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.
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. 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.
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.
There is a really dumb commercial on TV. I think it’s an insurance commercial. A group of young adults are trying to escape from a crazed would-be killer. They discuss their options. Get in a car and drive away? No! Let’s hide in that shed where all the chainsaws are hanging. The would-be killer is shown shaking his head and rolling his eyes in dismissive disbelief at their stupidity.
Paul didn’t shake his head and roll his eyes at the poor choices of the Galatians. He does, however, write, “I am astonished…” This is a strong emotion with a negative connotation, conveying a deep sense of disappointment. He is distressed – as we will see later in this letter. He is disappointed because he had labored so diligently to bring the gospel to them. He is not happy because the stakes are so high – not for himself, but for the people there. Not only are the people who are abandoning the gospel in danger, but they endanger the rest of the congregation because of their potential negative influence.
They are exchanging the true good news of the gospel for a sham and an empty promise that is no gospel at all. This is not good news. This is empty hype. This is not enriching life-change. This is a seductive death drip. This is a bucket of steam. More vacuous than a fairy tale. More destructive than bad advice.
The gospel is a simple truth that Jesus died for the sins of the world so that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Add anything to that – no matter how wise or religious it may sound – and it is no gospel; no good news. We cannot add anything to what Jesus has done for us. We must not add anything to what Jesus has done to save us. We need not add anything to what Jesus has done for us. Just believe. Just trust. Just rejoice. Just live. That may be astonishing in a good sort of way. But it’s true.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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