Galatians 1:6-9

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!”

Question:

I have been living in China for six months and plan to stay at least another 18 months. My fiancé and I were part of a Unity church in California, but we haven’t come across any foreigners with whom we can join in fellowship with similar New Thought perspective. We've been blessed to find a fellowship group full of wonderful people; however, they are of the traditional/fundamentalist ilk, and after some changes have been made in the group (people moving, new location, etc.), attending fellowship and being lectured with the Word instead of sharing the Word has left us feeling very drained and not wanting to return. I have been hesitant to share much about my personal beliefs with the new friends (family) that I have made here because I don’t want them to throw Gal. 1:6-9 or any other verses at me, telling me what a sinner I am; at least not without me having a loving response of my own. I have benefitted greatly from your podcast, and your interpretation is much appreciated. Thank you!

Comment:

First of all, congratulations on the rich life experience you are choosing for yourself. I know you will look back on your time in China with deep appreciation in years to come. 

One of the major blessings of living in a foreign land, of course, is that you will inevitably experience a variety of different viewpoints—including not only those of the land itself, but those of other émigrés, such as your friends. This can be a tremendous help in getting clearer about your own beliefs—and that, in turn, can help draw to you others who share and support your clarified views. 

This passage from Galatians comes out of the ferment of stories and beliefs about the message of Jesus in the first decades after his human ministry. Who exactly had Jesus been, what did he teach, how do his teachings apply to Judaism, or to the Roman Empire—there were conflicting views on pretty much every topic. Since there were no Gospels in existence during those early years, different teachers traveled from group to group with different teachings. Paul did not like to hear of other teachers “poaching” on his groups—hence the intensity of this particular passage. Here he is claiming his understanding to be the only one worth believing—even though he never knew Jesus and had little contact with those who had.

To make Paul the definitive authority—or to make the Bible alone the definitive authority, for that matter—seems to violate the First Commandment. We believe, as Jesus did, that each individual has a personal connection to Divine Mind, Sacred Power, Infinite Wisdom. It is the purpose of spiritual texts and teachers to help us discover that power within us, and learn how to express it in the world. But if texts and teachers begin to present themselves as intermediaries, they become a spiritual impediment because they limit our own divine connection.

I work with the Bible precisely for situations like yours, in which I want to lovingly communicate our beliefs to others who see things differently—without shoving anything down anyone’s throat. Fear is never a spiritually valid choice; to be afraid to quietly state your faith won’t help. Neither, of course, will negatively judging the faiths of others. I know that as you allow your loving energy to shine, you will be astonished at how many others are drawn to you both.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed