In The Word
Read: Galatians 1
Introduction
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), 2 and all the brethren who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 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, 5 to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.
Perversion of the Gospel
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 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! 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!
10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.
Paul Defends His Ministry
11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; 14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. 15 But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.
18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; 23 but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they were glorifying God because of me.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Paul laid out the gospel message that Yahshua “gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4). We all were born into sin and bound to follow its destructive path away from God. But God’s love sent Yahshua to rescue us from that life of sin and the destiny of destruction in hell. He also rescued us from this present evil age that appeals to our flesh by giving us the power to say “No!” Yet some Christians run back to the very thing that was destroying them.
A big part of being rescued from this present evil age is to wholeheartedly follow Yahshua’s commands. However, some Christians create a different gospel that mixes culture or selfish desires with God’s truth, though they had previously committed their lives to only follow Yahshua and His commands. There is not another gospel, but too often Christians modify and distort the one true gospel to please themselves. This is why we must diligently study to know and understand God’s truth to recognize error and not move even one step away from the Ancient Path.
God has granted us the power to swiftly say, “No,” to the flesh that wants to stray away from the gospel of Christ, whether it is the temptation of sin from this present evil age or modifying God’s whole truth. “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).