Greetings everyone,
I am continuing my look at Galatians today, as I seek to understand God's grace more fully. We will only look at about a verse and a half today, but they are packed with meaning. Here is my translation of Galatinas 1:6-7a:
6 I am astonished that you are so quick to depart from the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, 7 one which is really not a gospel at all.
Every commentary that I read on this passage points out that Paul deviates from his normal pattern, and doesn't talk about how thankful he is for them. For me, I don't want to make too much of this absence of thanksgiving. Since this is likely Paul’s first letter, he hasn’t really established a pattern yet. However, it is important to note that after his initial greeting, he jumps right into some pretty strong language about the direction that they are heading in following certain teachings. A little later on, the word he uses to describe that direction is ἀνάθεμα (anathema) - accursed. So, this situation was incredibly important. Salvation was at stake.
In verse 6, Paul uses the word Θαυμάζω (thaumazo) to start this warning. “I am amazed.” or "I am astonished." The Greek-English Lexicon defines Θαυμάζω like this: “to be extraordinarily impressed or disturbed by something, wonder, marvel, be astonished, (the context determines whether it is in a good or bed sense.)" Clearly, this astonishment is in a negative sense. Paul is completely baffled by their behavior. Why would anyone choose this other gospel over the gospel of grace?
Douglas Moo explains it like this, “Paul is genuinely surprised and chagrined that his converts in Galatia are so quickly being tempted to exchange the true gospel that he preached to them for a substitute and false gospel.” (Moo, 76.)
Paul was undoubtedly amazed that they would turn from the gospel of grace at all, but here he also uses the Greek word ταχέως (tacheōs), which means 'quickly.' It is not clear whether Paul means so quickly after their conversion, or that thay are so easily swayed by the arrival of the false teachers, with a quick departure after that. Personally, I think that it is likely that Paul is referring to the fact that the false teachers were so quickly able to pull them away from the gospel of grace to their own false gospel.
Thomas Schreiner draws a comparison to the ancient Israelites who craft for themselves a golden calf. In Ex. 32:8, God says, “They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf.” Schreiner describes the situation this way, “The Galatians seem to be repeating the error of the wilderness generation by departing from the Lord shortly after being delivered.” (Schriener, 85.) Sadly, the brothers and sisters at Galatia had not developed deep enough convictions about grace to hold them in place when these false teachers arrived, so when the false teachers made their fine-sounding argument, the Galatians bought into it.
Their departure from the true gospel is described in shocking terms. John Stott points out that Paul uses the Greek word μετατίθεσθε (metatithesthe) , a form of the word μετατίθημι (metatithēme). Stott points out that it is a military term that means to ‘transfer one’s allegiance.’ This is what Paul is accusing the Galatians of; switching sides, of being turncoats. (Stott, 21.)
So, the charge being brought against the Galatians is that they are abandoning Jesus, who called them by his grace and are embracing a different gospel. They were departing from God’s way. Someone had convinced them that the grace of Christ was not the true way, but that a different gospel was. (There is something to learn about God here. It is easy to get caught up in legalistic religion, but God is not legalistic. Instead, He is gracious. His call is not to religious legalism, but to live in His grace.)
Χάρις (Charis) or Grace is the key word here. It is central to the message of Galatians. (And the message of Christ, in general.) Someone had come in among the Galatians and taught them a different gospel, one that required certain works in order to be right with God. Paul is going to reprimand them severely for giving in to this line of thinking. Paul’s argument was that in Christ, we are saved by grace, rather than in our ability to keep the law. Our response to that grace is to be faith, not works.
In verse 6, Paul refers to the legalism that the Galatians have adopted as “a different gospel.” Paul certainly makes the point here that this other gospel is only called a gospel because someone perverted the gospel of Christ and called this new thing ‘gospel.’ The gospel of grace is not only a superior gospel, it is the only gospel.
David deSilva says that this ‘alternative gospel’ is ‘no-gospel-at-all’ and that a big chuck of the book of Galatians “may be read as a demonstration of the shortcomings of the rival teaching.” (deSilva, Galatians, 7)
The Greek word which we translate into ‘Gospel’ is εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion). According the Greek-English Lexicon, this Greek word means “God’s good news to humans.” His grace and His Gospel are exactly that.
Thomas Schriener, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Galatians, Zondervan Academic, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2010.
John R.W. Stott, The Message of Galatians, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1968.
David A. deSilva, Galatians: A Handbook on the Greek Text, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, 2014.
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