Faithful to the Gospel 對福音信實
Galatians 加拉太書 1:1-10; 9/29/2024; Mike Lei 雷鸿弟兄
Good morning. My message today is “Faithful to the gospel對福音信實.” This title is inspired by the banner outside the 49’ers Levi stadium which says, “Faithful to the Bay”. Whether we are faithful to a football team or not, as Christians we need to be faithful to the gospel. Today we will be reading from Paul’s letter to the Galatians in Chapter 1:1-10. God willing, I hope this year to preach through the book of Galatians. From vs. 1-10, I see 3 points:
1) The gospel is directly from God 福音是直接從神來的
2) Turning to a different gospel is deserting God 轉向不同的福音就是離棄神
3) Preaching the gospel is to please God, not man. 傳福音是討神的喜歡，不是討人的喜歡
Let’s read Galatians 1:1-5 to get started:
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 brothers who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
1作使徒的保羅（不是由於人，也不是藉著人，乃是藉著耶穌基督，與叫他從死裡復活的父神）2和一切與我同在的眾弟兄，寫信給加拉太的各教會。3願恩惠、平安從父神與我們的主耶穌基督歸與你們！4基督照我們父神的旨意，為我們的罪捨己，要救我們脫離這罪惡的世代。5但願榮耀歸於神，直到永永遠遠。阿們！
Let’s pray before we begin.
- The gospel is directly from God 福音是直接從神來的 (vs. 1-5)
Paul begins the letter by saying he is an apostle not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father. What is an apostle? An apostle is a messenger. Therefore, Paul is a messenger sent by God with a message. What is the message? It is the gospel. What is the gospel? The gospel is the good news. Then, what is the good news? Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 歌林多前書15:1-5: “15 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” 15弟兄們，我如今把先前所傳給你們的福音告訴你們知道；這福音你們也領受了，又靠著站立得住，2並且你們若不是徒然相信，能以持守我所傳給你們的，就必因這福音得救。3我當日所領受又傳給你們的：第一，就是基督照聖經所說，為我們的罪死了，4而且埋葬了；又照聖經所說，第三天復活了，5並且顯給磯法看，然後顯給十二使徒看；Paul then mentioned Jesus appearing to more than 500 brothers at one time, to James, to all the apostles, and finally to him. Jesus proved to all these eye witnesses that He truly rose from the dead. What is so significant about Jesus being raised from the dead? Paul even mentioned this as the first thing in his greeting, that God the Father raised Jesus Christ from the dead 與叫他從死裡復活的父神. In 1 Corinthians 歌林多前書15:17, Paul tells us, “17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” 17基督若沒有復活，你們的信便是徒然，你們仍在罪裡。Therefore, Christ being raised means we can be raised from the dead. For the wages of sin is death. Only when we are set free from our sins can we be free from the power of death. Christ’s resurrection proves we can also be resurrected through Him. Brothers and sisters, if today you feel you are still stuck in your sins and old habits, please remember Christ’s resurrection. Christ’s resurrection means we are no longer stuck in our sins and old habits. Yes, we will still have struggles with sin, but we are no longer hopeless and helpless against our sins. In this time, believe in God’s power working in you, that you can live a new life, a renewed life that is different, being transformed by His grace and power. Question is, do you want to live a different new life in Christ? If you think it’s still hard to change, come back to the gospel. Come back to the truth that you have been raised with Christ to a resurrected life. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the best good news because sin and death no longer have dominion over us. Sometimes the pressures of life make us lose our joy in the Lord and we get stressed out. Are you stressed out right now? That’s why Paul’s greeting: “3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” 3願恩惠、平安從父神與我們的主耶穌基督歸與你們！ are the words of comfort and encouragement we need. We need these words because our human weaknesses easily move our eyes from faith in God and we forget to pray. But God doesn’t just stop at giving us grace and peace, but vs. 4-5 says, “who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” 4基督照我們父神的旨意，為我們的罪捨己，要救我們脫離這罪惡的世代。5但願榮耀歸於神，直到永永遠遠。阿們！ Take a moment to think about the glory forever and ever compared to the present evil age. Jesus has come to deliver us from the present evil age, from the corruptions and evils of the present world. The word “deliver” has the meaning of 1) to pluck out拔出来 2) to choose out (for one’s self) 3) to rescue, deliver. Therefore, Jesus came to pluck us out of the present evil age. Jesus came to choose us out for Himself out of this evil age. Jesus came to rescue us out of this evil age. This doesn’t mean we are no longer in the world, but that we are no longer under the rule and control of the present evil age. We have been transferred into God’s kingdom. When you are visiting another country, you know and others know you are a foreigner. In the same way, we are to live as foreigners in this world, as the heroes of faith lived before us. Heb 希伯來書11:13 ,” 13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” 13這些人都是存著信心死的，並沒有得著所應許的；卻從遠處望見，且歡喜迎接，又承認自己在世上是客旅，是寄居的。Live out your faith every day, acknowledging God in everything. This verse can be so comforting when we face trials in life, when life seems not fair, when we know we should entrust ourselves to God. Because we know in the end, I’m just a stranger and exile on earth. I have a better heavenly home waiting for me. The gospel is the good news directly from God to tell those who believe that Jesus Christ has died for our sins, was buried, and rose on the third day, that He has given Himself for our sins to deliver us completely out of the dominion of the present evil age. This is the good news that we have received and have saved us. This has become the most important thing in our life.
2.Turning to a different gospel is deserting God 轉向不同的福音就是離棄神(vs. 6-9)
6 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— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
6我希奇你們這麼快離開那藉著基督之恩召你們的，去從別的福音。7那並不是福音，不過有些人攪擾你們，要把基督的福音更改了。
Paul starts vs. 6 with the word “Astonished” 希奇 or “Amazed” in Greek. This is the same word describing Jesus’ reaction in his hometown to the lack of faith he encountered there. I think children can do things that truly amaze the parents. Sometimes it can be funny, sometimes it is not funny. However, I think you have probably been amazed by something someone did. It’s popular today to say, “You are amazing”. That’s a great compliment. However, in this case Paul is amazed at how quickly the Galatian believers abandoned God. This is just as quickly as many of Jesus’s disciples abandoned Him in John 6:66 after He started teaching things they couldn’t accept. They can accept His miracles, but not His difficult teachings. Have you experienced being deserted by people? Paul has experienced it. Jesus has experience it. I could see how distraught Paul was to see these believers abandon God in this way and so quickly after he had left them. This was a “Moses and the golden calf moment” for Paul. Just like when Moses was so angry to see the people turned so quickly away from God to make a golden calf idol after he has just been gone for 40 days and 40 nights on the mountain with God. That’s only a little more than a month. If Galatians is written before the Jerusalem Council held in 49AD, then it’s only been a few months since Paul’s readers received the gospel from him on his first missionary journey. There are 2 different views of when this letter can be written, called the South Galatian theory and North Galatian theory. I remember writing a paper on this in seminary, but I think my conclusion was inconclusive. Now, I think this letter is likely written before the Jerusalem Council in 49AD or before, which would make Galatians the earliest book written by Paul.
We see here clearly that to turn to a different gospel is to desert God. As Paul says, there’s not another gospel. There is no other good news apart from the good news of Jesus Christ. Today, in the world people use the word “gospel” to mean something that is like a golden standard biāozhǔn, something that can’t be changed. Even though this is not the meaning of the gospel, but it is the characteristic of the gospel. It is the only good news. It can’t be modified. Paul goes on to say, “8 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. 9 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.” 8但無論是我們，是天上來的使者，若傳福音給你們，與我們所傳給你們的不同，他就應當被咒詛。9我們已經說了，現在又說，若有人傳福音給你們，與你們所領受的不同，他就應當被咒詛。There are religions today which claim the message they received is from an angel. We know that no angel from the Lord would claim to preach a different gospel than the one which Jesus has already spoken. Heb希伯來書1:1-2a 1 “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,” 1神既在古時藉著眾先知多次多方的曉諭列祖，2就在這末世藉著他兒子曉諭我們； Jesus has already given us the good news that can save us and give us a relationship with God. Accursed means to be devoted to destruction, to be eternally condemned. These false teachers were saying that believers in Christ must keep all the OT laws and be circumcised to be saved. These false teachers teaching another gospel must be separated from the church. There can’t have any fellowship with them. If they continue in their ways, they will be eternally condemned. Therefore, we need to be careful and stand firm in the gospel of Jesus Christ, not be moved from it. We must not distort the gospel in any way when presenting it to others. We can’t try to make it easier to accept by saying people don’t need to believe in Jesus Christ to go to heaven, or God loves everyone so everyone should be able to go to heaven, without faith in Jesus Christ. We can’t say what is not true so we don’t offend people.
I read an article in a Missions journal talking about how there are translations of the Bible specific for people from another religion that removes from the text or redefine the terms Father, Son, and Son of God with other terms –like “Guardian” for Father or “Beloved of God” for Son. This is because that religion rejects Jesus as the Son of God. The authors write, “We believe that the biblical witness of saving faith in Jesus Christ is inextricably tied to the belief in and confession of Jesus specifically being the Son of God.” (P.213 Controversies in Mission: EMS no. 24.) Something basic in the gospel like Jesus is the Son of God must not be compromised to make it easier to be accepted by others.
I’m not saying you should be so afraid that you might say something wrong and not try to share the gospel. God can still take your imperfectly presented gospel and bring that person to salvation. Also, we should always pray for opportunity, for God to open the door for the gospel to be presented. Even Paul asks for prayers in Colossians 歌羅西書 4:3 for open door, “ 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—“ 3也要為我們禱告，求神給我們開傳道的門，能以講基督的奧祕（我為此被捆鎖）， Let us not compromise the good news in any way and let us not listen to or follow any distortion to the gospel, to add or subtract from the gospel. Paul mentioned twice that anyone preaching another gospel, let them be accursed. This is a red line. No one can cross this red line and not face eternal consequences.
3.To preach the gospel is to please God, not man傳福音是討神的喜歡，不是討人的喜歡 (v.10)
10 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. 10我現在是要得人的心呢？還是要得神的心呢？我豈是討人的喜歡麼？若仍舊討人的喜歡，我就不是基督的僕人了。
Brothers and sisters, we need to be clear in our mind that to preach the gospel is to please God, not man. Many times, we want to do both and fail to preach the gospel because we want to please people. Paul knows that to be a servant of Christ means he must please God, not try to seek the approval of man or try to please man. How about us? Are we true servants of Christ who seek to please God alone? Or do we still want to get the approval of others or please others? Just like we can’t both love God and money, we can’t try to please God and try to please people at the same time. If by pleasing God, we also pleased people, that’s God’s grace, but our first priority is to please God.
In a booklet “Losing Face & finding grace: 12 Bible Studies for Asian Americans.” Chapter 4 is on “Idolizing the Family, Honoring the Family & Obeying the Lord.” it listed from a researcher the key ways in which Asians may differ from those of Western heritage in cultural values.
| Parent/Family Centered以父母/家庭為中心 | Individual Centered以個人為中心 |
| Family identity (family name comes first)
家庭身份（姓氏在前） |
Individual identity個人身份 |
| Achievement of goals set by parents
完成父母設定的目標 |
Achievement of individual goals個人目標的實現 |
| Obligation to family對家庭的義務 | Trained to be individuals訓練成為個人 |
| Responsible for the family對家庭負責 | Personal rights個人權利 |
| Motivation based on obligation基於義務的動機 | Motivation based on feelings基於感覺的動機 |
| Submission to family authority服從家庭權威 | Dislike for rules and control不喜歡規則和控制 |
| Accepts rules and propriety 接受規則和禮節 | Questions authority質疑權威 |
As you look at this list, which values do you identify with more? Whether we have more Parent/Family Centered cultural values or individual centered cultural values, we need to choose between pleasing God or pleasing man. The ‘man” can be the parent or family or it can be ourselves, like the individual centered person. The study concludes with this question to the Asian Americans. Do you need to repent for “loving your father and mother more than Jesus” or repent for dishonoring your parents? For the second generation people, before you jump to say, “I must be loving my parents more than Jesus,” think about the second option. Maybe you need to repent from dishonoring your parents because you have been honoring yourself or your friends more than them.
We know that when we love God first, then we know how to love others. The same goes for loving your parents. When you love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, then you will naturally want to love and honor your parents.
I think in our individualistic society, the temptation is not as much to please people or seek people’s approval, but to make everything about ourselves. So, in other words, can you say with different words like Paul, “For am I now seeking the approval of myself, or of God? Or am I trying to please myself? If I were still trying to please myself, I would not be a servant of Christ.” 我現在是要得自己的心呢？還是要得神的心呢？我豈是討自己的喜歡麼？若仍舊討自己的喜歡，我就不是基督的僕人了。
The gospel is the good news. It’s the good news that we can repent of our sins and receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Have you ever done this before? If you haven’t, you can say this prayer with me to receive the gift of eternal life.
Lord Jesus Christ, I know I am a sinner and do not deserve eternal life. I believe that You died for my sins, that You were buried, that You were raised on the third day, that You gave Yourself for my sins to deliver me from the present evil age. Lord Jesus, come into my life; take control of my life; forgive my sins and save me. I repent of my sins and now place my trust in You for my salvation. I accept the free gift of eternal life. I pray in your name Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
For those who have already received Christ. What do you need to repent from today? The gospel is good news to you too, because every day you can repent from your sins and be renewed. Amen?
