Galatians 1:6-10

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Sometimes thing are indeed strikingly different. I am in a land that desires the compromise of many things in order to create harmony. It is a real value of Hinduism, or rather Hindu philosophy that I can appreciate: the desire to see a cease of conflict and a rise of a better solution (Buddha called this the ‘third and higher way’). However, there are times when you simply cannot have it both ways. When a person has 60% of something, there is only 40% left over. It just is.

Paul usually has 8-12 verses after his introduction(formal) to lavish a beginning prayer of praise to his recipients. It is token Paul. Truly he was a genius of speech, debate, rhetoric -- what have you. But not here. It should really be observed that Paul writes in a speech format (something to be delivered by a letter carrier – as in recited openly to a church, not just handed over). And there is no praise, only a quick to-the-point paragraph to underscore the seriousness of this letter.

Paul is genuinely surprised at the speed that the church has fallen to false teaching, motivations and specifically a revision of the Gospel message concerning Jesus that he himself set before these churches in the Galatian area of Asia Minor (modern: Turkey). Paul refers to himself as the “him who called you in the grace of Christ”. Again, I think it is intentional that the one with AUTHORITY (Paul, through the RISEN Jesus) does not overpower this church with his Apostleship but reminds them of the message of Christ – a message of grace (of favor, deliverance, death, forgiveness…that great equalizer of sin).

We have here the fist hint that there is opposition to Paul’s ministry from WITHIN the church. This letter will be addressing, as it is recited out loud verbatim to the church by the letter carrier, these specific members. They cannot hide from what will be said, and it will be obvious to all who Paul is calling out, and their motivations for changing the Gospel of Jesus.

Paul’s condemnation of these individuals – who took the Good News of Jesus, the Gospel, that the Apostles and their disciples have been entrusted to carry to all the nations—and EDIT the message and the requirements of Faith in Christ. This does remind us of Paul’s Jewish heritage. “Let them be damned”.

Verse 10 finally brackets this section with the previous, actually the very first verse. Paul is an Apostle by the will of God, through the appearing of Jesus to himself. And therefore he has no one to live for, report to, truly fear but God. Why should he be concerned with not offending those who are his spiritual children when they are clearly wrong? Is love going to look away as a neighbor you love and care for builds his house on sand and not rock? Will you stand and shout to your neighbor who’s house is on fire – or will you take your hose to him, or break in to save him and use his fire extinguisher? Yes, there sometimes is no compromise and it is black and white – love seeks the best for others, even from themselves.

Bottom Line:

1. The Galatian church has changed, moved, rotated somehow in the equation – But God has not. The Gospel has not changed since the beginning of the events in Jerusalem some 15 years earlier. No, Paul is proclaiming “YOU have changed the rules, the boundaries, and the message of the Gospel…for the worse!”
2. Paul is following God, not man. If the false teachers and their followers are creating a different Gospel, then Paul will be parting with them. Paul, the chief persecutor of the church, many of the stories of his own pursecussion fresh in people’s memories after all of these years in Christ’s service. Paul replies to this situation saying, “I have changed from hating “the way of Christ”(Gospel) for the better.”
3. It is real. This is a boundary, a line in the sand, that Paul’s opposition in his absence has drawn. And he complies with this fact: His ‘change’ is real change, these new teachers ‘change’ is hollow and against Paul and Jesus.
   
   

As I sit in India:

· The more things change, the more we need to discover and cling to what stays the same. We discussed in a meeting yesterday the fact that many new words come into our language and vocabulary because of technology, trade and other factors. After 4-5 generations – it is difficult to know what is truly from your language, or was a borrowed word. Americans are always borrowing from everyone! In Telegu (the state language of “Andhra Pradesh”) cell phone is “Cellphonoh” phonetically. Notice a “transliteration” there. But in 100 years many would die to defend the stance that this word is purely Telegu, and has not influence from outside.

· This paragraph at the begging of this letter reminds me of that eccentric father in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” who claims everything can be traced to Greek original roots. Revisionism. And this humor of the movie when transferred to the presentation of the very foundation of Christianity (the Gospel (life, death, resurrection and return of Jesus) becomes a dangerous cancer to the life, health and spread of Christianity. We must always be on alert to how easily it is to require more, assume more and substitute the “period’ statements of God with a “ ; however,’ statement.