What is the gospel?
Galatians 1:1-10
? What must I do to be saved?
- Is salvation a combination of my good works and Jesus?
- Is salvation 90% of what God does and 10% what I do?
- Do I need Jesus and to keep the 10 commandments?
- Am I required to be baptized and join the church to be saved?
* Debate over what is necessary for conversion is not new.
Act 15:1-14 And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. (2) When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. (3) And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. (4) And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. (5) But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. (6) And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. (7) And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. (8) And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; (9) And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. (10) Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? (11) But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. (12) Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. (13) And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: (14) Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
Act 15:15-31 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, (16) After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: (17) That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. (18) Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. (19) Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: (20) But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. (21) For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. (22) Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: (23) And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. (24) Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: (25) It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, (26) Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (27) We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. (28) For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; (29) That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well, Fare ye well. (30) So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: (31) Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
* Adding to the gospel is a serious and dangerous offence!
I. Paul’s authority Gal. 1:1-5
* Paul wants it to be known that he is a man sent with authority.
* He wasn’t a man looking to make a name for himself.
* It wasn’t about Paul, it was about Jesus!
* He wasn’t self-appointed. He didn’t throw himself into this office.
* He wasn’t commissioned by a council of men or apostles.
* He wasn’t commissioned by the Sanhedrin.
* He did not act upon human authority, or by any human commission.
* Paul wasn’t chosen like Matthias, (Judas’s replacement).
Act 1:23-26 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. (24) And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen, (25) That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. (26) And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
* He wasn’t a momma called & daddy sent preacher.
? Why should we listen to Paul? Who is he? What authority?
* NOTE - -- Who do you listen to? Who is your life authority?
? When you get ready for godly advice, to whom do you turn?
? – Oprah Winfrey? Dr. Phil?
* Paul was an Apostle – "one sent forth" by Jesus, by God the Father.
A. His ministry v. 1-2
* The false teachers had insinuated he was no apostle, and not to be regarded.
* False teachers attempted to discount this message and discredit his ministry
* Paul was a minister with authority.
Illus – City intersection with a policeman in the center.
A common man or woman would be run over.
Policeman has authority bestowed upon him by local government.
* Paul was an ambassador, not of the Roman emperor, who was the highest authority known to man at that time, but an ambassador of the King of Kings!
* Paul’s ministry included these Galatians! Paul had preached to them, started
churches there, and saw their lives changed by the Gospel he preached.
* These people were not strangers to Paul. He knew them. He spent time with them.
* They should listen to him because he was the one who led them to Christ.
B. His message v. 3-4
1) Peace of the Gospel v. 3
* Paul’s message begins and ends with Grace!
* Quote - "Grace is the reason we have the Gospel, Peace is the result of the Gospel"
- Peace with God and Peace of God, …ours as result of the Gospel.
2) Price of the Gospel v.4a - (cost) – "who gave himself for our sins"
-Christ’s substitutionary death on our behalf
3) Purpose of the Gospel v. 4b – "to deliver us from this evil age"
- rescue operation… we in bondage to sin, He rescued, delivered us
4) Plan of the Gospel v. 4c – "according to the will of God"
-Jesus death was planned by the determinate council and foreknowledge of God. He didn’t die by accident or as result of an angry mob!
C. His motive v. 5, 10
1) Not man pleasing v. 10
- Not to please man
- Paul’s motivation was not the applause of people.
2) Not self-serving v.5
* Paul ascribes glory and praise to God
* Paul didn’t want people to exalt and worship him.
* Paul’s motive was not to have a monument erected with his picture on it.
* His motive was pure… he was doing this for Jesus and wanted to please only Jesus.
3) Not financial gain
2Co 12:14-18 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. (15) And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. (16) But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. (17) Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? (18) I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?
* Motive was NOT money.
* His motive was to glorify God.
- That people would become followers of God.
II. Paul’s amazement Gal. 1:6-7
A. Distance from the Saviour v. 6a
* To distance ourselves from the Saviour is to distance ourselves from the gospel.
* Jesus is the gospel…the good news!
* "marvel" - very surprised, stood in wonder… "I am astounded, …amazed"
* "removed" – means to transfer allegiance, - literally to transport, - change sides
- used of a person who changed sides politically
Gal 1:6 (The Message) - I can’t believe your fickleness--how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message!
? How could they have so suddenly fallen out of love with Jesus?
* When we begin to add works with grace, we begin to distance ourselves from Jesus!
- When we begin to think we can live the Christian life on our own, we distance ourselves from Jesus!
B. Departure from the Gospel
* You have left the gospel… turned away from the beginning message.
* "another" – "heteros" - another of different kind
* Theirs was a counterfeit gospel.
- It may have looked like the real and sounded like the real but it wasn’t
* Paul says the difference is like night and day, …true and false,… black and white
* Paul preached salvation by grace, through faith alone, in Christ alone!
* Galatians were leaving the true gospel, for a false one of a different kind.
C. Distortion of the Gospel
Scofield – "The test of the Gospel is grace. If the message excludes grace, or mingles law with grace as the means of either of justification or sanctification, (Gal_2:21); (Gal_3:1-3), or denies the fact or guilt of sin which alone gives grace its occasion and opportunity, it is "another" gospel, and the preacher of it is under the anathema of God. (Gal_1:8); (Gal_1:9). "
*Paul’s point - God has provided salvation through the work of His Son, Jesus
- That work is finished. Don’t add to it or take away from it!
Illus – Hymn - "Jesus paid it ALL, all to him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow"
* Not everybody with a Bible, that uses the name of God & Jesus are true representatives of God!
III. Paul’s anathema Gal. 1:8-9
* Paul begins by calling down God’s eternal judgment upon false teachers.
A. It is awfully severe
John Gill – [this represents] his excommunication out of the church, and his sentence of condemnation by Christ at the last day; … let him be ejected from the ministry of the word, degraded from his office, and cast out of the church; let him be no more a minister, nor a member of it; and let him be abhorred of men, and accursed of Christ; let him hear the awful sentence, "go ye accursed"
* This distortion of the Gospel was severe
John Stott – "…the glory of Christ was at stake. To make men’s works necessary to salvation, even as a supplement to the work of Christ, is derogatory to His finished work. It is to imply that Christ’s work was in some way unsatisfactory, and that men need to add to it and improve on it. It is, in effect, to declare the cross redundant: "if justification were through the law, then Christ died to no purpose" (Gal. 2:21)… to corrupt the Gospel was to destroy the way of salvation and so to send to ruin souls who might have been saved by it" – The Message of Galatians - p. 25-26
B. It is all-inclusive
* Paul hypothetically includes himself – "we or an angel"
…universal -…includes anyone and everyone
- even if they have claimed to have had a heavenly vision
- no exceptions
* Paul repeats it twice, so as not to be misunderstood….
- to emphasize those who pervert the gospel are deserving of this judgment
IV. Paul’s audacity Gal. 1:10
* Paul had extreme courage or audacity!
* He was afraid of no man!
* He was not even afraid to die for what he believed in!
* Paul didn’t wish to gain the applause and approval of man.
- It didn’t matter what position they held
- It didn’t matter how much money the person had
- It didn’t matter how influential the person may have been.
* Paul loved Jesus more than anything or any man.
Closing
Jesus paid it all. = Gospel
You can’t add to it.
Either grace OR works.
Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
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