Galatians 1:8-9 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
Paul ups the stakes in v. 8 to show how important orthodoxy is. Verse 7 showed how “some people” were preaching a false gospel. In v. 8, he mentions two more groups as a comparison to show that the gospel cannot be compromised. Both of these groups are surprising. The first is the inclusive “we,” designating leaders and preachers like Paul. Paul will claim in this letter that he preaches the right gospel, but even a leader like Paul might get things wrong. Leaders may start off well, but if they do not keep close to God and in study of Scripture, there is the possibility of drifting away from the truth. The second group of an angel from heaven is even more surprising. Surely no angel could or would even preach a different gospel. But even this can happen, with Satan being the prime example.
By mentioning these clear servants of God, Paul is showing how critical and uncompromising preaching of the true gospel must be. When he came to Galatia and preached to the recipients of this letter, he spoke the truth. He was inspired by God. He had deep insight from direct revelation and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The Galatians could compare everything they heard against what Paul had preached to them. Paul’s ministry activities in the early church had a profound influence on what later was determined to be orthodox doctrine. There were winners and losers in the battle of orthodoxy. The letter to the Galatians represents one of the earliest battle grounds, what was so important about this battle, and what the true interpretation of the gospel is.
Paul shows how important this battle is by repeating again in v. 9 that anyone who preaches a different gospel, that person will be accursed. Verse 9 repeats the same thought as vv. 7-8, showing how significant this issue is for Paul. He uses some of the strongest language of any of his letters. Anyone who preached a different gospel will be accursed. The Greek anathema means to be cursed. Being curses results in being called to judgment before God resulting in condemnation.
It is a serious matter to preach a wrong interpretation of the gospel. Anyone who is in the position of preaching, teaching, or leading a Bible study must reflect honestly and humbly on these verses. They are a strong warning to make sure what we preach to others must be accurate. The way to make sure our words are the truth is to dig deeply into Scripture, spend time in prayer and mediation, use good methodology in our study, and test our ideas against the wisdom of the church now and in the past. This issue is not simply one of the mind but also of the heart. We must test our motives. Any selfish motive can too easily influence the words we say. We must have the deepest humility when preaching the gospel. This will open us to listen to the Holy Spirit who will guide us to the truth of Jesus.
For those on the receiving end, like the Galatians, we must be vigilant and test everything we hear and see. A well-meaning preacher or teacher can still give us the wrong message. The best way to discern heresy or wrong interpretation is to know the truth ourselves. The more we know ourselves, the more we can see the errors of others. This is not the same category of judging others for their wrongs. There is a difference between judgement and discernment. This is more of a matter of accountability for those who are in leadership. Those who are spiritual leaders have been given a great responsibility and trust from God. People put their trust in leaders, but we must also hold these leaders accountable for speaking the truth.
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