by Job Anbalagan

In his epistle to the churches of Galatia, Paul wondered as to how they turned so soon from Him that called them into the grace of Christ unto "another gospel" because some preachers "perverted" the gospel of Christ by preaching a message that for salvation they should also follow the law (Gal.1:6-9). According to Paul, if any man or an angel from heaven preaches any other gospel, he would be accursed. Just for exhorting the Galatians to follow the law of Moses with regard to circumcision, Paul meant it "another gospel".

These days, we find in our churches many preachers preach "another gospel" - a gospel of do's and dont's. If some people do not pay their tithes and offerings, the relevant portion from the prophetic book of Malachi is quoted just to pronounce curse on them who have been set free under the New Covenant.

People are not exhorted to repent of their sins and iniquities but to worship God in a mechanical manner. Believers remain as believers for ever and do not become ministers of God. They are not exhorted to win souls or to engage in evangelism. This shows that they do not hear the gospel of Christ but some other gospel.

If an evangelist presents Christ only as a Miracle Worker or a Healer, he perverts the gospel and presents another gospel.

If a pastor condones or encourages the marriage of divorced spouses or if a pastor condones the friendship of youths who live together as married couples without marriage, he perverts the gospel and presents another gospel.

A minister of God who puts his sheep into the bondage of the Old Testament laws does pervert the glorious gospel. If a servant of God exhorts his sheep to help him build a tabernacle of God or some other thing similar to it, he does turn away the sheep from the gospel of grace and brings them into the bondage of the Old Testament laws. These days, it appears some ministers of God get illuminated from some Old Testament scriptures and base their ministries on such Old Testament doctrines without examining the relevant Old Testament scriptures in the light of the truth of the gospel. A minister of God who thus presents another gospel is accursed of God.

Paul called them, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you " (Gal.3:1). Paul wanted to know as to who hindered the Galatians that they should not obey the truth. Paul said, "This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (Gal.5:8-9). A little leaven of weaning away a believer from the gospel of grace does leaven the whole spiritual life of the believer concerned. A little dose of falsifying the gospel of grace corrupts the whole church.