Galatians 1:8
8 But [alla] though [kai] [ean] we, [hemeis] or [e] an angel [aggelos] from [ek] heaven, [ouranos] preach any other gospel [euaggelizo] unto you [humin] than [para] that which [hos] we have
preached [euaggelizo] unto you, [humin] let him be [esto] accursed.
[anathema] KJV-Interlinear
8 But even though we, or an angel
from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have
preached to you, let him be accursed. NASB
We, is a reference to anyone, including Paul
himself. So if we, or anyone who
legitimately teaches the truth, and then begin to change that truth into
something that it is not, then we are destined to fail in that effort.
So if any person teaches false things, and people
begin to believe those false teachings or ideas, the result will never be
success for anyone.
And what Paul is saying here is that people who
disregard truth will be easily misled.
That should be obvious. And there
will be those who will intentionally mislead people for some deceitful benefit
for themselves.
Anything that is false, or even anything that takes
a whole lot of truth, but dilutes it with a bit of false, makes the whole thing
false, and therefore impossible.
Anything that is false is impossible.
So if someone told you that salvation was by
believing in Christ, and, doing three summersaults, then that makes the whole
concept false. Salvation is not by
summersaults. Anything a person can do
is works, and works, like doing summersaults or raising their hands, or feeling
sorry, or anything else, is adding a lie to truth, making the whole thing
false.
Where the truth is simply, believe in Christ and
you are saved.
Belief is a non-meritorious thought, of which there
is no credit or work or effort on the part of the person believing.
But unfortunately there are far more sophisticated
plots out there to get you to part with your money or property or
whatever. It wouldn’t be the first time
that some cult leader got followers to part with their money, their wives,
their daughters, and so forth. Sin is
always hidden in the agenda if you look for it.
Even respectable churches are motivated in works,
or social activites, or activism, or politics, or many other things that demand
your money or participation or vote or whatever, in order to perpetuate their
agenda, whatever that may be.
Sometimes the agenda is nothing more than the
perpetuation of the organization. After all, if the organization is boring, then
who would attend? And we all know that
following a daily study is not the most exciting of activities.
And then Paul adds one more concept. Even if an
angel were to come down out of heaven and preach lies.
And why would he mention an angel? Well, an angel could promote his credentials
as an angel, as one from heaven. Did not
Lucifer, or the devil, come originally from heaven? And we all know that evil, which is the
devils game plan, is .. well, evil. And
who believes or participate in evil? Everyone.
And who would believe an angel, or a smooth talking
salesman, or smooth talking spiritual leader, or a smooth talking
politician? Well, everyone who lacks
truth and therefore lacks discernment in their soul.
What do you suppose the spiritual status of people
will be in the Tribulation when the smooth talking anti-christ is introduced
into history? Think really carefully before you answer that one. You realize that when the Rapture occurs, the
anti-christ will already be an adult person, ready immediately to step into the
limelight.
The Galatians had already heard and accepted the
truth, from Paul, on his last trip. In
fact there are several churches not just one church that had been established
in the Galatia region. Not too many
years or time has passed and now they have already turned things upside
down. Why so soon and why so easily?
Not too long ago we studied the principle of the
deceiver and the deceived. The deceiver
knows what is wrong and still promotes the wrong. The deceived knows what is wrong, yet accepts
the wrong. So there is plenty of blame
to go around and no excuses for anyone.
If anyone, man or angel, promotes the lies of a
false gospel, or a false anything for that matter, then they are accursed. And what does that mean? Accursed, ‘anathema,’ means banned, censured,
an abomination, loathsome, doomed. And
this simply means that they will fail, and fail miserably.
And even though in this world there are many who
promote the lies or false doctrines, and seem to have some successes in gaining
the trust or money or sex of others, their destiny is ultimately doomed to
failure.
If a believer they will enter into heaven of
course, but with no spiritual growth and therefore no spiritual reward. If an
unbeliever, they will go into the Lake of Fire.
Both results have infinite losses ascribed to them.
Therefore, there is no eternal reward of any kind,
resulting from the promotion of evil, only miserable failure and phenomenal
loss.
And by application to each individual life, when
you pursue evil, or indifference of any kind toward truth, then what can you
expect out of life? Nothing.
In Galatia, they had truth, but got away from
truth, and were therefore susceptible to being deceived by false gospels. You too are susceptible to the lies of the
world, if you do not pursue your daily study relentlessly and consistently
throughout your entire life.
Back in Jesus day, most would argue that they would
never, never reject the Messiah, and yet most lacked even the basic concepts of
the spiritual life and they did in fact reject, even spit on, the Messiah, and
killed Him.
Today, most would argue the same, yet look at the
world today, even look at Christianity and its innumerable and ridiculous ideas
that exist. People do in fact reject the
Messiah, by rejecting His written mandates. But could you convince anyone of
that?
