The TRUE Gospel vs. the NuGospel

Galatians 3 reveals a great deal about Paul’s exclusive NuGospel. In this chapter, Paul levels a severe admonishment upon the Christians within the region of Galatia[1] who have been faithfully observing God’s instruction as taught by the Chief Apostles in Jerusalem. Within this section of his letter, Paul builds his case to dispense with obedience to  God’s instruction and demands that the Christians accept faith alone in the Messiah for justification and deliverance from sin.

Paul begins his dissertation using Abraham as his primary example of “faith”. Paul eloquently asserts his reasoning that because Abraham had “faith”, all who have “faith” like Abraham are therefore children of Abraham and, will, like Abraham, be saved. Paul says in verses 6-9:

Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” [Gen. 15:6] Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” [Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18] So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith [i.e. belief].

What kind of “faith” [belief] was it that Abraham actually had? Was it an empty faith of belief alone? Or perhaps it was a faith of non-obedience? To answer that question, we need to look back at God’s conversation with Abraham’s son Isaac in Genesis 26:

“[I, AHEYEH,] will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.”[2]

By reading the actual text itself, it becomes obvious that God blessed Abraham and his descendants and indeed the whole earth because Abraham had obeyed God and “faithfully” observed God’s instruction, His TRUE law. It is this faithful obedience that Paul now comes vehemently against in Galatians 3! Paul uses Abraham as his “witness” by taking what was written about Abraham—and what Abraham actually did within his faithful relationship with Almighty God—and using it to weave a distorted description of who Abraham was and what actions he was indeed blessed for.

Lifting some additional misquotes from the Hebrew Scriptures, Paul begins to chastise and berate those who feel called to observe the true Law of God:

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” [Deut. 27:26][3]

While totally ignoring the fact that Abraham obeyed God in faithfulness to achieve (earn, merit, work) his righteous standing with God, Paul asserts that all who rely on their obedience to God’s TRUE Law for their salvation are under the “curse” of the Law. To uphold his reasoning, Paul quotes Deuteronomy 27:26, which says,

“Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

Never has the TRUE Law of God been misconstrued by  any God-fearing son or daughter of Abraham to be a curse! There are dozens of passages in the Psalms and other parts of Scripture where David and the Prophets are calling the TRUE Law of God “perfect”[4] and praising God for his Law, as David says,

“How I love your Law!”[5]

As another witness in the New Testament, James says,

“But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.”[6]

How can these men of God speak this glowingly about a “curse”? Was David really saying to God in Psalm 119, “How I love your ‘curse’”? Was James really offering that God’s “perfect curse” gives man his freedom?[7]

Is the TRUE Law of God Really a “Curse”?

It is beneficial to look at Paul’s quote from Deuteronomy 27:9-26 in its full context in order to understand what the author is really saying.

“Then Moses and the priests, who are Levites, said to all Israel, ‘Be silent, O Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of AHYH your God. Obey AHYH your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today.’

“On the same day Moses commanded the people: When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali. The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:

“‘Cursed is the man who carves an image or casts an idol—a thing detestable to AHYH, the work of the craftsman’s hands—and sets it up in secret.’

Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is the man who dishonors his father or his mother.’

Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is the man who moves his neighbor’s boundary stone.’

Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is the man who leads the blind astray on the road.’

Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow.’

Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is the man who sleeps with his father’s wife, for he dishonors his father’s bed.’

Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is the man who has sexual relations with any animal.’

Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is the man who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’

Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is the man who sleeps with his mother-in-law.’

Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is the man who kills his neighbor secretly.’

Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

‘Cursed is the man who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.’

Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’”

Finally we come to Paul’s quote from Torah.

“‘Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.’

Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’”

In context, God is not at all calling His TRUE Law a “curse” to those who attempt to abide its tenets. Instead, the real “curse” is on all who do these sinful and detestable things. But Paul is quoting the words of Torah way out of context to make an erroneous and unfounded point.

The primary theme within these scriptures is that the man who obeys God’s TRUE Law will have life![8] By reading the original writings in context, it is easy to determine that the TRUE Law of God itself is not a curse. Abiding God’s TRUE Law is a blessing that, as James says, gives a man freedom. Sin, or disobedience to God’s TRUE Law is the real curse.

Paul’s insistence that we do not need to be held accountable to God’s instruction is indeed seductive, but it leads to bewilderment in the mind of the reader who is trying to make all of the writings in Scripture fit together. When the seeker of Truth starts looking heavily at the writings of Paul in an effort to find answers to doctrinal discrepancies, an unsettling thought may start to tickle the corners of the mind: have I had it all wrong this whole time? Have I been focusing on the wrong thing? Is it really as simple as somehow drumming up enough faith and not worrying if my actions fell short of godliness? Do the commandments of God have any authority over me, or am I somehow insulting God and trying to “work my way to heaven” by attempting to follow them?

Considering the teachings contained in the book of Galatians, it is easy to understand why most self-proclaimed “Former Adventists”[9] will declare that Galatians is the book that has set them free from the ‘curse’ of the law and led them out of Adventism into the shining light of New Covenant Theology.