NO, NOT ANOTHER! By Bob Craig
Reprinted from the April, 1999 issue of the Expository Files
(http://www.geocities.com/~expository/)
(This article originally published in Expository Review, Vol.
2, No. 1, January 1983.)
"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." (Galatians 1:6-7).
People look at the suggested passage and some-times become a little confused. "How can another not be another?" they ask. This is one of the verses that more than likely could be better understood had the translators seen fit to insert a rather lengthy paraphrase. But since paraphrasing, which is basically commentary on a verse, is not the work of translators, they used the same English word in translating two different words of the original language.
That procedure is followed with many different words. For instance,
the Greek words huper, eis, gar, anti, apo, achri, dioti, de,
dia, ek, en, epi, hoti, and others, are often translated by the
English word FOR. Generally, a person need not have a knowledge
of Greek in order to understand how the word is being used; he
needs only to consider the setting or context in which the word
appears.
There are occasions, though, when someone will misuse these words
to teach a false idea -- some-times inadvertently, sometimes deliberately!
That has happened, in particular, to Acts 2:38: " for remission
of sins." These who deny the essentiality of baptism say
that the word "for" in that passage means "because
of." There are two ways to prove that that concept is wrong.
One is to go to the Greek. The other is to show the harmony of
that passage to similar passages such as Mark 16:16 or Acts 22:16.
But, with that explanation out of the way, let's get back to our passage in Galatians 1. The first usage of the word (unto another gospel) comes from the Greek word "heteros" which means another of a different sort." It is used like than Acts 7:18: "Till another (heteros) king arose, which knew not Joseph." A king of a different sort or character not like the Pharaoh that befriended Joseph. So the Galatians were being told that they were removing to another (one of a different sort) gospel, thus Paul's amazement.
Then he says, "which is not another (allos)."This word means "one of the same sort" or "one of like character." So it is used in John 14:16: "He shall give you another (allos) Comforter." This Comforter would be of like nature or similar in character or the same sort that he had been.He would not be (heteros) one of a different sort.
So a paraphrase of Galatians 1:6-7 based on a close study of the words would be: "I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ to a gospel that is of different sort, different in quality, different in character, which is not at all similar in nature nor of the same sort that you received from me: but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ."
The overall system of evangelical thought today comes to us from the work of Protestant reformers such as Luther and Calvin. It took much courage for these men and others to risk everything to speak out and denounce the blatant corruption of New Testament truth by the established Church hierarchy. But exposing the existing errors in the Church led to an opposite extreme.
It is easy for reactionary movements to get so caught up in their immediate goals that they lose sight of their ultimate goal. Luther said some pretty amazing and puzzling things for a man who seemed so dedicated to casting off human traditions and call for a return to the New Testament as our sole authority in matters of religion. This is because, after developing his system of justification by faith alone, that he had some difficult New Testament passages which he simply could not bring into harmony with his doctrine. So did he change his doctrine? No, instead he advised to disregard, or at least not to hold such passages in very high in value.
Many may be surprised that Luther did this, but he did. Notice his own words:
"If I had to do without one or the other-either the works or preaching of Christ-I would rather do without his works than his preaching. For the works do not help me, but His words give life, as He Himself says. Now John writes very little about the works of Christ, but very much about His preaching. The other Evangelists write much of His works and little of His preaching. Therefore, John's Gospel is the one, tender, true chief Gospel far, far to be preferred to the other three and placed high above them. So, too, the epistles of St. Paul and St. Peter far surpass the other three Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke.
In a word, St. John's Gospel and his first Epistle, St. Paul's Epistles, especially Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians, and St. Peter's first Epistle are the books that show you Christ and that teach you all that is necessary and good for you to know, even though you never see or hear any other book or doctrine. Therefore, St. James' Epistle is really an epistle of straw, compared to them; for it has nothing of the nature of the gospel in it."
-Luther, Works of Martin Luther-The Philadelphia Edition, trans. C.M. Jacobs, vol. 6: Preface to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1982), pp. 439-444. As cited in Bercot, David W., Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up, (Scroll Publishing, 1989). P.112.
A few observations:
Luther's scheme called for a belief in justification by faith alone. The Scriptures say that a man is "not justified by faith alone" (James 2:24). Luther says pay no attention because James is just "an epistle of straw" having "nothing of the nature of the gospel in it". So, why did our Lord inspire James to write it? Who shall we heed? The inspired writer James, or Luther the reformer?
The gospel of John has the well known passage "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever shall believe on Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). That makes it Luther's favorite gospel, which he rates "high above" the others. Matthew, Mark and Luke are much too dependent on obedience (Matthew 7:12-23, Mark 16:16. etc.) Luther says they, unlike John, emphasize the works rather than the preaching of Christ, but that simply is not so. Matthew's gospel contains way more of the preaching of Christ than does John's gospel. And John said he wrote his gospel to emphasize the signs Jesus did (John 20:30,31). Besides all that, John also shows the need to keep the commandments of Jesus (John 14:15,21, etc.).
Beware when anyone encourages you to ignore Scriptures of his choice!
Most of the evangelical world take Luther's scheme of salvation by faith alone as gospel, but it isn't without removing the huge portions of the gospel that contradict it. But if we begin to do so, then it becomes mute whether faith alone saves or not, because faith does not remove nor degrade any of the Scriptures of God. That would not be an act of faith no matter who would do such a thing, whether Luther or Calvin or any of us.
SHORT EXHORT Written and/or Compiled by David J. Riggs
(http://www.public.usit.net/driggs/)
"He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." (Prov. 16:32)
The expression, "Fly off the handle," is used when one quickly loses his temper. The original expression comes to us from the use of tools. After tools have set in the shed for months, the wooden handle becomes dry and shrinks. When various tools such as an ax are used, the iron can easily fly off the handle because of the shrunken wood. When the blade of an ax flies off the handle, it is very dangerous to the user and everyone standing nearby. Similarly, when one, "flies off the handle" (has a violent explosion of anger), it endangers everyone.
Let us learn to rule our spirits.