The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Galatians 1:8-9,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!"
As Paul sets the record straight for the Galatian believers, after they had a visit from some folks that attempted to pervert the message of the gospel by adding to the message a requirement of having to be circumcised for salvation, Paul calls for a curse on anyone who would alter the gospel message. "Let him be eternally condemned!"
Is this merely colorful language to adorn Paul's oratory? Or is there a serious threat here from Paul? As God's messenger, sent by Jesus Christ and God the Father, do we have a threat here from God himself, since Paul was speaking on God's behalf? I firmly believe so. Paul's credentials, unlike so many self-appointed folks these days, are impeccable. He clearly was sent by God with the gospel message as he tells us in this first chapter of Galatians. And he wasn't sent empty handed. God gave him the gospel message to bring to the Gentile world and now, having been opposed by others who attempted to pervert the simple message of salvation by faith, Paul calls anathema on them. God's curse. My perspective is this would be all it would take for someone to be found confined to the fiery lake of burning sulfur for an eternity.
Paul's ability to bring a curse on someone and have God's certain judgment fall on them is amply demonstrated by the occasion of Paul's first missionary trip. When he and Barnabas arrived on Cyprus a sorcerer named Elymas attempted to turn the proconsul from the faith. Through Paul he was struck with blindness.
Does an apostolic curse remain active only during the lifespan of the apostle? Was Paul's curse on those who would pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ only a temporary thing - only for those who troubled the Galatian believers? I would not want to be in the shoes of those who, today, pervert the gospel. Today we see all sorts of theologies, denominations, religions supposedly based on Jesus Christ, isms and schisms. Certainly, there are many who have squarely placed themselves in the cross-hairs of Paul's curse. Woe to them!
Our God is not to be trifled with…
As Paul sets the record straight for the Galatian believers, after they had a visit from some folks that attempted to pervert the message of the gospel by adding to the message a requirement of having to be circumcised for salvation, Paul calls for a curse on anyone who would alter the gospel message. "Let him be eternally condemned!"
Is this merely colorful language to adorn Paul's oratory? Or is there a serious threat here from Paul? As God's messenger, sent by Jesus Christ and God the Father, do we have a threat here from God himself, since Paul was speaking on God's behalf? I firmly believe so. Paul's credentials, unlike so many self-appointed folks these days, are impeccable. He clearly was sent by God with the gospel message as he tells us in this first chapter of Galatians. And he wasn't sent empty handed. God gave him the gospel message to bring to the Gentile world and now, having been opposed by others who attempted to pervert the simple message of salvation by faith, Paul calls anathema on them. God's curse. My perspective is this would be all it would take for someone to be found confined to the fiery lake of burning sulfur for an eternity.
Paul's ability to bring a curse on someone and have God's certain judgment fall on them is amply demonstrated by the occasion of Paul's first missionary trip. When he and Barnabas arrived on Cyprus a sorcerer named Elymas attempted to turn the proconsul from the faith. Through Paul he was struck with blindness.
Does an apostolic curse remain active only during the lifespan of the apostle? Was Paul's curse on those who would pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ only a temporary thing - only for those who troubled the Galatian believers? I would not want to be in the shoes of those who, today, pervert the gospel. Today we see all sorts of theologies, denominations, religions supposedly based on Jesus Christ, isms and schisms. Certainly, there are many who have squarely placed themselves in the cross-hairs of Paul's curse. Woe to them!
Our God is not to be trifled with…
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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