Solano Portela exhibiting Galatians 5:1-12 shows the difference between the true and the false gospel and invites us to be ashamed of the false gospel preached by many.
Paul in Romans 1: 15-17 declares that he is not ashamed of the gospel. It shows that the true gospel can be ashamed of itself. On the other hand, the false gospel must be ashamed! They are a different shame for different gospels.
- Paul was not ashamed of the scandal of the cross.
- Because the true gospel is that of Christ.
- He has the power to save and generates true faith.
- The false gospel.
- On the other hand.
- Changes the content of the cross to popular and acceptable content.
- When it does not reduce it to a simple methodology and therefore does not come from Christ.
- Has no power to save and does not generate authentic faith.
Paul urges Timothy not to be ashamed of the unpopular gospel, of the persecuted of the world, of which he begat wives, just as he was not ashamed (2 Timothy 1: 7,8,12,16). Perhaps Timothy was a coward in The Face of the World Opposition. We must always be aware of the pressure of social acceptability. We often want to be well accepted by the world, but preaching the gospel is crazy by the standards of the world. The remedy against cowardice is trust in the spirit of power, love and moderation (2 Timothy 1:7) and do not shout louder.
The gospel of God is perfect and we have nothing to add to it. The mark of the false gospel is precisely the addition (legalism) or elimination (antinomism) of essential elements for the true gospel. We must be ashamed of this false gospel, even if you speak of Christ, you will do it wrong.
In the epistle to the Galatians, Paul argues in three lines: (1) the historical argument (chapters 1 and 2), (2) theological argument (3 to 5. 1) and (3) the moral argument (5. 2 to 6:18) In the first argument, Paul presents a personal testimony (v. 1-6) and a personal call, showing the irrationality of the false gospel (7-12).
Christ freed us for the sake of freedom. Therefore, stand firm and no longer submit to the yoke of slavery. I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourself be circumcised, Christ will be of no use to you. Again, I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to keep the whole law. You have disconnected from Christ, you who seek to justify yourselves by law; please you fell. Because we, by the Spirit, expect the hope of righteousness that comes from faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision has courage nor incircumcision, but faith that works out of love. (Galatians 5: 1-6).
You were running well; that prevented you from continuing to obey the truth?This persuasion doesn’t come from the caller. A little sourd dough causes the whole dough to rise. I trust in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other feeling; but anyone who annoys them, whoever it is, will be condemned; but I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?As a result, the scandal of the cross is undone. The rebels have been maimed (Galatians 5:7-12).
What gospel are you ashamed of? As pious as they may seem, I am ashamed of the following false gospels:
I am ashamed of the Roman Catholic gospel that preaches salvation through faith and works and the inerrance of traditions.
I am ashamed of the gospel of sects that present writings with greater authority than Scripture and which are the fruit of a new revelation.
I am ashamed of the neopentecostal gospel, which places the doctrines of the Christian faith in a dark and rare room and creates strange interpretations of shouting, agitation, ation, etc.
I am ashamed of the Neopaian gospel that adds strange ceremonies to the Christian language (mountain worship, prayers in clothing, marches with petitions written on sandals and other pagan fetishes).
I am ashamed of the sellers of gospel formulas of happiness and the manual merchants of prosperity who forget that the God who can bless is the same god who says that in this world we will have afflictions.
I am ashamed of the gospel of healers who value the power of personalism and a collective marathon of catharsis.
Am I ashamed of the gospel in any way? Grace this says a lot about God’s love, but it presents a cheap, non-biblical grace that comforts the sinner in his sin rather than bringing him to repentance.
I am ashamed of the gospel of some traditionalists that relates to historical theological notions that enslave and are not specified in the scriptures.
Am I ashamed of the methodological gospel of some evangelicals who find the preaching of the Word powerless if modern techniques are not applied?As if power were in methodology and not in the Spirit.
I am ashamed of the modern Judaizing gospel of extreme messinic Jews who stand above other Christians and erect barriers that the Messiah has already broken.
I am ashamed of the neo-orthodox gospel that separates the Word from the facts of history and preaches a subjectivism that affirms or constructs nothing.
I am ashamed of the gospel of the theological liberals who maintain Christian language, but regard the Bible as a mere human narrative full of flaws.
I am ashamed of the gospel of relational theologians who preach to an impotent god, subject to human machinations and the laws of nature, who has no plan but lives subject to the frustration of seeking a relationship with a sovereign man.
Lord, reaffirm and strengthen our faith! Deliver us from the false gospel that nullifies the sacrifice of Christ Jesus; Let us stand firm in freedom, fleeing from the false gospel that shames us; let us follow the Word of God in everything and proclaim the true gospel.