A Different Gospel Is No Gospel (Galatians 1:6–10)

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A different gospel is no gospel at all. In Galatians 1:6–10, Paul warns that adding works to faith in Christ turns good news into bad news. The Galatians were still talking about Jesus, but they were beginning to trust something besides Him for salvation. Paul shows us why turning from the gospel is turning from God, why we must test every messenger by the message, and why servants of Christ must choose whom they will please.

This message was preached at Woodland Christian Church on October 11, 2026. It continues our study of Galatians after Christ Gave Himself to Rescue Us (Galatians 1:1–5).

Watch A Different Gospel Is No Gospel

Why Was Paul Astonished at the Galatians?

Have you ever been shocked to hear that someone who professed faith in Christ was walking away from Him? You may have felt grief, disappointment, and astonishment. That helps us understand Paul’s response to the Galatians.

Their situation was especially sobering because they had not simply stopped talking about Jesus. They were still involved in the churches Paul had helped establish. But false teachers were telling them that faith in Christ was not enough. They also needed circumcision and the works of the law.

In Paul’s greeting, we saw how unusual this letter is. He offers no commendation or thanksgiving for the Galatians. After greeting them and praising God, he moves directly to the danger threatening them.

Galatians 1:6 (ESV) — I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—

Paul had watched these people come to Christ. He had seen God work among them. Now he could hardly believe what he was hearing. They were moving away from the grace through which God had called them.

Turning from the Gospel Is Turning from God

Notice what Paul does not say. He does not merely tell them, “You are deserting the doctrine I taught you.” He does not even say, “You are deserting the gospel,” although that was true. He says they are deserting Him—God Himself, the One who called them.

This brings us to the first lesson: turning from the gospel is turning from God.

The word translated “deserting” carries the idea of changing sides or turning away. Think of a soldier abandoning his post or a politician changing allegiance. The Galatians were doing more than reconsidering an unimportant doctrinal detail. They were turning from the God who had called them.

And how had He called them? “In the grace of Christ.” Grace is God’s unmerited, unearned favor. They were walking away from grace to go back to earning. If you want to study these terms more closely, read about the difference between mercy and grace.

Drifting Does Not Require Leaving Church

Two expressions in verse 6 deserve our attention. First, Paul says this happened “so quickly.” He does not specify whether he means soon after their conversion or soon after the false teachers arrived. Either way, it did not take long.

That should sober us. Drifting from the gospel does not require years. It does not even require that we stop coming to church. The Galatians were still talking about Jesus. They had begun to stop trusting Him completely for their salvation.

Hebrews 2:1 (ESV) — Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

When you are in a current, you do not have to make an effort to drift. That is why we must pay close attention to the gospel. Good things such as church attendance, prayer, and Bible reading become dangerous objects of trust when we begin treating them as contributions to our salvation.

Respond to Drifting with Truth and Care

Second, Paul says they are “deserting,” rather than simply saying they “deserted.” He addresses a departure in progress. His strong words are meant to bring them back.

If you notice yourself drifting, return to the grace of Christ. Has your confidence shifted from what Christ did for you to what you are doing for Him? Has grace begun to feel like something you must earn? Stop measuring your standing with God by your performance and look again to your Savior.

If you love someone who is drifting, follow Paul’s example. Be clear, but do not give up on that person. Love sometimes requires saying hard things. Paul’s concern for the truth and his concern for the Galatians belonged together.

A Different Gospel Is No Gospel at All

Galatians 1:7 (ESV) — not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

Paul calls the false message “a different gospel,” then immediately explains that there is no other gospel. The word gospel means good news. A message that cannot save people is not another version of that good news.

This is the second lesson: a different gospel is no gospel at all. Paul describes the false teachers with two expressions: they “trouble you,” and they “distort the gospel of Christ.”

False Teaching Takes Away the Peace of Grace

Acts 15 describes a similar situation. Some people were teaching Gentile believers that faith in Christ was insufficient.

Acts 15:1 (ESV) — But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

When the apostles and elders wrote to the Gentile churches, they described the effect of that teaching:

Acts 15:24, excerpt (ESV) — Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions

“Troubled” is the same word Paul uses in Galatians 1:7. False teaching unsettles people because it takes away the peace that comes with grace. In Paul’s greeting, grace comes first, then peace. When you leave grace, you lose the foundation for peace.

If salvation depends on your performance, how will you know when you have done enough? Have you prayed enough, obeyed enough, or become good enough? A works-based message leaves those questions hanging over you. The gospel directs you to what Christ has accomplished.

Adding Works Turns Good News into Bad News

Paul also says the false teachers “distort” the gospel. The word describes changing or perverting something. In Acts 2:20, it is used of the sun being turned to darkness. In James 4:9, it describes laughter being turned to mourning. In Galatia, the effect was good news being turned into bad news.

The true gospel tells us what God has done. Christ gave Himself for our sins to deliver us. A false gospel tells us that Christ has done His part and now we must complete the work of saving ourselves.

• The true gospel says, “Christ has done it. Trust Him.”
• A false gospel says, “Christ has done His part. Now you do yours.”

Only one of those is good news. The issue is not whether Christians should obey God. We should. The issue is whether our obedience contributes to the basis of our salvation. As we saw in Haggai, religious activity cannot make us holy.

Distinguish Personal Convictions from Requirements for Salvation

We can see a similar danger in some teaching associated with the Hebrew Roots Movement. I want to make an important distinction. Some Christians observe biblical feasts or follow particular food practices while clearly affirming that these practices do not save them, add to their righteousness, or make them superior to other believers. That is not the teaching I am addressing here.

The concern is teaching that makes circumcision or Torah observance necessary for acceptance with God. When someone treats keeping the Sabbath, feasts, or food laws as a basis for being righteous before God, the issue resembles the error Paul confronts in Galatia.

We must distinguish convictions about how to honor the Lord from requirements that people add to the gospel. Christ is sufficient to save.

Even an Angel Cannot Change the Gospel

Galatians 1:8–9 (ESV) — But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

It does not matter how impressive the messenger is. Paul includes himself: “Even if we.” Not even an apostle has authority to change Christ’s gospel.

We do not judge the message by the messenger. We judge the messenger by the message.

The same standard applies to a claimed message from an angel. A supernatural experience does not make a teaching true. It must agree with what God has revealed.

Test Claims of Angelic Revelation

In the sermon, I discussed Islam and Mormonism as examples of religions whose beginnings include claims of angelic revelation. Islamic tradition identifies Gabriel as the angel who brought revelation to Muhammad. Joseph Smith said Moroni directed him to the plates associated with the Book of Mormon.

Those claims do not settle the question of truth. The question is whether the resulting teaching agrees with the biblical gospel. For example, the Qur’an denies Jesus’ crucifixion in 4:157 and rejects divine sonship in 19:35. Paul’s gospel centers on the Lord Jesus Christ, who “gave himself for our sins” (Galatians 1:4). These are substantive disagreements about Christ and His saving work.

Likewise, claims about Moroni must be tested by Scripture. Neither a compelling messenger nor an additional book can authorize a message contrary to the gospel Paul preached.

2 Corinthians 11:14–15, excerpt (ESV) — And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.

We should not assume that spiritual deception will look obviously evil. Paul warns about an appearance of light and righteousness. Some people believe Joseph Smith and Muhammad simply invented their accounts of angels speaking to them. I am not convinced that they did. If a demon were to disguise himself as an angel of light, I cannot imagine a more destructive message than one that undermines Scripture and leads people away from Christ and His finished work. That is why every claimed revelation must be tested against the gospel.

For another sobering account, read 1 Kings 13. A man of God accepted a message that another man claimed had come from an angel, despite the command God had already given him. That account is the subject of the next message in this study.

Why Does Paul Say “Let Him Be Accursed”?

Twice Paul pronounces a curse on anyone preaching a contrary gospel. The word “accursed” expresses divine judgment, not merely disagreement with a teacher’s opinion. Paul uses the same word when describing separation from Christ:

Romans 9:3, excerpt (ESV) — For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

What makes Galatians 1 especially striking is that Paul directs these words toward people who still spoke about Christ. Their error was preaching Christ plus works as the way to be saved.

The Stakes Are Eternal

Why is Paul so severe? First, the stakes are so high. A wrong diagnosis for a minor illness is unfortunate. A wrong diagnosis for a deadly disease can cost someone his life. A false gospel leaves people trusting something that cannot save them.

Second, the resemblance to the truth makes the deception more dangerous. An obvious rejection of Christ would have been easier for the Galatians to recognize. A message that kept Christ while adding requirements could appear convincing.

We see this pattern in the temptation in Genesis 3. The serpent mixed a promise about opened eyes with a denial of God’s warning about death. After Adam and Eve sinned, their eyes were opened, but that partial truth did not make the serpent’s message trustworthy. A lie becomes especially dangerous when it contains enough truth to sound familiar.

Be Firm with False Teaching and Patient with the Deceived

We must also notice whom Paul curses: those preaching a false gospel. He does not pronounce the same curse on the Galatians whom he is trying to recover. He repeatedly calls them brothers. His rebuke comes with an appeal to return.

• Toward teachers leading people astray, Paul is severe.
• Toward those being deceived, Paul is patient and pleading.

We need that same balance. Defending the gospel does not require personal cruelty toward people caught in error. It requires clarity about the message and genuine concern for those who hear it.

At the same time, the Galatians were responsible for what they received. Verse 8 refers to the gospel Paul preached; verse 9 refers to the gospel they received. They had a standard by which to recognize the counterfeit. Every Christian should know the gospel well enough to test what he hears, including the teaching of his own pastor. This is one reason Christians need to know why they believe what they believe.

Servants of Christ Must Choose Whom They Will Please

Galatians 1:10 (ESV) — For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

This brings us to the third lesson: servants of Christ must choose: please God or please people.

Why does Paul suddenly speak about pleasing people? His words appear to answer an accusation that his message was designed to win human approval. The accusation may have been that he removed circumcision and the law from his gospel to make it more popular.

But Paul had just pronounced a curse twice. Those are hardly the words of someone adjusting his message to keep everyone happy. He knew that making human approval his master would be incompatible with serving Christ.

The Gospel Is Entrusted to Us

1 Thessalonians 2:4 (ESV) — but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

The gospel was entrusted to Paul. It was not his to change according to the response he hoped to receive. He answered to the One who entrusted it to him.

The fear of man is a real temptation. John 12:42–43 describes authorities who believed in Jesus but would not confess Him because they feared being put out of the synagogue. They loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Paul calls himself a servant of Christ. The word doulos carries the meaning of a slave or bondservant. A servant has a master, and that master’s approval is decisive. As Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24).

Joshua and Elijah Confronted Divided Loyalty

At the end of Joshua’s life, he reminded Israel of what God had done: bringing them out of Egypt, caring for them in the wilderness, and giving them a land with cities they had not built and vineyards they had not planted. Then he called them to choose whom they would serve.

Joshua 24:15, excerpt (ESV) — But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Joshua’s challenge was not an endorsement of the surrounding nations’ gods. It exposed the impossibility of faithful service to the Lord while clinging to idols. He called the people to give up divided allegiance.

Centuries later, Elijah confronted the same problem on Mount Carmel.

1 Kings 18:21 (ESV) — And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.

Elijah did not want Israel to worship Baal. He wanted them to stop wavering between Baal and the Lord. In the same way, Paul confronts the temptation to seek acceptance from God through Christ while also relying on works of the law. We cannot combine those two foundations for salvation.

And we cannot make pleasing God and securing everyone’s approval our equal priorities. Sooner or later, we must choose whose opinion governs what we say and do.

Hold Fast to the Gospel You Received

Where are you tempted to seek human approval at the expense of the gospel? Perhaps you stay silent at work because speaking about Christ might cost you. Perhaps you avoid talking with unbelieving family members because keeping the peace feels easier. Perhaps you fear what friends will think.

Paul’s words call us to serve Christ faithfully. That does not mean becoming harsh or careless. It means refusing to change the message to gain approval.

Galatians 1:6–10 leaves us with three lessons:

• Turning from the gospel is turning from God.
• A different gospel is no gospel at all.
• Servants of Christ must choose: please God or please people.

If you are trusting in church attendance, baptism, good works, or being a good person as the basis of your salvation, look away from yourself to Christ. Those things cannot complete His saving work. Stop trusting what you are doing and trust what He has done.

If you are a Christian, hold fast to the gospel you received. Do not let anyone add to it, no matter how impressive that person may be. Do not soften it to make people like you. We are servants of Christ, and He is the One we must live to please.