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The Epistle to the GALATIANS.
No.2.
1: 4 - 13.
pp. 10 - 15
The reason given for the tremendous gift of the Lord Jesus Christ is stated in verse 4:
"that He might deliver us from this present evil age (world A.V.) according to the will of
God and our Father."
Exaireo (deliver) means to pluck or tear out and then rescue, set free. It is translated
"rescue" in Acts 23: 27. Every believer in Christ has been rescued from infinite
danger, for this present age is controlled by the usurper, Satan and he is its god
(II.Cor.iv.4) and runs the system behind it. Some may think Paul has exaggerated in
calling it evil. Have we not made wonderful scientific advances in this age which had
made life easier in many respects? While this may be so, from God's standpoint it is evil,
because it rejects Him and His Truth. All man's increased knowledge of the universe
brings him not one whit nearer God; in fact it seems to be the reverse, he gets further and
further away from Him.
The wonderful deliverance by redemption causes the Apostle to pause and praise the
Lord for it, "to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen", and we should do the same.
Usually Paul commences his epistles by some kind of commendation before he
introduces his subject and the reason for his writing, but it is not so here. He is too
deeply moved for that. He says:
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace
of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which is really no gospel at all" (1: 6,
N.I.V.).
It was incomprehensible to the Apostle that believers who had been so gloriously
freed from bondage, could act in this way and put themselves back into slavery again.
The word "turning away" is in the present tense which showed that it was still going on
as Paul wrote. Not only this, but they were doing it "quickly", so soon after receiving the
gospel, or it might mean so soon after the arrival of the false teachers from Jerusalem. In
any case the Galatians had made no long stand for the truth. They had soon capitulated
and even become enthusiastic for this new so-called gospel. In doing this they were not
just turning away from Paul, but from God "Who had called them".
This was a terrible thing and the Apostle does not mince his words:
". . . . . there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though
we, or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any
man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed"
(1: 7-9).