Our readings in this series are from the book, The Gospel of the Kingdom. The Galatians had allowed a false gospel to receive a hearing in their midst, and it was causing all kinds of confusion. Paul did not mince words as he told them what he thought about this. Here is a brief excerpt from the Introduction on pages 9 and 12:
“The Galatians, it seems, were deserting the Lord they had professed to believe. They were beginning to embrace ‘a different gospel’ – not the true Gospel of the Kingdom, but a perversion of that Gospel, one that held out false hopes and put forth twisted requirements for those who would know the blessings of God…
“The Galatians had begun to seek a glory associated more with the worldly happiness of men than the liberty and love of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Concerning those who came to the Galatians preaching this ‘different gospel’, Paul wrote, ‘If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.’ And just in case they didn’t hear him correctly, he declared that same solemn admonition twice.
“Evidently it is a very serious matter to compromise the Gospel by obscuring the grace of God, minimizing the work of Christ, imposing false obligations, and muddying the hope of the true Gospel.”
Questions for Reflection or Discussion
1. If the Gospel could become perverted while Paul was still alive, should we expect anything different for our own day? Explain.
2. Is there a difference between a gospel of “happiness” and the Gospel of the Kingdom?
It matters what we believe. We need to be sure that the Gospel we have believed is that which the New Testament teaches, and not just one that seems to promise us happiness here and now and hereafter. Sure, that’s pretty good news. But is it the Good News of the Kingdom? Forward today’s podcast to a friend, and follow-up to see what your friend thinks. You can order The Gospel of the Kingdom at The Ailbe Bookstore. Order several copies and pass them out to friends.
T. M. Moore
