What did the apostle Paul meant when he said, “If anyone is preaching another gospel…”? Does it mean we have different types of gospels or there is only one gospel?
Let’s read Galatians 1:6-7, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” Paul is emphatic in saying that ‘another gospel’ is ‘not another’, but rather a perversion of the true Gospel.
Jewish people had come in among the Galatian believers and taught that simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was not enough for salvation. They taught that in order to be saved the people had to keep the law. Paul stood strong against these false teachers. He said in Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and NOT BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” You can hardly be more emphatic that that…keeping the law cannot save anyone! In fact, it never could. The keeping of the law was never intended to give salvation.
Paul goes on to give a dire warning in Galatians 1:8, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, LET HIM BE ACCURSED.” It is so important that we give the Gospel as scripture tells us. What is the Gospel? We find the simplicity of the Gospel in such verses as:
* Acts 16:31, “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
* Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
* Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
* John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
These verses, along with many others, show that salvation comes through simple faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we add anything to that, or take anything away from it, we are preaching a perversion of the one true Gospel. These would be examples of a perverted Gospel:
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ AND keep the Law.
Confess Jesus Christ as savior AND be baptized.
Put your faith in the Lord Jesus AND do good works.
Believe on the Lord Jesus to HELP YOU become saved.
These things take away from the glorious work of the Lord Jesus. If my salvation is dependent upon my good works, that means I am (at least partially) my own savior. If my salvation is dependent upon me being baptized, then my actions have helped me gain salvation. How grievous this is to the Lord. HE is the One who died on the cross. HE is the One who shed His precious blood. HE is the One who was raised again for our justification. Our salvation is 100% dependent upon believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. (311.6)