We interrupt this program to bring you a Public Service Announcement! This just in….. Paul the Apostle does not agree with must of us who proclaim others are preaching a “false” gospel. Let me repeat that Apostle Paul does not agree.
Okay seriously. We have to be careful on two fronts. The first is the word heretic. I have been called to the table on this one. The second one is the term a “false Gospel”. Mr. Alan Knox does a great job describing what Paul means about heresy in this post (which convicted me by the way). I want to focus on the false Gospel one. Here is the text (I will be brief I promise)
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— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 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. 9 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.
There is a context here. Paul is dealing with a select group of individual. This Judaizers have crept in and are spying out the freedom of the Gentiles. They are saying “unless one be circumcised, there is no way that God will accept them”. This isn’t the message passed down to Paul from Christ Himself. Jesus has obliterated the Old Covenant and all of the laws that go along with it (NCT) and the way to God is faith (which Paul makes clear in chapter 3 was always God unfolding plan by Abraham the father of the Jews being saved before circumcision).
I won’t expound much here, but these gentleman that Paul refers to, are men who are maliciously pushing people back under the Old Covenant. They are disguising themselves as brothers but once they get in they were causing schisms in the Church by forcing the Galatians to be circumcised and simultaneously teaching them that Paul’s gospel was false and that the Apostles in Jerusalem has never endorsed such a liberal view of God.
So this isn’t error, or misinterpretation, this clear maliciousness. The Jerusalem Council has already taken place, the Apostles have already agreed with Paul, James standing up and running down what the Church expects of the gentile converts (Acts 15) but these men undermine Paul and the other Apostles by maliciously (I want to reiterate that) teaching a gospel contrary to the one handed down to Paul which in turn means they are undermining the Trinity! This is why Paul says let them be accursed. For our brothers and sister who are in error, but teach that Christ is the only way to God, but may manipulate the facts a little because of error not malice, we have to be more gracious. When I first came to know the Lord I was very confused. And God saw my confusion and over the last 14 years I have been a work in progress. Lets measure others with the same grace.
Lionel,
I read Alan Knox article and thought it was great. I am trying in this generation to learn more truth, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. It seems like in America we have all these terms, doctrines and belief systems, all of them shooting out of the branch Christianity. It becomes frustrating when I see professing Christians seem to attack each other over small things (things they believe to be truth). For example, one brother holds to the teaching of Preterism, and the other is a Futurist. Instead of both just presenting what the believe and leaving it at that, they spend time and time attacking each other (even with scripture). As I search over the blogworld, I see this constantly, men going at it with harsh words towards one another, instead of just letting one believe what he is going to believe. See a person is going to believe what they believe, I cannot persuade a single person to believe what I am saying. I can give scripture, but the true work and change is by the power of Holy Ghost. Jesus Christ can only change a person.
This post makes that very clear, and I like how you have ended it that we should allow each other grace. I am still learning. My fuse is short for bad or false doctrine, but James gave us what we must do:
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. (James 1:19-20)
This will keep us from quickly crying out heretic, when we may be the ones that are the heretic. Good post here brother,
Karsten Miller
The bible tells us not to be quarrelsome. Which I wrote a few verses ago. It doesn’t say “however, you can be quarellsome with those you disagree with, especially false teachers”.
We like to shut people down by name calling and many say that do it in the name of Jesus Christ while Jesus isn’t remotely involved in things He says not to do. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Mercifulness is the mark of one with a new heart. What we are doing is not a reflection of our master but of our sinful nature which relishes in being right, not loving.
Wow, Lionel I thank God that you are getting it.
I will continue to pray for you and that you come into the truth of the word and that you will continue to promote the truth of God’s word to all who will listen.