I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ …
Summary: Paul’s letter to the Galatians is relatively short, yet in these few brief words, Paul outlines the message of the New Testament.
Who called the Galatians to live in the grace of Christ?
If this seems like an odd question, it is. But it is an important one. The “who” in this question makes a difference.
If Paul is talking about himself, then he is offended that the people of Galatia have abandoned him. If this is the case, it is easy to see why he is upset as he writes his letter. These are people he knows personally.
But what if it’s not him? What if he means Jesus Christ?
Granted, the sentence structure gets a little weird. When we look at it this way, Paul is “astonished that you are so quickly deserting Jesus Christ who called you to live in the grace of Christ …” (See what I mean? He didn’t write, “… Jesus Christ, who called you to live in his grace.”)
The few translations of the Bible that expound on this aspect of the text all lean towards Jesus being the one who has been deserted. This makes sense from several points of view, and, as we mentioned earlier, it makes a difference.
If Christ is the one who called them to faith, why have they deserted? How is that possible?
Is Paul’s gospel a human construct, or is it divine revelation? If it is a human construct, then Paul’s astonishment takes on a personal light. If the gospel is the divine revelation of Jesus Christ, then how can it be confused with anything else?
At some level, every believer has to wrestle with this question; “What is it I believe in?” The people who argue that Paul is not to be listened to (and there are many of them!) look at Paul as “just another guy” peddling snake oil. Those of us who receive Paul’s message as truth see more than Paul’s message. We see a glimpse of the divine as well.
Whoever was leading the churches in Galatia astray was “peddling” a false gospel. How could the early believers not know this? How could Jesus allow this to happen?
The important thing to remember is that Jesus didn’t “allow it to happen.” Instead, he caused Paul to write his letter to the Galatians. Because Paul wrote this letter, the Christians in Galatia were guided back to a correct understanding of the gospel. And because of those believers and Paul’s letter, we, too, have the benefit of Paul’s words in case we are tempted to stray.
Application: Read Paul’s letter to the Galatians in one sitting.
Food for Thought: How can people who have heard Paul’s gospel accept it as truth and then later turn away?
Your question makes me think about the parable of the sower in Matthew 13.
Some seeds fell on the path, never took root, and were devoured.
Some seeds fell on rocky soil, and grew little root, so they were scorched by the sun.
Some seeds fell among thorns, and were choked.
Some seeds fell on good soil, grew, and were fruitful.
One could almost read that parable and infer that the soil was already set. That the seeds that fell in the first three instances never had a chance. I believe what it is really telling us is that we
need to make ourselves ready to receive, and to remove rocks and thorns from our hearts in order to make the soil good for growth. The soil cannot do this in itself, it needs a gardener. The Holy Spirit is with us to remove the obstacles to growth, if we prepare our hearts to receive.
How can people who have heard Paul’s gospel accept it as truth and then later turn away? I believe the seeds took root, but then the rocks and thorns stopped the growth. Rocks and thorns have a way of making us doubt the truth. They seem “bigger” than our beliefs. It is important to remember that Christ is above all things. He was before the rocks and thorns, and He will be after the rocks and thorns.
Chris,
Thank you for sharing your words today! They remind me of Genesis 3, specifically verses 17 & 18. Before evicting Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden God pronounced this judgement on them:
“To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat food from it
all the days of your life.
It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.”
In a sense, we all live among the thorns, which makes the miracle of faith in Jesus Christ even more astounding.
12-12-2023, How can people who have heard Paul’s gospel accept it as truth and then later turn away?
God’s Word tells us:
1 Timothy 2:4, God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 16:8-11, When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
Hebrews 6:4-6, For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
Hebrews 10:26-31, For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, The Lord will judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Thank you, Ron!
I love the imagery of “taste” when it comes to discerning the true Gospel. Psalm 34:8 says,
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
Yum! 🙂
I like the comments. I like what CH pointing us to the parable of the sower. I think the next parable in Matthew of the wheat mixed with weeds can also be applicable (Matthew 13: 24 – 30). God can sort through and know the difference between the wheat and the weeds. Both grow at the same time and place, but only one is the real deal.
In Galatia there were those who had professed Christ but were still counting on their own works (circumcision) to save them. They liked what they heard about Christ but ultimately had a different Savior.
Thank you, brother!
Yes, we can trust that God knows us!!
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
— John 10:27
a very rushed day today, I think I misread your question. I will slow down tomorrow. 🙁
Ron
That’s okay Ron.
Your answer works. There are a lot of different ways to go with these questions! 🙂
I agree with Chris and pastor Rich. It makes me think of how we need to make sure our youth have proper soil to grow in. Now back to your question: How can people who have heard Paul’s gospel accept it as truth and then later turn away? Deceiver had a foothold and was able to whisper in their ear.
Amen.
And you make me think of how important it is to have people in the body of Christ who have a heart for the young ones.