Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema. 9 As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema.
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'Good faith' means believing the right thing. Otherwise it is 'bad faith'. And to preach such, Paul states, is a cursed thing. You seem to want to nullify Paul's words, rather than hermeneutically examine his meaning. Please see the Tour and the Help as to the purpose and the functioning of the site.– Nigel JCommented Mar 17 at 9:49
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1If we also read verse 7 it is clear that those Judaizers were voluntarily changing the gospel. That's bad faith..So should we consider Jehovah's Witnesses who then convert to the true gospel to be unsaved? Obviously not.– LeandroCommented Mar 17 at 13:20
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2If someone already know it is a 'different' gospel, then it is not a 'good' faith. It is important to note that 'faith' is to be judged by the Lord, not by the individual.– Vincent WongCommented Mar 17 at 14:37
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2I am positive that God would forgive him if he repents and starts preaching the right gospel.– ConstantthinCommented Mar 17 at 23:19
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1Taking 'but in good faith' to mean 'ignorant good intention,' as Apollos preached a message of John's baptism in Ephesus, and Saul acted in good faith but ignorance, they both had been used by the Lord. The timeframe for being right and forgiven extends until the last breath - confession.– SamCommented Mar 22 at 12:21
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5 Answers
The simple answer is: Yes.
Some things to note before anything else.
God is forgiving:
Psalm 86:5 NKJV
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
1 John 1:9 NKJV
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God looks at the heart:
1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12 NKJV
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
In Galatians 1:8 it's important to understand the context in which this warning was given.
Galatians was written because the churches of that region were facing a theological crisis. The essential truth of justification by faith rather than by human works was being denied by the Judaizers—legalistic Jews who insisted that Christians must keep the Mosaic Law. In particular, the Judaizers insisted on circumcision as a requirement for Gentiles who wished to be saved. In other words, convert to Judaism first, and then you are eligible to become a Christian. When Paul learned that this heresy was being taught to the Galatian churches, he composed an epistle to emphasize our liberty in Christ and to counter the perversion of the gospel that the Judaizers promoted. [1]
If an individual disseminates a false variant of the gospel due to lack of knowledge or misinterpretation, genuinely convinced that they are conveying the truth, they may still find grace and forgiveness from God. Nevertheless, this circumstance does not diminish the significance of accurately preaching and following the authentic gospel message as disclosed in the Scriptures.
The importance of the true gospel:
1 Corinthians 15:1-2 NKJV
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
Romans 1:16 NKJV
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Galatians 1:8 is not the only place in scripture that a warning is given against false teaching. Take these examples for instance:
Warning against false teaching:
Acts 20:29-30 NKJV
For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
2 Corinthians 11:3-4 NKJV
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
The consequences of false teaching:
Galatians 5:4 NKJV
You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
2 Peter 2:1 NKJV
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
Ultimately, it is only God who can truly understand the intentions and morality of individuals. Only God possess the authority to pass judgment. What then is our job? Christians are told to share their faith and to address misconceptions when they arise, all while showing compassion, kindness, and modesty towards individuals who might have deviated from doctrinal teachings or propagated incorrect interpretations. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Titus 2:7-8)
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1Thanks for your comment! However, reading a commentary by John Chrysostom, he says that I do not forgive anyone who does this. Origen also no longer allowed forgiveness for those who had sinned gravely... I don't think this is true. As for Chrysostom, he wrote some powerful things, but I don't agree with that. Correct me if I'm wrong– LeandroCommented Mar 17 at 12:53
We cannot second-guess how God reacts to individual cases, but I suggest that we are given two possible clues.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be thrown into the depth of the sea." Matthew ch18 v6
But if believers have not entirely stumbled, then "the Day" will reveal the value of the work such a teacher has done for God. "If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, then he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, then he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Corinthians ch3 vv13-15).
answered Mar 17 at 6:54
Paul wrote some things in the "heat of battle" that he may not have meant to be taken literally for all time. Another example is his statement in Galatians 5:12 about the Judaizers who insisted that non-Jewish candidates for church membership be baptized:
O that even they would cut themselves off (ἀναστατοῦντες) who are unsettling you! - YLT
Most contemporary translators understand this to be saying that Paul wished such people should cut off more than their own foreskins.
Paul's curse on those who taught "another gospel" was taken up by future generations of Christians to justify not only the excommunication of countless heretics, but the outright killing of those who did not accept the doctrine of the particular church which held power. Protestants used it against Catholics, Catholics used it against Protestants, and both churches used it against minority faiths both Christian and non-Christian.
Conclusion: Yes, God can forgive those whose mistakenly choose to follow a "different gospel." He can also forgive those who use Paul's words to justify persecuting others. Considering Jesus' admonition that we should love our enemies even even pray for those who persecute us, (Matthew 5:44) one cannot help but wonder if Paul wished he had used more moderate language in this case.
answered Mar 17 at 14:35
The answer to this and ALL related question is given in 1 John 1:9 -
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Notice that this divine forgiveness does NOT depend on the sin. Thus, God and can and does forgive all sins:
Rom 3:23, 24 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
God can forgive ANY sin; BUT it is very helpful to the sinner to admit they have sinned so that the process of "cleansing from all unrighteousness" can begin as miraculously wrought be the Holy Spirit (John 16:1-9).
As top-shelf examples of this divine grace of God to freely forgive, let me quote a few:
- the apostle Paul was essentially a terrorist; he was forgiven and then became the greatest Christian missionary the world has seen
- Apollos was preaching a "wrong" gospel/theology that was devoid of the Holy Spirit (Acts 18:24-28); when things were explained to him, he changed his preaching theology
A couple of verses come to mind in regards to your question. Philippians 1:18, "What then? Only that in every way, whether in "PRETENSE" or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice.
The context of his statement starts at vs15, "Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ from envy and strife, but some also from good will; vs16, the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel." Vs17, "the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment."
The point being that the motive behind a person's actions may not always be known to other people whether it's in good faith or bad faith. God knows what it is. We do not know the operation of one's mind.
The other verse I had in mind was 1 Corinthians 11:19. "For there must be factions/heresies among you, (that is differences of opinion/divisions) in order that those who are approved may have become evident among you."
The context is from vs18 where Paul says, "I hear there are divisions that exist among you, and as part, I believe it." As I stated, these divisions serve a purpose.
Paul was not advocating factions, but in this sinful world they do happen. Men get things our of balance sometimes. Such factions do serve the purpose of sifting the loyal from the disloyal, the good from the bad. The factions leave the genuine believers standing out (approved) by their loyalty, strength, and constancy. Those approved by God become manifest to other men.
