Quickly Turning Aside

The Allusion to Exodus 32:8 in Galatians 1:6

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When Paul wrote to the Galatians, he got down to business. There’s no opening thanksgiving in the letter, no musing about reasons for praise and blessing. After the conventional letter opening that includes authorship and recipients and a grace-wish, he says, “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—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:6–7).

Strong words, for sure. Paul knew that nothing needed to be more clearly understood than the gospel of Christ, so he was deeply concerned about any distortion or confusion that others brought to it. In fact, he said that those who preached “a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you” should be accursed—condemned (Gal. 1:8–9).

Paul understood the connection between turning to a different “gospel” (though any other “gospel” is false) and turning from the Lord. Abandoning the gospel is an act of spiritual desertion. It is apostasy.