No Additives (Galatians 1:6-7)

“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 – which is really no gospel at all.  Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ”

Galatians 1: 6-7

Observations

After writing the previous reflection on Galatians and before I began this one, I started to watch a teaching video on Galatians.  In the first few moments I was reminded how much we bring to the text when we read.  I had brought an image of Paul and his fellow believers seeking to encourage and help correct the believers.  The teacher I listened to saw the blessing in v. 3 as a cultural norm rather than a compulsion to bless.  As we read a text we need to remember we give tone to the words based on our understanding.  This helps to demonstrate the need for a diverse community reading God’s word together.  

While we can’t know for sure the exact tone Paul is using, we do see a strong reaction of concern.  Jesus sacrificed his life to rescue us from this evil age and the Galatian churches are walking straight back into the patterns of this world.  The gospel of grace and peace, the call to follow Jesus is being buried beneath external actions.  

Questions for Curiosity

• In verse two we are introduced to an abstract community.  “Some people” are working to pervert the gospel of Christ.  How do we as individuals and/or communities reflect on the people seeking to throw us into confusion?
•  Are we working to remind ourselves of the central messages of the gospel or are we wandering into the confusion?  
• How far back in conversations would you have to go to find yourself relaying a message of the gospel?  Of Christ rescuing us?  Of Grace and Peace?  
• If a visitor came into my community, would they know what Christ has done for them?  
• Would Christ’s work be buried under external expectations?  

Further Reflection

“With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings.

 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.  It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Farewell.

So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter.  The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them.

Acts 15:23-33