SO SOON REMOVED

Gal 1:6-9 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. 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. 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.

With introductory remarks completed, Paul, in the lesson text, begins to address the spiritual problems that existed among the churches of Galatia. It appears that these Galatian brethren had been converted to Christ with sound teaching of God's word, and were, at one time, well founded in New Testament doctrine. Otherwise, Paul would not have been so amazed at the waning of their faith, that had resulted from the teaching of a false doctrine. The same God that had called Paul (See Gal. 1:15), had called them through the gospel message of His Son, Jesus Christ, and they had responded by coming to Him - by accepting His will as their Savior. Yet, now, at the time of Paul's writing, they were soon removed from Him that called them out of this present evil world (Vs. 4).

Having accepted the gospel message of Christ, they were now removed from it,unto another gospel - one that does not contain the gospel privileges found in the grace of Christ. Yet it really was not another gospel, but a perversion of it. There is only one true gospel. All others are fabricated corruptions of it, that come from the minds of men and women of the world. The true gospel is the "good news" of salvation, made available by God through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth (Rom. 1:16b) - the enlightenment of the mystery of God's plan of eternal salvation from the beginning of time (Eph. 3:9).

No doubt the gospel message of Christ had been perverted, to incorporate doctrines of men, that were introduced to justify, probably, both Jewish and Gentile traditions. Any modification of the original Christian doctrine of Christ Jesus, is a perversion. A perverted gospel is one that comes from the mind and from past traditions of mankind. It denies God's plan of salvation as being sufficient. Such a perverted gospel may begin with the true gospel message of God, given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but afterwards it is compromised, modified, added to, and deleted from; it is filled with evil, wicked, covetous desires of mankind; it includes faulty and erroneous doctrine; it is contrary to the true, original gospel that was devised in the mind our Creator.

Those that pervert the gospel of Christ,misuse, misdirect, and misapply its truths to the degree that it loses its true meaning, and, thus, being compromised, making the gospel message of eternal salvation of none effect. In this inspired message, Paul warns the Galatian Christians of false preachers and teachers. Such warning was necessary during this early age of Christianity, and it is just as necessary in the current times in which we live. Throughout Christian history, within the church of Christ, there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ, in order to satisfy their own covetous desires for power, material gain, or both; or even to satisfy their lust for the praise of mankind.

The true gospel of Christ had been preached (Vs. 8) to the churches of Galatia, and they had received (Vs. 9) it. In strong terms, Paul now tells them that if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, ...let him be accursed, that is, let him be anathema, or given over to the judgment of God. This same term, anathema, is used to describe the fate of allmankind that love not the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 16:22). The application here is that anyone preaching a false doctrine, most assuredly, does not love the Lord. It is sad enough that a false teacher will lose the hope of eternal life in heaven, but it is even more sad when others are led astray from the will of God and are removed from Him that called (them) into the grace of Christ. B. W. Johnson wrote this commentary on these verses. "This strong language shows how great a sin it is to pervert the gospel or Bible truth."

The verse following the lesson text reads: 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. False preachers and teachers, for covetous reasons, teach false doctrine in order to persuade and please men.

So soon removed from God and the hope of eternal salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, are those that blindly follow the erring teachings of false teachers that seek to please men.