Galatians 1:6 – Removed from Him

Galatians 1:6
⁶ I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ to another gospel:

Paul had heard how the Galatians were doing and he was in complete bewilderment about what he heard. He marveled and not in admiration but in complete puzzlement.

“It is remarked by Luther, that Paul here uses as mild a word as possible. He does not employ the language of severe reproof, but he expresses his astonishment that the thing should have occurred. He was deeply affected and amazed that such a thing could have happened. They had cordially embraced the gospel; they had manifested the tenderest attachment for him; they had given themselves to God; and yet, in a very short time, they had been led wholly astray, and had embraced opinions which tended wholly to pervert and destroy the gospel” (Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament).

What had Paul in such bewilderment? Paul was specifically chosen by Jesus to say what Jesus was unable to say. Jesus couldn’t use the word grace because they were still under the law and God would not usher in the era of grace until after the death burial and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus spoke about grace in other ways and His parables revealed grace, but it wasn’t until He chose Paul that the gospel of grace really became structured.

Paul had delivered this message to the Galatians. This is the gospel of grace. Now the Galatians were perverting this gospel with other teaching, probably mixing it with law, or worse going back to law. In Galatians 5:4 is says ^“Christ is become of no effect to you, whoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4).

Sadly much of religion today is in this mixed state of law and grace which Paul says totally nullifies grace and brings Christ to nothing. Why do you need Christ if you are going to try it on your own by trying to keep the law? It doesn’t work and that’s why God sent Jesus in the first place.

My hope for you is that you will stand in grace and in the finished work of Jesus on the Cross.