GALATIANS

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GALATIANS 1:6

GALATIANS 1:6

"2 ... To the churches of Galatia: ... 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--7 not that there is another one, but there are some [Judaizers] who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1-6)

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In approaching Galatians, we need to understand the very important subject of the Galatian context. Galatians is a letter written by Paul the apostle to the churches of the Galatian city area of Asia. The contextual setting of Galatians is that Paul is dealing with the influence of Judaizers and their false gospel of following the Mosaic Law in a futile attempt to be justified. Some of these Judaizers are the people mentioned in Acts 15,

"Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.'" (Acts 15:1)

"But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, 'It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.'" (Acts 15:5)

The influence of the Judaizers infuriated Paul, so he deals with them and their legalistic influence in His Galatian letter by attacking their teachings to observe the Old Covenant Law of Moses as a different gospel. Additionally, Paul is dealing with those who are in the church communities who are not really saved. Some of these particular people are quickly deserting the true gospel and running to the false gospel of the Judaizers. Further, Paul explains the New Covenant in Christ to the Galatians so that they will have a concise proclamation, and defense, of it in this epistle. With this in mind, we can identify the main theme of the Galatian context: Paul's main theme centers around attacking one heresy in particular. He words it succinctly in 5:4. It is the Judaizer's heresy of,

"... seeking to be justified by law; ..." (Galatians 5:4)

We must keep this in mind, because it is the key that unlocks the Galatian thrust, and explains Paul's surprise concerning the quickness of people, who are associating themselves with the churches, to turn to this error.

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The next important thing we must consider as we study Galatians is that Paul has a particular propensity to write the pronouns, "you," "us," "we," and "they" etc., when referring to various groups and individuals. It is a trademark of Paul's rhetorical style of writing, in which Paul uses personal pronouns rather loosely. Paul will sometimes write, "you" in a sentence and he is referring to anyone out there in general who happens to hear or read his letter. But then in a few sentences, Paul may write "you" and will be pinpointing a specific type of person, or persons, who are in and among the overall group. In the case of Galatians 1:6, Paul uses "you" to refer to specific people who are associating themselves with the churches of Galatia but are turning from the gospel. We will examine some more of these different pronoun examples as we proceed through this wonderful epistle. For now, it is necessary to keep these two points in mind. Repeating them here for clarity, and to fix them in our minds:

A) According to the context and theme, Paul is dealing with Judaizers and their influence. Paul is also dealing with the unsaved who desert the true gospel.

B) There are Paul's various ways of using "you," "we," "us" and "they." Each time Paul makes those kinds of references, we must determine who he is talking about.

Right now let us start with reading Galatians 1:6 with some bracketed comments. Paul says,

"... To the churches of Galatia: ... 6 I am astonished that you [not everyone in the churches of Galatia, but some of the unsaved among the churches of Galatia] are so quickly deserting Him who called you [Many are called, but few are chosen, (cf. Matthew 22:14)] in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--7 not that there is another one, but there are some [Judaizers] who trouble you [the Galatian churches in general] and want to distort the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-7)

Commentary brackets aside, the assertion made according to the typical NEST interpretation concerning this passage, is that truly born again Christians have deserted God after being saved. They did this by turning to a different gospel.

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To recognize how the NEST is wrong, we will start by looking at that consideration mentioned earlier, which is the all important subject of context. Starting out with his letter, Paul addresses it to the churches [plural] at Galatia verse 2. What this means is that there are various fellowshipping groups of people in Galatia who claim to be Christians. Moises Silva in his wonderful book, "Biblical Words and Their Meanings" explains that in the first century, the word for church (ekklesia) means both the "called out ones," and "the assemblies," or "the congregations." (see pp. 45, 48, 79). Paul is sending this letter to the churches as the various congregations scattered around Galatia. For a congregation to be considered Christian in any true respect, there must at least be two or more saved people (called out ones) assembling together. Even if some unsaved people decide to gather with the saved, the fact that the church is there is still a fact. With these details in mind, we must recognize that Paul is writing to some genuine Christians in Galatia. Further, we must also recognize that fake Christians and non-Christians have crept in among the churches, and so Paul is also writing to confront those people and their influence. Some of these people are the Judaizers who want to bring Christians under the defunct Mosaic Law. More, some of the unsaved congregants are deserting the true gospel for the false gospel of the Judaizers. This is made evident by what Paul says throughout the chapters of the whole letter. As an additional note, fakes getting into churches and influencing real Christians is also seen from other letters that Paul wrote. The apostle Peter also wrote about such people, and his second epistle is primarily concerned with the false, corrupting infiltrators who get among God's true churches. From the personal experience of Christians in every generation, including our own, this problem apparently happens often. The fakes that come into, and experience, the fellowship of the true Christians are what are typically called tares among the wheat. Non-Christians will sometimes come into churches because they like being part of the Christian crowd. They sing Christian songs; read the Scriptures, and even listen to the sermons. They will even bow their heads in prayer, but they are not saved. They are gathered, but they are not the truly called out. It is important for us to understand that this is not unusual. I, as a pastor, am familiar with a professing agnostic who consistently attended our Sunday night fellowship and Bible study for two years. The young man had heard the gospel explained on numerous occasions by a number of different people, but he rejected the gospel. The young man was not saved, and he emphatically told people so. Nevertheless, he wanted to be among Christians in the church context of the local fellowship. When most Christians met him, they quickly assumed that he was saved. Non-Christians assemble among local fellowships all the time. Sometimes these people will come out and say they are not saved, like for example, the fake faith healer atheist who called himself an evangelist, Marjo Gortner. Marjo had a so-called faith healing "ministry" for about twenty years. He later revealed to the world that he was never saved during the whole scam. An award winning documentary movie was made about Marjo with his approval while he went around faking service to the Lord. Marjo traveled all over the country supposedly ministering to thousands. What is truly amazing, is that hundreds of pastors and Christian leaders embraced Mr. Gortner as a truly saved person. In fact Marjo was often called an "anointed" man. Much of the time though, the fakes among the true Christians act as if they are true Christians, but they do not actually reveal that they are fakes until years, and sometimes decades later. Much of the time such people, in their lostness, actually think they are truly serving God. Cult leaders manifest this trait. They are lost, but the think they are serving God. This is exactly what was going on in Galatia. The Judaizers in Galatia thought they were serving God. The main point, is that these people were never saved in the first place, so when they do leave, or if they openly reject Christ, they are only manifesting what they always were--fakes among the real; tares among the wheat. If this happens in a huge, quick, and unexpected manner, then it can be shocking, which is Paul's reaction to the congregations in the Galatian region. Nevertheless, there are true Christians in Galatia who Paul identifies as churches, (1:2.) They are those who have received the Spirit, (3:2), and have been begun by the Spirit and not the flesh (3:3). He calls them sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, (3:26). But, Paul's Galatian letter also indicates that some of those who are congregating with the true Christians, never received the Spirit. Those particular congregants were never begun by the Spirit, and so they are not, and never were, really saved. Keep that in mind because we are going to look at this fact in more detail as we continue.

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Another thing that we need to know about the Galatian context is that these Galatian church people are a mixture of both Jews and Gentiles. In fact, many of these people were Jews who were in Jerusalem during the festival period when Christ was crucified, and so they witnessed the crucifixion firsthand. They probably also experienced the miracle, weeks later at Pentecost, where God brought in His first larger scale numerical harvest of the elect. We see this where Paul says in 3:1,

"You foolish Galatians, ..."

[We notice the broad distinction, "You foolish Galatians." This approach is analogous to an apostle writing to all the churches in San Antonio, Texas and saying "You foolish San Antonians." Now comes a more narrow association where Paul wants to get across his point in a strong way to Israelites who are associated with the Galatian churches,]

"... who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?" Galatians 3:1

Here we see how Paul narrows in on at least one pronoun group called "you." In referring to this group as "you," Paul is talking to the Israelite people who live in the Gentile dominated area of Galatia who witnessed Christ's crucifixion in Jerusalem, who are associated with the Galatian churches.

What we are doing is looking at how, and where, Paul makes audience distinctions in Galatia by saying "you." Doing this, leads us to recognize the Gentile audience as well. Galatia is a Gentile city region of Asia, and the churches are predominantly made up of Gentiles. Additionally, Paul and Barnabas led most of these Galatian Christians to Christ during their missionary activity recorded in Acts 13 and 14. These Gentile Christians were who Paul and Silas nurtured on their second missionary journey; urging them to keep from coming under the Mosaic Law codes of the Judaizers, (cf. Acts 15 and 16). The Gentiles were infected by the Judaizers in a unique way since they did not know how to argue against the Judaizers who would claim authority as God's people of the earlier covenant. We know that this was a particular irritation to Paul, and a burden in most of his letters. Paul did not appreciate Judaizers coming in and corrupting naive Gentiles and stomping all over the work that the Spirit had accomplished through Paul.

With these considerations concerning audience relevance out of the way, (yet fixed in our minds), we need to notice that Paul uses that "you" pronoun in our main passage under study (cf. Galatians 1:6). Paul says,

"you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ." (Galatians 1:6 emph. mine)

A proper understanding of who Paul is talking to must be one that recognizes that Paul is not saying that every single Christian in Galatia has deserted God. Clearly, Paul is using "you," where Paul assumes his audience will know who he is talking about. We know that Paul is addressing true Christians that he calls "brethren" in verse 11; and he calls them "churches" in verse 1; having the Spirit, and being begun by the Spirit as sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, (cf. chapter 3). But we also know that Paul is addressing any fake Christians that are among the groups. The point is that we know that "you" here can not mean that every single person in Galatia had turned away from God. Those who have given their allegiance to the Not Eternally Saved Theory must deal with this, and come to grips with Paul's dynamic, and somewhat esoteric usage of "you" (either you believe that every Christian quickly turned away from God in Galatia according to Paul's wording here, and there are now no saved people left, or you do not). Nevertheless, the fact that Paul knows there are Christians there, tells us that the "you" is a broad reference to the congregations in general but unbeliever's specifically--("Unbelievers" being people who by their nature turn away from God in lack of the miracle of saving faith).

To build on this point more, we must notice that Paul does not say anywhere in the passage that truly born again Christians are turning away from God in Christ. Paul never says anywhere that truly saved people turn away from God, or Christ. Paul says that

"... you are so quickly deserting Him ["turning away from Him" as the NKJV renders "apo" here] who called you in the grace of Christ." (Galatians 1:6)

Certainly the (you-people) here in verse 6, were "called." but the (you-people) here are not identified as being saved at any time. The question we must ask here is; "Does God call people who are not saved?" Let us put the question this way, "Does God call people who will never be saved?" Let us ask the question yet another way, "Does God call people that are not really chosen?" Jesus gives us the answer in Matthew 22:14. Jesus says,

"4... many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:14)

God calls large numbers of people, but not all are elect. Jesus is referring to God's general call where many people hear the gospel, but, few are selected to eternal spiritual salvation. The chosen ones are those who respond to the gospel by grace through faith in the miracle of salvation. The Greek word for elect is eklektos, translated 8 times in the NASB as elect. Jesus said, "but few are elect." The "many" have not been particularly redeemed in election. They are those who quickly desert God when He calls them in His general call concerning the grace of Christ. These people in our Galatians passage who quickly desert Jehovah, are not the elect who are deserting their redeemer, Christ. Christ as personal purchasing Savior in His effectual call is not mentioned here as being deserted. When Christ effectually calls, the elect are saved according to John 10. These people in Galatians 1:6 are people who's initial response seemed genuine when Paul was among them, but the quick desertion revealed that they were never saved. So this is easy to understand when we recognize that Paul is mentioning those who are deserting God who calls through the grace of Christ. They are among the "many" who have ben exposed to the general call of evangelism, but they are not among the elect of the effectual call unto salvation. If deserting Christ after salvation was explicitly stated in this passage then we would have something else to consider, but such is not the case.

What we have seen is Paul's very broad address to the churches. Further, what we have seen is a classic example of Paul's dynamic usage of the personal pronoun, "you." Paul's abbreviated transitions from one personal pronoun to another can get confusing. This is why we must try to understand the historic, geographic, and cultural context to grasp the contemporary issues surrounding the origination of this epistle. When Paul says, "to all the churches at Galatia" he means the general "you." Paul is not writing his epistle to be initially delivered, and entrusted into the hands of lost people. Paul is writing this letter of correction and doctrinal stability to be put into the hands of the saved people among the congregations (more than likely the elders). Paul is writing to those whom he trusts to take this epistle in hand, unroll it, teach from it, preserve it as holy scripture and read it to whoever will listen--like any Christians who are there, and like anyone who is there who is not saved, or anyone who is lost and has yet to be saved; and anyone who has turned away from the gospel but may still be around to hear the letter, and finally, those infectious proselytizing Judaizers. It makes sense to understand that if one keeps quoting from a letter like this, then eventually the Judaizers will realize they are no longer welcome, so they will quit coming around. History proves that this is exactly what happened.

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The next point that we need to recognize is that it is no mystery who the deserters of God were, and what they deserted God for. Paul tells us in this same letter. The deserters are the unsaved, who are in and among the churches, who, being unsaved, are seeking the damning false gospel of attempting to be justified by Law as we see in Galatians 5:1. Seeking to be justified by Law is a condemning rejection of the gospel of grace in Christ, and so because of this, Christ is of no benefit to them, as we see in Galatians 5:2. Consequently the unsaved deserters of Christ who are seeking to be justified by Law, are obligated to keep the whole Law, as we see in Galatians 5:3, which means that they have been severed from the Messiah of Israel that Judaizers claim as their own, as we see in Galatians 5:4 which means they have fallen away from grace, as we see in Galatians 5:4, which means they are lost. Contextually, then, we recognize the very important clarification concerning Galatians 1:6, that these people in Galatians 1:6 are Judaizers plus anyone who joins with them in their false cult of salvation through Law. The true Christians are not deserting "God Who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--"

Though Paul points out those who turn away from Christ for a false gospel, Paul has something to say to everyone there in Galatia. The Judaizer's influence was so extensive that even the true Christians were troubled (cf. Galatians 1:7). Saved people in Galatian churches were beginning to observe dietary rules; circumcision, and sabbath days. This was especially true of some of the newer more naive Christians. Such Christians were why Paul and the Jerusalem counsel sent the Galatians an initial letter which refuted the Judaizer's assertions in Acts 15:1. The letter starts out,

"24 "Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls," Acts 15:24

The Acts 15 letter was written to true Christians in Galatia; "brethren" (cf. Acts 15:23) whose souls had become disturbed, and unsettled, because they thought they were listening to experts from the apostles, but the so-called experts, were really Judaizers from the party of the circumcision. The main point is that these Gentile Christians of Galatia who were disturbed, were starting to observe some of the Jewish customs under duress, and ignorance, but they were not trying to be justified by the practices to get saved. This influence is easy to illustrate in our contemporary culture. We see the same type of thing today where Christians think it is necessary to get circumcised. Some Christians today will not eat pork because they think it is an everlasting dietary rule mandated by God. Some Christians today think it is necessary to observe Sabbath days. They will say that such practices do not save anyone. They will say though, that God wants them to live this way.

The main point in all of this so far is that the "you" is a general reference to the larger groups, but specifically meant for certain ones among the groups. Applying this rule of proper interpretation, and looking at the problem passage in its context, we know that there are Christians there in Galatia. Some of them are saved, yet confused by the Judaizers practices, but they:

a) have not turned from their God and left the gospel, being brothers according to 1:11, who have received the Spirit, 3:2, and have been begun by the Spirit rather than flesh, 3:3, who are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 3:26;

b) they have not been seeking to be justified by Law;

c) they have been disturbed 1:7 (Acts 15:24);

d) they were running well; yet were hindered by Judaizers from obeying all the various doctrinal aspects of the truth they had been discipled in, according to 5:7; "7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?" This is why 5:7 is really important. It identifies the saved-ones who were being disturbed, who already obeyed the gospel call unto salvation. The saved Galatians' problem because of the influence of Judaism, was that they were hindered; they were hindered from obeying every single other aspect of "the truth."

Further, we recognize the other categories of people that are also there among the Galatian churches. Those people are the unsaved deserters of God who follow after the different gospel of the Judaizers, and along with them, the Judaizers themselves who are also unsaved. Continuing with Paul's flow through the next verses, we will see the infiltration of the unsaved deserters of God, and the Judaizers, made more evident. A quick survey reveals that Paul describes the Judaizers as false gospel preachers who are accursed in 1:9. They are false brethren who desire to bring even Paul and Titus into the bondage of the Law in 2:4. They are of what is called, "the party of the circumcision," in 2:12. They have been bewitching the whole conglomeration of Galatian churches, 3:1. They infect and confuse true Christians and at the same time unsaved people follow their Judaizing religion and are seeking to be justified by Law. The whole epistle demonstrates that the Judaizer's teachings have been infecting practically everyone; both the elect and non-elect alike. It is no wonder, then, that what we find that what is being made evident, is that Paul writes his letter with his main concern being for the Galatians to get rid of all Mosaic Lawism, because it is more than just mere Hebrew piety. It is all stemming from that different gospel that those Judaizers are bringing.

Paul goes on and explains to the truly saved men of the churches, in chapter 3, what the Mosaic Law is meant for in the New Covenant. Paul identifies this group he is talking to in chapter 3 specifically as,

"you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus," (Galatians 3:26) (emph. mine).

One of the first things we notice is Paul's dynamic usage of "you" again; "you are all sons of God." Here Paul means everyone who is really a son of God through faith in Christ. These are not deserters of God that Paul is talking to at this point. As sons of God through faith, they have not deserted God, like the "you" of 1:6 had. Nevertheless, with the absence of apostles around to clean up the place, these Galatian sons of God through faith in Christ, are also being infected and disturbed by Judaizers, and so Paul recognizes that they need to know what the Law is really for. This will keep them from being swayed by any influence of Judaizers who are fake Christians. Paul goes on,

"27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ ..." (Galatians 3:27)

[The "all of you" is the saved "you" Paul is addressing here. The saved "you" are not baptized into water, but are baptized "into" Christ Himself. Paul goes on,]

27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." (Galatians 3:27)

So, we see that true Christians are this "all of you" reference here in chapter 3. These true Christians are covered with Christ; they are clothed with His righteousness, as opposed to anyone who has deserted the God who calls, by following another religion in the form of a false gospel. Paul goes into chapter 4, addressing both his Jewish audience and Gentile audience. He says in verse 4,

"4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we ..." (Galatians 4:4)

["we" is a designation for the adopted as true sons in Christ. Continuing,]

"... might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, ..." (Galatians 4:5)

[Paul says, "our hearts." Our, is a reference to the saved. Paul goes on;]

"God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7 Therefore you [saved people] are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, ..." (Galatians 4:6-7)


["If a son," is probably a statement using the first class conditional of "if," rhetorically meaning something akin to since in the sense of being assumed true for the sake of argument, because Paul just asserts that the saved ones are sons. With the sonship in mind, then the statement, according to the first class conditional, can be unerstood this way, "Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and (since) a son, ..." as an assumed state. Paul continues,]

"... then an heir through God." (Galatians 4:7)

[Paul's point in the above verses goes along with Paul's teaching sonship in Christ the first-born heir that he teaches in Colossians, and Ephesians. This is what makes all saved people into joint inheritors with Christ, cf. Colossians 1 and 2. Now verse 8,]

"8 However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods." (Galatians 4:8 emph. mine)

[The above pronoun, "you," is probably a quick reference shift to Gentiles among the churches of Galatia. The implication is that the Gentile faction "you," at one time, did not know God and worshipped idols. The Israelites did know God, but things are different now for this particular Gentile audience, so Paul says,]

"9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God," (Galatians 4:9)

[This is a sovereignty declaration in line with election and predestination, where Paul says that saved people are known by God. It is not so much that we came to know Him. But, rather that we are known by Him who is the author, (who in solid determination, wrote out), and finisher of both our faith, and our salvation (cf. Hebrews 2:9-10 with 12:2). Continuing,]

"... how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?" (Galatians 4:9)

[Paul's analogy of the Jewish Lawism is that it is like the worthless idolatry that these Gentles were delivered from. He says,]

"10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. 12 I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are." (Galatians 4:10-12)

[It is important that we recognize that Paul did not labor over the churches in complete vanity. Paul also recognizes this fact while writing this letter of correction and warning. Paul demonstrates that many of the Recipients of his Galatian letter are saved as direct result of the Lord using Paul in His apostleship. If this be the case, then what about the rest of his labor? The rest of the labor is why Paul says that perhaps he may have labored over the Galatians in vain. Paul specifically identifies in the Galatians' letter that the labor he is speaking of in Galatians 4:11 has to do with all the things that Paul taught concerning the Mosaic Law in respect to the New Covenant. Paul wants this "you" group to put aside any, and all, Mosaic Lawism that they have been observing (even remotely), and he shows through exaggeration that he is wondering how much of his prior teaching has been heeded. Paul is being smart alec, so he says "perhaps." Paul does not say that his labor is actually vain, but, rather he says, "perhaps I have labored over you in vain." In a biting use of hyperbole, Paul is making an effective rebuke to those among the churches who are letting even a tinge of the Old Covenant traditions to become part of their creed for life and practice. Continuing through the letter, we come to verse 17. It is there that we recognize that Paul references a "they" group. Paul says,]

"17 They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them." (Galatians 4:17)

Paul has been demonstrating that he has been shifting back and forth between pronouns again. In 4:17, Paul is talking about "they" as Judaizers who are looking for Gentile Christians to dominate with their aberrant teachings. Then Paul goes on to explain more about the Law.

What we have been observing in our study of Galatians is that, with the context in place, and the proper understanding of the whole Galatian audience, we see that Paul is not saying that truly born again Christians are able to desert Christ, thus forfeiting eternal salvation that they supposedly had beforehand. What we really see, is what in depth study reveals, and that is that Paul references different groups. Paul references those who are saved, yet troubled, and Paul references those who are not saved. Therefore, based upon all of these pertinent facts, the passage makes sense as not suggesting that a truly spiritually saved person among the Galatian churches can lose salvation, gain salvation by meritorious effort, or maintain keeping it secure by meritorious effort. Reading the passage once again, this should now be apparent;

"... To the churches of Galatia: ... 6 I am astonished that you [not everyone in the churches of Galatia, but the unsaved among the churches of Galatia] are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--7 not that there is another one, but there are some [Judaizers] who trouble you [the Galatian churches in general] and want to distort the gospel of Christ."