Off the Shelf Sunday School-Galatians

Departure from the Gospel (1:6-9)

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

?1.??The gospel of faith alone, in Jesus alone, by the work and choice of God alone is very simple. Why is there a natural tendency to want to add or change this?

2.??Paul was concerned about some leaders (who probably were Jewish converts) who said that observing the Old Testament laws was necessary for salvation. This was repudiated by James (the brother of Jesus) and other Jewish converts who affirmed that Paul was correct in preaching a gospel of salvation by faith alone (Acts 15:9-29).

3.??The Old Testament laws are not to be ignored as they represent the will of God. They are meant to instruct man by defining behavior that is righteous. Failure to perfectly keep these laws is essential to bring about the realization that everyone sins and is subject to God’s wrath without the forgiveness offered by Jesus (Rom 3:19-20).

4.??Confusion is a sign of the perversion of the gospel. People are divided into different groups which leads to the formation of denominations and religions. The simple gospel of faith becomes buried within doctrines, rituals and various types of works. Can you name some examples within present Christian denominations? When the simple gospel of faith becomes complicated, the members become confused about what exactly is required for salvation…another evidence of perversion.

5.??Paul seems to anticipate that not only will there be false human teachers but that supernatural beings will also attempt to pervert the gospel. There have been numerous false religions and movements within Christian churches that originated with the appearance of supernatural beings. Angels, saints, Old Testament patriarchs and even Jesus himself have been reported to have brought new revelations and messages about how to be saved. Can you think of some examples?

6.??Paul condemns anyone or anything that preaches another gospel. Christians are not to be swayed by talented speakers or even supernatural appearances. Sophisticated scholarship, the pomp and popularity of leaders and even miraculous events do not validate a change in the simple gospel of salvation by faith in Jesus.?