Mere Cognition

Part 1 of the study on Galatians, covering Galatians 1:1-9

Paul's letter to the Galatians begins a bit differently compared to his other letters. In Galatians 1:1-5, he dispenses with his customary longer greeting full of commendations and courtesies and gets right to the point. There's likely numerous other letters not included in scripture that begin this way - however, this one is included and we shouldn't miss even this small difference. It's apparent, by the truncated greeting, that Paul has a deep concern about what he is hearing about the churches' defection from the gospel, so his greeting becomes brief and impersonal, likely in order to not waste time.

In Galatians 1:6-9, Paul drives right into the point of his letter:

⁶ 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 - ⁷not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. (v.6-7)

The word quickly here, in the Greek, can mean either quickly or easily, and I think it would be fair to say that either would fit here, based on the description of what's happening. Deserting, from the Greek, was used of military desertion, which was punishable by death during the time. It's used to both denote the seriousness of the matter as well as the fact that this turning from the gospel is voluntary. Paul is also making clear that they are not simply deserting the gospel that was given to them - they were effectively turning their back on God. These few words in verse 6 already pack lot of theology regarding soteriology - the doctrines of salvation.

Who called you...? This is clearly referring to God's call, through the gospel, to the grace and mercy of salvation provided in Christ. There are some that believe that this call is of man's own free will and that he is able to choose or reject Christ for himself and by himself; others believe that this call is effectual - that is, God calls whom He will to himself and because of our prime condition in sin from Adam, will never voluntarily come to belief on our own accord. I am convinced by scripture alone of the latter but that is a discussion for another time.

The word trouble, from the Greek, means "to shake back and forth" - literally what our modern word agitate means. Others were literally stirring up these relatively new believers by delivering a distorted gospel to them and creating agitation and strife.

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. (v.8-9)

Paul's absolutely clear here, and he is unequivocal. The use of "angel from heaven" is a good example of hyperbole, as any angel not in rebellion alongside Satan would never preach a gospel contrary to God's. Paul is making it explicitly clear that if anyone, anyone - preaches a gospel contrary to Christ's, that he shall be accursed. The word accursed here is the familiar Greek word anathema - devotion of someone to destruction. In this case, that destruction is an eternity in hell.

I would say that's pretty strong language. And it's often language that we pass over while reading the Bible, without giving too much thought to the gravity of what it means. We don't really have the capability to fathom the level of accursedness that an eternity down below would entail - we're far too limited in our imagination. Paul is literally placing a curse on those that distort the gospel - and doing so rightly in his position as apostle.