“BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.”Mark 7: 7.
“As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;” Ephesians 4:14.
A CALVARY CHAPEL PERSPECTIVE
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The following portions of Calvin’s Commentary on Galatians 1:6-9 show how important doctrine is, especially the doctrine of salvation.
PORTIONS OF CALVIN’S COMMENTARY ON GALATIAN’S
TREATMENT OF PREACHING OR TEACHING FALSE
DOCTRINE
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Galatians 1:6-9 |
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6. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: |
See Calvin’s Commentary below. |
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7. Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. |
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8. 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. |
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9. 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. |
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(Note: Bill has deleted portions to emphasize the remaining portions. Bill has also added bold, italic, and underline to Calvin’s commentary.)
Calvin’s comments about Paul’s statements in Galatians 1:6-9:
“ his greatest severity of language is directed, as we shall see, against the false apostles. He charges them with turning aside, not only from his gospel, but from Christ; for it was impossible for them to retain their attachment to Christ, without acknowledging that he has graciously delivered us from the bondage of the law. But such a belief cannot be reconciled with those notions respecting the obligation of ceremonial observance which the false apostles inculcated. They were removed from Christ; not that they entirely rejected Christianity, but that the corruption of their doctrines was such as to leave them nothing more than an imaginary Christ.
On the same principle, he calls it another gospel, that is, a gospel different from the true one. And yet the false apostles professed that they preached the gospel of Christ; but, mingling with it their own inventions, by which its principal efficacy was destroyed, they held a false, corrupt, and spurious gospel.
When he says that they were called by Christ through grace, this tends to heighten the criminality of their ingratitude. To revolt from the Son of God under any circumstances, is unworthy and disgraceful; but to revolt from him, after being invited to partake salvation by grace, is more eminently base. His goodness to us renders our ingratitude to him more dreadfully heinous.
The gospel of Christ. To know what are the leading points of the gospel, is a matter of unceasing importance. When these are attacked, the gospel is destroyed.
In order to destroy more completely the pretensions of the false apostles, he rises so high as to speak of angels; … It is impossible, no doubt, for angels from heaven to teach anything else than the certain truth of God.
But when the credit due to doctrines which God had revealed concerning the salvation of men was the subject of controversy, he did not reckon it enough to disclaim the judgment of men, without declining, at the same time, the authority of angels.”
Final note by Bill on this Scripture and Calvin’s Commentary:
We need to stand steadfast by the true doctrine of salvation. No one is beyond the realm of suspicion, not the angels, not Paul, not the Pope, not John Wesley, not Charles Finney, not Billy Graham, and not even John Calvin. In other words, we cannot conclude that just because a leader reaches a position of highest power and authority in the Christian world or seems to be most zealous and most effective, that such accomplishments cause the preaching of any other gospel to be acceptable. If they do preach another gospel, they are to be considered accursed.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 