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Lesson Five

Galatians 1:6-8

Galatians 1:6-86 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Galatians 1:9-12

Galatians 1:9-129 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:1-4

Galatians 3:1-41 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

Galatians 3:5

Galatians 3:5 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

II John 9-10

II John 9-109 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.

Focus Verse

Galatians 1:8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach

any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Focus Thought

We must preserve the original apostolic doctrine, the only gospel

and message of salvation.

IntroductionIntroduction

There is only one gospel. In our day of ecumenism and pluralism—a day of expediency and compromise—there is still just one message that delivers mankind from sin. Any other teaching is a cruel distortion of the facts, a gross perversion of the truth. Paul the apostle was committed to and captivated by the message that he preached. He had consistently preached the gospel of the Lord, and God had faithfully confirmed it by His power.

Romans 15:19

“Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ”

(Romans 15:19).

IntroductionPaul’s fervency for the truth is what caused him to write with such firmness to the Galatians. He had not lost his love for the believers in that region of Asia Minor, nor was it that they had not loved him. He knew that at one time they would have plucked out their own eyes and given them to him (Galatians 4:15).

IntroductionHowever, there had been a drastic change in their attitude toward the gospel. Paul, who had established the churches in Galatia, had heard on his third missionary journey that believers there were now deserting the gospel in favor of a combination of grace and Mosaic law. Judaizers had undermined the work of the great apostle, which resulted in Paul’s passion to write this circular letter to the Galatians in an effort to restore them to the truth.

IntroductionPaul steadfastly affirmed that only through the gospel could a person experience God’s wondrous plan of redemption. Only through the gospel could God attribute His righteousness to the believer.

IntroductionAmong all the powerful epistles written by Paul, the Book of Galatians stands out. It is a fervent vindication of Paul’s own apostleship, a heartfelt defense of the truth of justification by faith, and a stern warning to the Galatian churches not to go back to any form of Judaism.

I. Importance of Doctrine (A)Importance of Doctrine

Some may argue that doctrine is neither important nor necessary once a believer has had an initial experience with the Lord. This attitude, however, is totally foreign to the teachings of the New Testament. The early church “continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42), which means that converts did not forsake the instruction of their leaders. Rather, they adhered to and acted upon the critical principles of the apostles’ teachings.

I. Importance of Doctrine (A)Paul instructed Timothy, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (I Timothy 4:16). The apostle also wrote Timothy, “As I urged you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay on where you are at Ephesus in order that you may warn and admonish and charge certain individuals not to teach any different doctrine” (I Timothy 1:3, AMP). Doctrinal purity, without question, was of vital concern to both Paul and the other apostles.

I. Importance of Doctrine (A)A. One, One, One

The influence of the first-century church was magnetic. The love and power that Christian believers shared through the Holy Ghost drew people to Christ. Paul spoke about the church as being a single body with many members where each individual believer had his place, but the body functioned as a unit.

I. Importance of Doctrine (A)Astonishing as it may seem, the Lord was building His church—the living body of Christ—from every race, color, background, and social status. For Paul, there could be no room for schisms, for through the gospel of Christ, he maintained, all are one.

I. Importance of Doctrine (A)Not only is there just “one body,” but there is just “one Spirit” (Ephesians 4:4). If every believer is covered by the blood—and all believers are—then every believer also is infused by the Holy Ghost. Through the infilling of God’s Spirit we are all “baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:13). Through the Holy Ghost, divine truth is brought to light (John 16:13). Through the Spirit, “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts” (Romans 5:5).

I. Importance of Doctrine (A)Paul further emphasized other elements that unify the family of God (Ephesians 4:4-6). We are bonded together by “one hope” (Ephesians 4:4)—a hope that has motivated Christians throughout the centuries. Even now, as the storm clouds of impending tribulation spread themselves over this world, the church waits with an intense and joyous anticipation.

I. Importance of Doctrine (A)We are “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Clouds really hold no terror for the people of God, for one day the Son of Man will come “in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

I. Importance of Doctrine (A)We believe in “one Lord” (Ephesians 4:5). When Thomas saw Christ after the Resurrection, he called Him Lord. Paul recognized Him as such on the road to Damascus. John described Him as “Lord of lords, and King of kings” (Revelation 17:14). Yes, Jesus is our Savior, but He is also our Master; and He is exalted on high, far above all other principalities and powers. All believers then should humbly serve Him and should gladly submit to His purpose and plan for their lives.

I. Importance of Doctrine (A)The words “one faith” (Ephesians 4:5) reveal that Christians everywhere share the same basic doctrines, not the least of which is reliance upon Jesus Christ for redemption. Jesus Christ is the great focal point of all our trust and all our hope. Indeed, He is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

I. Importance of Doctrine (A)Believers also are united in Christ through “one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).

Romans 6:4

“We are buried with him by baptism into death” (Romans 6:4).

I. Importance of Doctrine (A)It is true that Christ’s death on the cross paid the ransom for our sins, but we can enter into His sacrifice only through obedience to the gospel. Through repentance and water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, our sins are remitted (Acts 2:38). Consequently, every past sin that the new convert has committed is washed away (Acts 22:16).

I. Importance of Doctrine (A)While some may contend that monotheism divides, Paul taught—to unify believers—that there is “one God and Father of all” (Ephesians 4:6). It was a doctrinal tenet that both Jewish and Gentile Christians could readily understand and embrace. To the Galatians Paul declared, “God is one” (Galatians 3:20).

I. Importance of Doctrine (B)B. Another Gospel?

What prayerful concern the apostle Paul must have felt as he wrote his epistle to the Galatians! He had taught them faithfully, but they were faltering. The apostle wished now to be with these to whom he had ministered on his first missionary journey for he was perplexed with them (Galatians 4:20).

I. Importance of Doctrine (B)We can sense his deep disappointment as he asked, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” (Galatians 3:1). He had made the sufficiency of the Cross clear to them, but they had been seduced into thinking that they must keep the law. It must have been especially painful for him to see that they were accepting circumcision (Galatians 5:11; 6:15) and Jewish festive days (Galatians 4:9-11) as part of the gospel.

I. Importance of Doctrine (B)Paul realized that the Galatians had been misled by persuasive and what seemed to them to be plausible arguments. The word bewitched means they had been “charmed” (much as people who are cast under a spell) and led into false doctrine (W. E. Vine, Vine’s Amplified Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, 82).)

I. Importance of Doctrine (B)Because of the influence of the Judaizers, the Galatians had begun to leave a dynamic faith in favor of carnal rites. When they had first heard the gospel they had been empowered; now they were being impoverished. “Are ye so foolish?” Paul inquired of them, “Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3).

I. Importance of Doctrine (B)A distorted gospel is no gospel at all. While others might tolerate a Jesus other than the One the apostle had preached or a spirit other than the Holy Ghost or some other alleged gospel, Paul would not. (See II Corinthians 11:4.)

I. Importance of Doctrine (B)The apostle wrote to the Galatians, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-7). How quickly these converts had turned to error! How easily they had turned to another so-called gospel! Paul, though amazed at their defection, was yet unwavering.

Galatians 1:8

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto

you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be

accursed” (Galatians 1:8).

I. Importance of Doctrine (B)In the strongest manner, Paul was defending the astounding message of Christ and His cross. He declared that those who preached another gospel were anathema; that is, they were “doomed to eternal destruction.” (See Galatians 1:8.) The apostle’s emphasis could not be misunderstood as He repeated his strong warning in the next verse.

Galatians 1:9

“As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have

received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9).

II. Gospel of Christ (A)Gospel of ChristPaul stated that he was “not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). He was speaking of a particular manifestation of God’s miraculous power. (James Strong says the word dunamis [power] is “usually by implication a miracle itself.”) Far from being ashamed of the gospel, Paul gloried in it. 

II. Gospel of Christ (A)A. The Way, the Truth,

the Life

Often the Bible depicts life as a journey, and in a very real sense we are all travelers. We move swiftly through time toward eternity, not always realizing where our daily steps will take us. Christ clearly stated that many are traveling on the broad road to destruction. Not only is the thoroughfare of sin crowded by the despicable, the destitute, and the deluded, but also it is filled with uncertainty and grief.

Proverbs 4:19

“The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they

stumble” (Proverbs 4:19).

II. Gospel of Christ (A)In the midst of all this sorrow and pain, there is One who offers us a new and living way. He is not just a way, or one of many ways; He is the way, the only means of really knowing God. There is simply no other way to salvation than through the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6). All other roads lead eventually to remorse and ruin.

II. Gospel of Christ (A)The Old Testament held a measure of truth, for it revealed the plan of God in types and shadows; however, the fulfillment of all is found in the Lord Jesus. He is “the truth” (John 14:6). Having come to present truth to all mankind, Jesus stood before Pilate and declared, “For this cause came I into the world” (John 18:37).

II. Gospel of Christ (A)As a brilliant light shining in the world of darkness (John 1:5), Christ was born so that God could dwell among us. It was not just that the Lord epitomized truth; He was truth. It was not just that He bore the light; He was the light. He was the living Word, the full revelation of God to mankind. Once again, the Word will come to the earth, but this time He will come in great majesty and splendor (Matthew 25:31; Revelation 19:11-16).

II. Gospel of Christ (A)Jesus Christ is “the life,” the One who brings us into a living relationship with the heavenly Father (John 14:6). Apart from our Lord, existence is without purpose, and eternal death is certain. But there is hope of a better way and a better life, for Jesus came offering living water that alone will quench the spiritual thirst of mankind.

II. Gospel of Christ (B)B. The Apostolic Foundation

What kind of men would the Messiah call to be His followers when He came? Surely, the religious elite reasoned, it could not be these lowly fishermen or tax collectors from Galilee. They evidently envisioned the Messiah choosing people like themselves—the doctors of the law—as His closest companions.

II. Gospel of Christ (B)Shamelessly, Christ chose His disciples from those whose minds were untainted by the pathetic religion of the day. His closest followers were common people following a man whose message touched them deeply. Their commitment was based on Christ’s person and on His passion for truth. What Christ said and did was compelling. He had called them to the highest of all callings and the greatest of all challenges. They were to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature. The Lord had granted them His authority, and on the Day of Pentecost, they would receive His power.

II. Gospel of Christ (B)After the outpouring of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, the apostles faithfully preached the Word. The apostles proclaimed the truths that they had received from the greatest of all teachers. They saw signs and wonders attending their ministry, as Christ had prophesied.

II. Gospel of Christ (B)They hazarded their lives, and most of them lost their lives because of their steadfastness in preaching the gospel. Paul assured the Ephesian believers that the church is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).

II. Gospel of Christ (B)Certainly, the Lord and His apostles laid a rock-solid foundation, one that changing circumstances or man-made opinions could not shake. Consequently, the basic tenets of the church stand firm and unmovable.

III. The Apostolic Message (A)

The Apostolic MessageStrangely we live in a day when tradition too often has replaced truth, and formality has been substituted for a real move of God’s Spirit. In many instances, what passes for Christianity is just a shadow of the genuine. Singing has frequently become ceremonial and lifeless or worldly and meaningless. In some circles, ritual has replaced worship and frivolous entertainment has taken the place of anointed preaching.

III. The Apostolic Message (A)Our desire and our prayer should be that we would

always enjoy the power of the original, apostolic message and experience. That is possible, however, only as long as there is a clarion cry of the apostles’ doctrine through biblical gospel preaching and teaching. We need to hear foundational truths that bring the sinner to his knees and keep the believer near to his Savior.

III. The Apostolic Message (A)

A. Oneness of God

In a newspaper article dated November 7, 2005, The National Post reported, “In a maximum security jail, just down the road from Armageddon, Israeli archeologists showed journalists yesterday what they believe is the oldest church discovered where Jesus was born. . . . The ruins of the church include a mosaic tile floor with inscriptions in ancient Greek containing a reference to ‘The God Jesus Christ’ and could shed light on early Christian practices.”

III. The Apostolic Message (A)

Indeed, this discovery could shed light on early Christian practices, for the earliest believers worshiped the Lord Jesus as the Almighty (John 20:28; Revelation 1:8). He was both their God and their Savior. He was their Creator, manifested in the flesh. “God,” Paul explained, “was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself” (II Corinthians 5:19). What a message this was for the earliest believers, and what a message it remains for us today! The one indivisible God was manifested in Jesus Christ, revealing a love that has redeemed us to Himself.

III. The Apostolic Message (B)

B. Baptism in Jesus’ Name

The great commission was plain—the apostles were to go into the world and preach the gospel. Jesus had explained, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). For forty days after His resurrection, Jesus had instructed His closest disciples, and they certainly would have understood the message they were to preach.

III. The Apostolic Message (B)

Today, some people say regarding water baptism that they would rather believe Christ than the disciples. However, there really is no contradiction between Matthew 28:19 and what the apostles practiced. Those who were instructed by Christ were well aware that Jesus was referring to His own name in Matthew 28:19. The apostles were not uninformed. Luke 24:45 says that Christ opened His disciples’ “understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.” Just two verses later, the Lord told the apostles “that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47).

III. The Apostolic Message (C)

C. The New Birth

Jesus told Nicodemus, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). As a baby breaks forth into a new life from its mother’s womb, even so a believer must be born into a spiritual realm. Nicodemus understood that he had been born of flesh and blood, but his struggle was to understand how he could be born of water and Spirit.

III. The Apostolic Message (C)The disciples offered a spiritual new birth of water

and Spirit to the multitude whose hearts were pierced by Peter’s preaching on the Day of Pentecost. Thoroughly convicted by their own sins, they inquired of the apostles, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37).

III. The Apostolic Message (C)The apostle Peter boldly replied, “Repent, and be

baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). This was a powerful answer to a tremendous need. This was a crucial statement, for it tells us what we must do to enter God’s kingdom.

III. The Apostolic Message (D)

D. Lifestyle of Holiness

We need to go back and examine God’s original plan for the church. The Lord intended that His people would be separated from worldliness and set aside for His service. “If any man love the world,” John wrote, “the love of the Father is not in him” (I John 2:15).

III. The Apostolic Message (D)

We live in an increasingly wicked society that pressures us to adopt its opinions and lifestyles. Profanity and outright blasphemy are common in many of our workplaces and on college campuses. Sexual perversion is promoted on newsstands, and there is an open display of pornography both on the Internet and in public libraries.

III. The Apostolic Message (D)

The smoking of cigarettes, to a large extent, has been eclipsed by the smoking of marijuana and the ingestion of harder drugs. Pathologic gambling and problem gambling affect between five and fifteen million Americans.

III. The Apostolic Message (D)

In a day of corrupted morals, we need a resurgence of godly principles. We must return to the old paths of purity and holy living. People need to see that there are those who still are committed to “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:12).

IV. Staying in the TruthStaying in the Truth

How easily a person can be misled in these days of confusion and darkness! Like sailors who once were lost at sea, we must have the gospel light to guide us safely to our destination.

IV. Staying in the Truth (A)A. Rejecting False Doctrine

It should come as no surprise that some individuals are carried away by the winds of false doctrine. It was that way in the church of the first century (Ephesians 4:14), and certainly it will be that way until Jesus comes (II Timothy 3:13).

IV. Staying in the Truth (A)Many of Satan’s lies contain an element of truth. Many people often have used verses of Scripture out of context to support outlandish doctrines. Usually, in such cases, innocent people are carried off to some extreme, causing them to forget the very principles that saved them from sin. False doctrine often appeals to a person’s fleshly pride and promises something that it can never deliver. (See II Peter 2:17-19.)

IV. Staying in the Truth (B)B. Contending for the Faith

Someone has preached, “We don’t need to defend the gospel. It will defend itself.” These thoughts may sound impressive, but they are scripturally untrue. Paul was a prisoner in Rome when he wrote, “I am set for the defence of the gospel” (Philippians 1:17).

IV. Staying in the Truth (B)Here was an expression of the apostle’s great purpose and passion in life. He was determined to propagate the gospel of Christ in spite of all the opposition and danger that he might face. He would aggressively promote the truth regardless of personal cost.

IV. Staying in the Truth (B)Always in our world there is resistance to the truth. Always those who teach sound doctrine are opposed, and often they are persecuted. Writing to warn the church of immorality and heresies, Jude exhorted the believers to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).

IV. Staying in the Truth (C)C. Loving the Truth

Perhaps you have met them or tried to instruct them—those people who acknowledge that certain apostolic teachings are true but who never seem totally convinced that such teachings are absolute. They acquiesce to a certain point, diffidently agreeing to the obvious teachings of the Scriptures, but they fail to wholeheartedly embrace these truths.

IV. Staying in the Truth (C)There is a tremendous difference between simply knowing the truth and genuinely loving the truth. In the one case, a person has some understanding of the gospel; in the other, he feels a passionate commitment to the gospel. In these critical days, who of us could afford to have hearts that are indifferent toward eternal realities?

IV. Staying in the Truth (C)Without a love for the truth we will be swayed and drawn away into error. We must stand fast for what we know to be right (Philippians 1:27). During his reign, the Antichrist will deceive many “because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (II Thessalonians 2:10).

ReflectionsAny doctor will state that it is not enough for us simply to look at the medicines he has prescribed. As long as they sit unused on a shelf or in a medicine cabinet, they will do nothing for our health. It is not enough to read about the gospel, to hear the gospel, or even to profess to believe the gospel.

ReflectionsWe must apply the gospel to our hearts through obedience to God’s Word. Failure to respond to the message of salvation brings terrible judgment (II Thessalonians 1:8; I Peter 4:17). On the other hand, obedience to the doctrine of Christ sets us free from sin to become servants (literally “slaves”) of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18).

ReflectionsHow could we teach any less today than what was taught on that marvelous day when the church was founded? Those who stand condemned by their own consciences still need to hear and obey the apostolic message. It simply is not enough for them to say, “I believe.” The Bible states that God “now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ should accompany repentance, and then God has promised to fill us with the Holy Ghost.