A Study on Galatians 1:6 (Part 2)
"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."
In our previous episode, we considered Paul's deep concern for the churches — how his exclamation, "I am astonished," was the cry of a grieving man. Today, we move beyond that passion to look at the specific things the churches in Galatia had done that caused Paul such grief.
The Word "Quickly"
Paul said that they had quickly deserted the one who called them in the grace of Christ. Take note of that word — quickly. It can also be understood as easily. Paul's disappointment was that the church barely persevered in the faith they had received. There seemed to be no real resistance or struggle against the false teaching that had crept in.
This is painfully familiar today. Many of us know someone who was on fire for God — very fervent on campus, very active in the local church, serving faithfully — and then one day you come across that person on social media and discover they have been completely swept away by a false gospel.
What Causes Such a Quick Drift?
When we see this happen, our first instinct is often to ask: did that person have a faulty foundation? Was the gospel they were first taught not authentic enough?
That explanation is tempting, and in some cases it may be true. But it cannot explain what happened in Galatia.
The churches in Galatia did not have a problem with faulty foundations. They had a strong foundation laid by an expert. According to chapter 3, Jesus was publicly portrayed before them. They received the Spirit and began in the Spirit. Miracles were even performed among them.
This is precisely why Paul was so astonished. He cried out in chapter 3: "Who has bewitched you?"
No One Is Immune
Let this be a solemn warning to every one of us.
If you are a leader — in a church, a Christian fellowship, a small group, or even within your own family — you are called to watch over the flock that has been entrusted to you. You must actively guard against false teachings and false teachers, because even those who started well, even those with a solid foundation, are not immune to the cancer of false doctrine.
These believers in Galatia started in the Spirit. They had a proper beginning. But a little openness to heresy was all it took to lead them away from the very foundation they were built on.
A Call to Realign
The Bible warns us to watch our lives and our doctrines closely (1 Timothy 4:16). If you have been taught the true gospel, guard it carefully. Study God's Word so that you may know the gospel deeply and be sustained in it.
You may be fervently active in a church — serving, giving, attending — and yet not truly know the gospel, or you may have quietly drifted from it without realising it.
Today is a call for all of us to go back and realign with the truth of the gospel.
God bless you.