The apostle Paul often opens his letters with a prayer and with thanksgiving of the church he is writing to. However, in Galatians 1, we see Paul move away from the signature and write a scathing remark concerning the congregations condition.
“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;” (Galatians 1:6, NASB95)
This opening statement is especially cutting because the Galatians knew better. Paul had just been there preaching the gospel, yet the Galatians veered off course. Instead of holding to the truth or even testing these false teachers, the Galatians adopted a new, counterfeit gospel.
Therefore, Paul interrogates these Galatians who seem to be embracing a Jewish form of law. So, he asks them, “This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:2–3, NASB95)
Clearly, they had taken something simple and cluttered it with human tradition. These believers were no longer living by the spirit.
There are times when we might be prone to push aside the lessons in this passage. We do this when our feelings get hurt, and we want a reason to leave. We do this when it is uncomfortable for us to act on the words of Jesus; so, we try to say its cultural. We find many reasons to make a counterfeit gospel.
Let us always keep in mind that being a Christian means we are always dying to self and living for Him above.
Chris Macy