The Amish Voice 4
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and
through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk
through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn
you” (Is.43:2, NASB).
QUESTIONS:
1. What are some of the natural results when a person turns to a
false gospel?
2. Do you think it is possible for a Christian believer to turn to
a false gospel? How? Why?
3. If you could paint a picture of a false teacher, what would he
look like?
4. Can you be too careful about who or what you believe in?
3. PREACHERS OF FALSE GOSPELS ARE CURSED (vv.8-9).
Cursed means cursed, doomed, damned, cast into hell. This is a
strong statement, but it is clearly understandable. The gospel is the
means by which men are saved out of the grip of sin, death, and con-
demnation. Without the gospel no person is saved—no person can
become acceptable to God—no person can inherit eternal life. Scrip-
ture is clear about the matter and warns all false teachers and all
churches.
1. The gospel is greater than the apostle Paul himself. This is a
striking statement, for remember who Paul was: probably the
most committed servant of God who has ever lived. He had ven-
tured forth as a pioneer into the heathen areas of the world to
reach people with the gospel of Christ, the good news that men
could be delivered from sin and death and live forever. He loved
the Galatians so much that he had risked all he was and had for
their sakes. To some Paul must have been a giant, and he must
have been held ever so dear to their hearts. But note: Paul says
that if he returned to them preaching any other gospel, he was to
be accursed. The Galatians were not to receive him no matter
how much they esteemed him: they were to reject him. The gos-
pel in all its simplicity and purity was far more important than
Paul himself.
2. The gospel is greater than the
angels from heaven. Even if an
angel came from heaven and
began to preach another gos-
pel, he was to be rejected, for
he too would be accursed. The
glorious message of the gospel
is far more important than even
the angels in heaven.
3. The gospel is greater than any
man (v.9). If any man preached
any other gospel, he was to be
accursed. The gospel is far
more important than any man.
4. The preachers of the false gos-
pels shall suffer the judgment
of a double curse. The word
anathema
means to be accurs-
ed, doomed to destruction,
given over to eternal punish-
ment, placed under the wrath of God. The idea is that of eternal
death. This is clear from Paul’s use of the word elsewhere where
he applies it to himself: “I could wish that myself were accursed
from Christ for my brethren....” (Ro.9:3). Paul was a Jew; he was
saying that he loved his Jewish brothers so much that he would
gladly suffer eternal punishment for their salvation (the very
same love that Christ had demonstrated for all men).
This is one of the most severe warnings in all of Scripture, and note
to whom it is given: it is given to teachers, the
false teachers
. Lehman
Strauss points out that every
person who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ shall be accursed.
How much more,
then, shall the false teacher suffer at the hands of God’s eternal
wrath3
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall
know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns,
or figs of thistles?... Every tree that bringeth not forth good
fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire” (Mt.7:15-16, 19).
QUESTIONS:
1. What conclusions would you make if a Bible teacher or
preacher told you the Bible did not apply to him? What con-
clusions would you reach if someone said he believed the
Bible but refused to live his life according to God’s Word?
2. Why is Paul’s language so harsh?
3. How can believers recognize false teachers? How does God
expect you to deal with false teachers?
______________________________________________________
3 Lehman Strauss.
Devotional Studies in Galatians and Ephesians
. (Neptune, NJ:
Loizeaux Brothers, 1947), p.21
The Teacher’s Outline & Study Bible, Galatians
TM
;
[Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Chattanooga,
TN., 1994, 2010], page 1-4,
used by permission, all
rights reserved.
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