After claiming his unique credentials as an Apostle, Gal. 1: 1-2-he immediately tells them of his amazement that they have left the true Gospel for a false one(which is no Gospel at all). He makes it perfectly clear that anyone who preaches this false Gospel-even an Angel-is accursed! Stronger words are never spoken in Scripture. This is very serious business that Paul is dealing with. He has no difficulty at all condemning those to damnation that pervert the Gospel.
Who are these people? They are the judaizers-people who want to add works to the gift of salvation. They want to add something to Christ's finished work of redemption on the cross. They are demanding that believers(men) must be circumcised. Paul spends the first two chapters of the epistle establishing his Apostolic authority-because he is establishing truth about the Gospel that MUST be heeded. He is writing under divine inspiration and the authority of the Godhead when he pronounces judgment on anyone who perverts the Gospel!
Why is it that so many who name the name of Christ today try to handle every false teacher with kid gloves. That is not the way Paul did it. When someone added works to the Gospel of Grace-Paul called them accursed. I think we need to go and do likewise. I am thankful for men of God who will call heresy what it is-and who call false teachers to repentance. If anyone perverts the Gospel-they are accursed-that is a frightening but very true fact.
Interesting post, Vicki.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about this subject especially in the recent furor in the blogsphere as to when is open correction appropriate or not, and to what extent. I wonder if we also need to learn the difference between exposing heretics and iron sharpening iron.
I think about this frequently myself, Persis. It looks as though any deviation from the Gospel was met with a public rebuke from Paul and the other Apostles.In fact in this very letter to the Galatian churches Paul, in a not very gentle manner, rebukes Peter openly and by name. Paul was a leader chosen by God. Part of what any leader is called to do is bring correction in the Church. Paul never shied away from this duty.
ReplyDeleteI do have a problem though with people on the internet taking it upon themselves to criticize everyone they disagree with. Many times the spirit of it is just wrong.
On the other hand, I have listened to John MacArthur for many years, and I have heard him publicly rebuke many false teachers. I have heard him rebuke men in the ministry who are not false teachers but who have not been careful in their pulpit speech.The thing about JM is that he does not make that his life purpose. But if someone is publicly preaching something false-or doing something that is wrong-he will address it. I appreciate seasoned men like that who will do an open rebuke: people like you and me have no voice at all with someone like Mark Driscol, but he may listen to a MacArthur.
This new technology has been such a blessing for all of us. The internet has enhanced our lives significantly. One of the downsides of the internet is that a lot of anonymous(when I say anonymous-I do not mean unnamed) people take on roles as leaders in God's Church which he has never called them to.So you have all of these voices of rebuke from people that we do not even know.
I think of the opening of the Dickens' book "it was the best of times-it was the worst of times". I feel that is where we live with the modern technology!