After the introduction to the Galatians, Paul writes:
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (1:6-10 NIV)
Desertion
Paul’s audience has quickly departed from his teachings and he is astonished. They are leaving the one who called them to live in the grace of Christ. Who is the one who called them? Some commentators believe this is a reference to Paul and his initial preaching, but I think it is better to view this as a reference to God, who is the usual subject of the verb.
God called them to live in the grace of Christ. I will leave the various dimensions of grace for another post and simply note that many define grace as “unmerited favor.” So God called them to live in the lavish favor of Christ, but they are deserting this call and Paul is shocked. Why are they turning away?
“Some People”
“Some people” have thrown them into confusion with a different teaching or a “different gospel.” These people are “trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” Perhaps there is an implication here that attempts to change the gospel of Christ cannot succeed. Instead of saying that they are perverting the gospel of Christ, Paul says they are “trying to . . .” because it cannot really happen.
“Under God’s Curse”
He then calls down divine curses on anyone who preaches another gospel. But note that he includes angels and even himself as potential targets of the curse—“but even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” For emphasis he repeats this curse in the following verse.
Obviously Paul does not think his gospel should be mixed with other teachings. It is the one true message and no one should attempt to change it. As the letter continues we will learn more about this “different gospel.”
A man who calls down curses on other people is probably not a people-pleaser so Paul draws attention to this in verse 10. If he was trying to please people, he would avoid taking such a hard line.
The word “curse” is used sparingly in the New Testament. Here are a few examples:
- For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ (Mk. 7:10)
- bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Lk. 6:28)
- We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; (1 Cor. 4:12)
In Mark 11 Jesus curses a fig tree by saying, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again” (v. 14). This seems to show that to be cursed can simply mean to be the object of violent speech.
On other occasions, curse refers to final judgment or being cut off from Christ:
- “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matt. 25:41)
- For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, (Rom. 9:3)
- If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord! (1 Cor. 16:22)
Hearing Paul employ curses in Galatians 1 and 1 Corinthians 16 is jarring. Shouldn’t we bless and not curse as Jesus taught? I don’t have a final answer, but it’s important to note that Paul actually places many others under a curse. In Galatians 3 he says that all who rely on “the works of the law” are under a curse (v. 10). Following this far-reaching curse, however, he announces the good news: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (v. 13). Of all the people who have ever lived, the one we would never expect to be cursed is God’s chosen one, but that is exactly what happened. The anointed one became the cursed one for us.
Summary
Verses 6-10 of chapter 1 paint this picture: Paul traveled through the region of Galatia, preached, and founded assemblies of believers. Not too long after he departed, other preachers came through with a different message. Instead of standing firm in what they had been taught, the Galatian believers surrendered to this new teaching.
When Paul hears what they have done, he is stunned and writes the fiery letter we call Galatians. Why? He is not content to let them go astray. He is not content to allow his work to be undermined. He is like a carpenter who steps back and looks at the house he built but then learns that it has been infiltrated with termites so he begins to act quickly. Paul’s house is a community of believers who are loyal to the good news. That is success for Paul. Not a book deal, a TV show, or a lot of money. His eyes were set on something else: communities of believers spread throughout the Roman Empire standing firm in the gospel of grace.
He can’t let the Galatians go without a fight.
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. My latest book focuses on Paul’s work as a tentmaker and what it means for today.