Galatians 1:6-12
Paul is surprised by how quickly they are removed from the truth to what is called another gospel. Paul had taught them the gospel of Jesus Christ and His saving grace; they had accepted Him as their Saviour and now they are so quickly turned aside. The churches of Galatia had believed the pure gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus’ finished work of death and resurrection, but now had let false teachers persuade them that the law was also necessary.
Paul said they had turned to “another gospel: which is not another”. Here we have two English words that are the same, but the Greek words are different. The first “another” means – different (hetero) not the same. The second “another” means – same, similar sort. They had been deceived into accepting “another (different) gospel, which is not another (a same) gospel. Any time someone adds something to, or changes, or takes away from the gospel already preached, Paul says that is not the true gospel. It is a different gospel, not the same; don’t believe it.
Paul’s letter comes with a warning to not be deceived by the source of the information. Even if this so-called gospel comes from another disciple like himself or Peter, or even if an angel from heaven like Gabriel (or Moroni) gives you a message that adds to or changes the gospel already given, it is not the same gospel – don’t believe it. Let the person or angel be accursed (vs. 8).
Lastly, in verses 11 and 12, Paul explains to them that the true gospel of Jesus Christ, did not come as a message from a man, nor did it come as a message from an angel. No man, angel, prophet or religion can lay claim to the authorship of the gospel that saves our soul. From where did it come, “by the revelation of Jesus Christ,” it came from Jesus Christ himself, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). What sets the true gospel of salvation apart from all other so-called gospels is that Jesus Christ himself preached it. The only true Gospel is the one that came from His mouth while He was on this earth (John 3). It was He who gave this message and sent out disciples to continue preaching what He gave to us. The reason to believe that we have the truth, among all the rest, is because it came from Jesus’ own mouth. It didn’t come from a man’s mouth, or an angel’s mouth, or on a gold or stone tablet, or found in a cave, or received in an isolated manner alone in the mountains. It was proclaimed openly, freely, and to everyone who would hear by its author the Lord Jesus Christ – God in the flesh. No other religion came make that claim; no other so-called gospel can say that; nothing else needs to be added to what Jesus already gave us.
– S. Borner, Pastor