On Christian Freedom
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– not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 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. 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.
Galatians 1:6-9 (English Standard Version)
It’s interesting how often these verse are misused to convey a point totally different from what the author intended. With cursory reading of this passage, it apparent that Paul is speaking out against false teachers. What exactly were these teachers saying that was so wrong? What was the context? What was Paul’s version?
The false teachers weren’t denying Jesus’ divinity, his death or resurrection, the Trinity (heck the Trinity wasn’t even mentioned until much later in history.) The false teachers were saying that in order to be saved, one must follow the old law. They were preaching salvation by works not by faith. In this book, Paul rebukes them and even includes a story about a time he had to confront Peter on the same topic!
The heresy was about the good news Christ taught. The heresy was saying that Christ was not enough. It said Jesus saved us, but we still had to follow the law to be saved. This goes against the core of Christianity. Jesus saved us. We are free. Free from sin, free from the law and from judgement. We are transformed into new creations. The old is dead. We are alive. God is here. Jesus is in me. I am alive. I am free. From here on out there is no right and wrong, there is me, there is the universe, there is God, there is One.
August 16th, 2006 at 10:59
Frimmin’ at the jimjam, free Zach Christ!
August 16th, 2006 at 13:48
Jesus is just alright with me!
August 16th, 2006 at 16:27
Zach, if what you say is true and there is no right and wrong, then why is scripture rife with passages that talk about right and wrong? Verses like Galatians 5:13-”You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. ”
Galatians 5:16-”So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”
Romans 6:1-”What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin. How can we live it any longer?”
There is a right and there is a wrong. If you have chosen to reject the true Christ, Zach and Jon and anyone else who wants to follow false beliefs, you face what Hebrews talks about.
Hebrews 10:26,27-”If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”
August 16th, 2006 at 17:10
Ted, I don’t think I ever said there is no right and wrong. I did say everyone had to find their own truth, which you may have misinterpreted. This doesn’t mean people just make up things that are right or wrong based on whims.
If God is in me, and I am united with him. When I search in myself for my own truth, what am I going to find? I am going to find God.
Sort of like what you wrote a few days ago. Draw near to Jesus and he will draw near to you.
August 17th, 2006 at 7:55
Wlell you were wrong when you said that you didn’t say “there is no right or wrong,” but you were right when you said “there is no right or wrong.”
(Pause for laughter.)
Oh, man. As Rumi said,
beyond ‘right’ and ‘wrong’
there is a field.
meet me there.
August 17th, 2006 at 7:59
Oh right, now I see where I wrote it. The comment I made above is still valid except for the first sentence. I did say there is no right and wrong, but you have to read that whole section in context! Otherwise, it will not make sense.
August 17th, 2006 at 9:06
her·me·neu·tics (hûrm-ntks, -ny-) KEY
NOUN:
(used with a sing. or pl. verb)
The theory and methodology of interpretation, especially of scriptural text.
Zach, you are turning scripture on its head. I know you are reading all these mystic-based and gnostic books. Why not read the other side? Why not read “Evidence That Demands a Verdict” or “More Than a Carpenter”. Heck, why not read scripture for its face value? No injecting any mysticism in the book. Just read it.
Scripture is really very simple.
Had you ever accepted Jesus as your Savior, Zach, or were you just brought up in the church?
Scripture teaches us that we are, in fact, sinners(Romans 3, I John 1). But Jesus died for those sins because He loves us and wants to restore the fellowship we were supposed to have in the garden(I Corinthians 15:3, Romans 5:8). We, however, have to choose to follow Jesus(Romans 10:9,10, John 3:16,17).
August 17th, 2006 at 10:13
Yes Ted, I know what hermenteutics is. I’m not turning scripture on it’s head. It’s still standing, though I don’t really know how many feet it has… I may be challenging the modern conservative protestant fundamentalist view on scripture, but that’s not scripture, that’s just a view, isn’t it? Throughout history, those views have changed. We’re people, we take things, interpret them and make our own meaning out of them.
Do you want to visit my house, see the library of books I have on traditional and fundamentalist Christian thought? There’s nothing in that area of thought that I haven’t heard before. Really, I’m not kidding, I’ve heard it all. No, I wasn’t just brought up in the church. I’ve done my homework. I’m still learning, but aren’t we all?