposite perversion of libertinism or antiomianism, which, under the guise of freedom in Christ, removes all standards of righteousness and morality. Of such false teachers Jude wrote "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only master and Lord,Jesus christ" ( Jude 4 ). Whether as restrictive legalism, permissive liberalism or cultic perversion, any teaching that adds to or takes away from God's revealed truth is a distortion of the gospel and perverts the nature and the work of Christ
*Against any and every distortion of the gospel of Christ, Paul declares, BUT EVEN THOUGH WE, OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN, SHOULD PREACH TO YOU A GOPEL CONTRARY TO THAT WHICH WE HAVE PREACHED TO YOU, LET HIM BE ACCURSED.
*Even if Paul or any of his associates were to change their teaching, the Galatians should not listen to them but treat them like heretics, which they would be. Even AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN should be rejected if he were to present a gospel different from the. One originally taught by Paul. The Jews believed that the divine law came through angels ( Heb 2:2 ), and the Judaizers may have made the point that this made the Old Covenant and its attendant ceremonies and traditions binding.
*Paul was, of course, speaking hypothetically. He would never have changed his teaching, and AN ANGEL who was FROM HEAVEN (and therefore set apart from the fallen angel identified with hell) could not teach anything contrary to God's revealed truth. But the apostle was reaching for the most fanciful possibilities imaginable to make his point that absolutely no messenger, no matter how seemingly godly and good, should be believed or followed if his teaching dose not square with God-revealed apostolic doctrine. The truth outranks anyone's credentials, and every teacher or preacher must be evaluated on the basis of what he says, not who he is.
*Many false system are attractive because they emotionally appeal to love, brotherhood, unity, and harmony. Many false teachers are popular because they seem to be warm and pleasant and claim to have great love for God and for others. It is because distortions of the gospel by such deceptive personalities are so appealing that "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" ( 2 Cor 11:14 )
*paul turns from the hypothetical to the actual as he reiterates his concern. AS WE HAVE SAID BEFORE, SO I SAY AGAIN NOW, IF ANY MAN IS PREACHING TO YOU A GOSPEL CONTRARY TO THAT WHICH YOU RECEIVED, LET HIM BE ACCURSED. The repetition reflects the passion of the apostle for gospel truth.
*AS WE HAVE SAID BEFORE refers to an earlier visit, not to the preceding clause in the text, since [ARTI ] is an adverb of time. The sense seems to be "What I said at. That time I am saying again now." From the start. Of his ministry among them, Paul had warned them of imminent gospel perversions. The gospel WHICH YOU RECEIVED refers to the once for all ( arorist tense ) preaching of the good news of grace in Christ which they had previously believed.
*False teachers not only should not be believed or followed but should not be left to God's judgment to BE ACCURSED. ACCURSED translate [ anathema ], which refers to that which is devoted to destruction. The gospel John wrote, "For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the. Flesh. This is the deceiver and th antichrist......If anyone comes to you and dose not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds" ( 2 John 7:10-11 ).
*Christians are to have thing to do with false teachers, no matter what their credentials. It is both naïve and unscriptural to believe, for instance, that saying in a religious school or church that denies the Bible and distorts the gospel gives a believer the opportunity to be a positive influence for the Lord. Even a leader like Timothy, the pure truth of God ( 1 Tim 4:6-7, 13; 2 Tim 2:15:-17 ). To subject oneself to false teaching, no matter how orthodox one's convictions may be, is to disobey God and to compromise and weaken one's testimony and to tolerate distortion of the grace of God in Christ. Amen
( JMCOM ) presented by Troy
I hope this is helpful and useful to you and that the Spirit of God opens your eyes to the truths. May He bless you and keep you in His gentle tender mercies.
(Yort ):shade:
