These authors remarked that the Gauls also showed an inconsistency, were treacherous, quarrelsome, and easily discouraged. The ancient writers stressed the more disappointing characteristics, thus stressing Shakespeare's observation, "The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones." (Mark Antony in "Julius Caesar.")
There is one recorded aspect of their national character that fits well with the picture of the Gauls that emerges in Paul’s letter to the Galatians: their fickleness of temperament. "Wishy-washy" is the term. (That's an odd expression, but it gets to the point.)
SECOND YEAR LATIN
Second-year Latin students read Julius Caesar's, "The Gallic Wars" in which, he mentions this instability of the people and complains that they they're driven by the desire to change.This is what Paul excoriates in the book of Galatians. We see it quickly in the opening salvo of his polemic: “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him” (1:6). (We see this same characteristic in our churches--the craving for the new, the novel, all for their itching ears.)
THE STEALTH BOMBERS
There were those in the Galatian churches who'd flown in under the radar. They were false teachers who were causing havoc ("there be some who trouble you") by changing the gospel. Oh, they agreed with Paul and the other apostles, but only to a point. They agreed that Christ died for our sins and they agreed that on the third day He rose from the dead. But, they said, "There's more. There just has to be more than faith alone."
"The more" was their addition of the Ten Commandments and some other parts of the Law to the gospel, which meant that they we're adding works to the gospel's crystal clear message of faith alone in Christ alone. And it was this sounds-good-addition that caused Paul, under divine inspiration, to take his quill and write Galatians 1:6-9 with expletives undeleted.
By expletives, I don't mean that he became vulgar, but that strong language poured out in torrents from his quill. He used language we don't hear in our polite circles as we meet for milk and cookies. Listen to Paul blister their ears in Galatians 1:6-9:
"I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you [a]by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel [b]contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be [c]accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel [d]contrary to what you received, he is to be [e]accursed!"
Whoever read the letter to the churches in Galatia must have paused to take a deep breath after that initial shot across the bow! Talk about getting the attention of the assembled! If we listen closely, we can hear the ladies dropping their tea cups. We can see the false teachers' faces twist into disapproving shapes as they think, "Nobody's ever talked to us like that! Who does Paul think he is!"
Whoever read the letter to the churches in Galatia must have paused to take a deep breath after that initial shot across the bow! Talk about getting the attention of the assembled! If we listen closely, we can hear the ladies dropping their tea cups. We can see the false teachers' faces twist into disapproving shapes as they think, "Nobody's ever talked to us like that! Who does Paul think he is!"
WHY THE PASSION?
Why does Paul get so hot and bothered? A good question which deserves an answer.
BECAUSE IT'S INSULTING
First, to add to the gospel is an insult to the cross. To add to the gospel which is without cost, is to say, "Let Moses finish what Christ has begun," i. e., "Keeping the Ten Commandments will finish Christ's work on the cross."
It's like saying, "You've got to finish what Christ has begun; baptism must complete it." Or, "Forsaking your sins must complete the cross."
BECAUSE THE SOULS OF MEN ARE AT STAKE
Second, If you're a grace-faith-alone-in-Christ alone person, I'm sure you've heard this criticism of your presentation of the accurate gospel from a person whose face is turning red: "Well, you're judging who's save and who's not!"
Hold on, Sparky. Is that true? No, we're not judging who's wheat and who's a tare. That's not what we're saying. What we're saying is that a faith-mixed-with-works-gospel has never saved anyone and never will. And that's why Paul wrote with expletives undeleted.
Eternal destinies are at stake. No wonder Paul was so ferociously earnest about the gospel. He knew what the pilots of the stealth bombers were dropping on the Galatian churches was manufactured in hell itself, what he called, "doctrine of demons."
WHAT THIS SHOWS US IS . .
This demonstrates that Paul took theology/doctrine seriously, so seriously that he said when a person tampers with the gospel, let him be cursed. He was passionate about the gospel, and for good reasons-- for the above two reasons and because he knew that God will not tolerate that doctrine.
So, now having looked at Paul's reaction to the dissemination of a false gospel, do you feel the same way?
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