加拉太教会出了甚么问题?
1作使徒的保罗(不是由于人,也不是借着人,乃是借着耶稣基督,与叫他从死里复活的父神)
2和一切与我同在的众弟兄,写信给加拉太的各教会。
3愿恩惠、平安从父神与我们的主耶稣基督归与你们!
4基督照我们父神的旨意,为我们的罪舍己,要救我们脱离这罪恶的世代。
5但愿荣耀归于神,直到永永远远。阿们!
6我稀奇你们这么快离开那借着基督之恩召你们的,去从别的福音。
7那并不是福音,不过有些人搅扰你们,要把基督的福音更改了。
8但无论是我们,是天上来的使者,若传福音给你们,与我们所传给你们的不同,他就应当被咒诅。
9我们已经说了,现在又说:若有人传福音给你们,与你们所领受的不同,他就应当被咒诅!
10我现在是要得人的心呢,还是要得神的心呢?我岂是讨人的喜欢吗?若仍旧讨人的喜欢,我就不是基督的仆人了。
信息分享
第一个党派是高举律法主义,即强调要死守传统。他们说:「我们身为犹太人,自古以来便谨守律法,现在仍然要继续遵守。如果有人想加入教会,他就要跟我们一样地守律法。」律法主义者强调要学习和遵守规条,背后的理念乃是我们可以向神讨价还价:「如果我们做足神的要求,神就一定要赐给我们永生。」然而,这却并非福音。
第二个党派虽然承认救恩是来自基督,却认为必须同时遵守律法。「是的,我们得救是本乎恩,但要维持属灵的生命,就必须遵守律法。换言之,基督为我们的救恩付了首期,我们却要承担余下的供款。」这种取态的背后理念,是我们最终能否得救,乃在乎我们的功德善行,而不是基督为我们所成就的救恩。
第三个党派的理念却似乎完全相反,他们认为:「我们已经得救,以后便可以随心所欲。」这种态度与今天放任社会的论调十分近似,就是:「只要是不伤害别人的事,就可以随心所欲了。」其实,神的话语对基督徒的行事为人,已经提出了非常明确的标准,但他们却置诸不理。
保罗在信中直言这三个党派的不是。他说:「你们已远离基督和祂的福音。当记着,除了神恩典的福音以外,就别无其他福音。」保罗在以弗所书二章8至9节亦指出:「你们得救是本乎恩,也因着信……也不是出于行为,免得有人自夸。」
我们今天要从心底感谢神,因为我们是借着基督得蒙拯救,也是唯独借着信祂而得救。求神帮助我们,让我们每天都能在圣灵里面得享真正的自由。
WHAT WAS WRONG IN GALATIA?
1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),
2 and all the brethren who are with me,
3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
Message
From the letter itself we discover that there seemed to be several groups in the Galatian churches. Each group had a wrong slant on the Gospel (vv. 6-7). This disturbed Paul very much. He stood very strongly for the pure Gospel of the grace of God in Christ.
First, there were the legalists and traditionalists. As Jews they said, "We always have to keep the Law. We still do and if anyone wants to join the church, he will have to do it too." Legalism always says, "You have to learn the rules and keep them." It actually means we can bargain with God. "If I do this or that, then God you have to give me eternal life." That is not the message of the gospel.
A second group recognized that salvation came through Christ, but also added the need to keep the law. "Saved by grace, yes, but to maintain our spiritual life, we must keep the law." In other words, Christ made the down-payment, but we have to pay the installments on our salvation. Again this makes our ultimate salvation dependent on what we do, rather than on what Christ has done.
Another group seems to have taken the opposite view - "We are saved, so we can do what we like." It was similar to the "permissive society" of today. Anything goes as long as no one gets hurt. They disregarded the standards of the Word of God with its strong emphasis on Christian living.
Paul said it very plainly in our reading today. He wrote to all three groups, "You have deserted Christ and the gospel. Remember, there is no other gospel. There is only the gospel of God's grace. It is by grace (alone) you have been saved, through faith ... not by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph 2:8-9)
Thank God today from the bottom of your heart that you are saved by Christ and by faith in Him alone. Ask Him to help you live today in the true freedom of the Spirit.

