Verse 6-9 in the first chapter of Galatians introduces to us the conflict or contest which is apparent through the epistle — a conflict between the Gospel of the Grace of God, and a perverted teaching or misuse of the Law of Moses.

The purpose of this letter to the Galatians is to correct wrong conditions which have grown up in the Galatian Church through false teaching. So here, at the outset, Paul seeks to make it very clear that the issue is not between himself and other men, but between God and men:

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ" (Vss. 6-7.

The human philosophy which these false teachers have labelled "the gospel," is inviolent contradiction to the divinely-revealed Gospel of Christ. To emphasize this, Paul employs two Greek words which are here translated by the same English word. He calls the teaching of these false teachers "another gospel," and here he uses the word, "heteros," meaning "another of a different or opposite kind," then follows with the words, "which is not another," and here he uses the word, "alios," meaning "another of the same kind." Both meanings inhere in the English word "another."

To illustrate — if you purchase a pocket knife, and in using it you find that the edge of the blade is exceedingly soft and untempered, so that it will not hold an edge, you will be very much disappointed, and very likely to go to the dealer and say, "That knife which you sold me is absolutely no good — I want another!" But you would mean something very different if, finding the knife to be superior in every way, you returned and said, "That is the best I ever had — I want another!"

Finally, in this section, Paul emphatically teaches that to embrace a false philosophy in the place of the Gospel of Christ is no light matter, for he says:

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:8-9).

That is exceedingly strong language! And the Greek of the original in no wise softens it. And remember! Paul was speaking by inspiration of the Spirit of God. In the light of this anathema upon those who preach a false "gospel", so-called, is it not possible — nay, even likely, that we are too lenient in our dealing with false teachers? Certainly, to judge by the numbers of professed believers who swell the ranks of the devotees of the multitude of "isms" and "cults" of our day, Christian people are all too receptive to strange "gospels," which have no rightful claim to being called, "The Gospel of Christ."

But now we take up the concluding section of Chapter 1.

Insomuch as under the guidance of the Spirit or God, he is undertaking a corrective ministry, Paul's teaching will come into conflict with the teaching of the false teachers, who have been troubling the Saints at Galatia. It is imperative, therefore that he make clear what is his authority for thus challenging the teaching of others who have won the confidence and following of these Galatian believers.

And so, beginning in verse ten, and continuing through the second chapter of this letter, Paul presents a striking defense of his apostleship, demonstrating that his message is not of human derivation, but a Divine Revelation.

First, he boldly proclaims the supernatural origin of his message:

"But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:11-12).

This he follows by calling attention to the supernatural working in his own life of the Gospel which he preaches to others. It has transformed the bigoted persecutor of the Church of Christ into an humble preacher of the faith of Christ. Listen to his own testimony of the miraculous transformation which the the Gospel has wrought in him.

"For ye have heard of my conversation in time p&st in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the Uadinons of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal hs Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me" (Gal. 1:13-24).

Someone has said that when the missionaries went to heathen lands, the priests of the heathen religions first attacked the Gospel of Christ by saying, "It is not true." But very soon they were overwhelmed with convincing proofs of its truthfulness. Then they turned to a new line of attack, saying, "It is not new!" and sought to find in their own sacred writings parallels for the salient teachings of the Gospel of Christ But the more they searched, the more apparent became the superiority of the Gospel of Christ, and they very quickly abandoned this line of attack. Their present line of attack is, "It is not you!" Here, alas, they have their most powerful line of attack, for we are ashamed to confess that many Christians fail to exemplify in their lives the great truths of the Gospel which they profess to believe. It was not so with Paul: the gospel which he preached had wrought powerfully in h.s own life — so powerfully that the very transformation which he experienced becomes evidence of the supernatural character of the Gospel which produced this transformation.