The Gospel Seminar

"Luther Quotations": #7

"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!"  (Galatians 1; 8, 9)

One could be easily fooled into thinking that ones right standing with God is on the basis of our meritorious efforts. For example: there are billions of Muslims who are committed to the doctrine of good works as a means of being accepted by God. They believe with all their hearts that God will reward those who do good with eternal life, and those who do evil with punishment. One could easily believe that God would not send billions of Muslims to hell because of a minor theological disagreement with Paul!
But many Catholics and Protestants believe a similar thing. They say that good works in addition to faith in Christ saves a person and makes then acceptable to God. But think: if one has to add to the work of Christ his own efforts to be acceptable then that means that Christ is not a sufficient Savior. That means that Christ is only half a savior. That also means that I am half of my own savior as well.
Surely, this is not some "minor theological difference" of opinion with little consequence!
In these verses quoted above Paul (Apostle, spokesman for God) declares twice something quite alarming!  He says if anyone preaches/teaches anything other than the gospel than the one he originally preached to the Galatians, may those people or angels be "eternally condemned"! With that in mind, it is imperative that we understand this true gospel and not be taught error regarding this matter. So, who was Paul writing about when he wrote this declaration of "eternal condemnation"? He was writing about those false apostles who were preaching to the Galatians that it was necessary for justification (acceptability with God) that we not only trust Christ but also add to that trust our own good works. 

Hear Luther on this point:
"Paul therefore concludes that there is no gospel besides what he himself had preached. But he had not preached a gospel of his own devising, but the one God had promised through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures (Romans 1;2). Therefore, he pronounces himself and others, even an angel from heaven, to be certainly condemned if they teach anything contrary to this gospel...We with Paul bodly pronounce all teaching to be accursed if it does not agree with ours. In our preaching we do not voice human praise or the favor of princes or bishops, but the favor of God alone. It is his grace and mercy ALONE that we preach, and we despise and tread underfoot whatever is of ourselves. Whoever teaches any other gospel, or one that is contrary to ours, let us be bold and say he is sent from the devil and is to be condemned."    (P. 53, 55)