what a mess!

(by Pastor Joe)

The Word for Today: Galatians 1

mark this- Galatians 1:6-7
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ."

Whether it was your kitchen, or your car, or your office, or your back yard, each one of us has experienced a situation where we left a certain area in pristine condition, left, and then returned to find a huge, unexpected mess. Whether caused by a dog, or a flood, or an errant bowl of chili, it's a terrible feeling. I got my first taste of this several years ago, in the early stages of toilet-training our son. We tucked him real nice & clean in on a warm summer night thinking our job was done. The next morning, we were in for a pleasant surprise. During the night he managed to remove his diaper and leave all sorts of surprises for us- all over his bedding, clothes, & blankets.
What a mess!

What a mess indeed! This is exactly what is going on here in the letter to the Galatians. Paul had figuratively tucked them in safe and sound, only to find a royal mess upon his return. So everything is set? Not at all! Let's recount some background information:

- Galatia was not a city, but a Roman province in Asia Minor (what is modern day Turkey.)
- This area was so important in the early church. Center of correspondence of the letters.
- Paul was born nearby, and he had been to Galatia well before this letter was written. He ministered there and brought the Gospel. He saw the people receive it with great joy. He left the Gospel in good hands and moved on, to proclaim the Gospel to other areas (1).

But soon he gets a report back that these church plants in Galatia have some huge issues. Evidently a group of false teachers within the church know as the Judaizers , have brought some serious upheaval & confusion to the faithful of the entire area. And we see Paul cutting the usual pleasantries, like an angry parent, as he demands: "What in the world is going on!?!"

Throughout the entire letter, some very strong language used- ‘astonished…deserting…eternally condemned’ (And that's just from the first chapter!) The Judaizers had infiltrated and attempted to alter the true gospel by adding new requirements -- keeping the law, circumcision, adherence to Jewish rules & traditions. They basically required those who wanted to be Christians to become Jews first.

Of course they were dead wrong, but Paul is even more heartbroken at the fact that his spiritual children were so quickly and easily deceived. There are many more strong words to come! Over the next week we will see how this plays out...

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(1) Acts 13:13- 14:23