One of the most perverted forms of Biblical interpretation is that of Galatians 1:8-9. This passage is commonly used by Christian Apologists in their attempt to prove that Mormonism is “another Gospel”.
Therefore, the purpose of this post is to provide understanding as to what the Apostle Paul is discussing within the context of Galatians 1:6-9.
Historically, the epistle was written to Gentile Christians in the Galatian Province. The question here is: was it written to all of Galatia or a particular part of Galatia? This is an interesting question, for, when I had researched into the nature and history of the epistle, there is a dispute as to whether or not the epistle was written to the Northern Province of Galatia or the Southern Province of Galatia. Several sources cite this as a historical background. In one classic commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians by W.M. Ramsey (1851 to 1939) published in 1899, we find this:
The study of this document is encumbered with a great preliminary difficulty. It is not certain who were the persons addressed. While some scholars maintain that the “Churches of Galatia,” to whom the Epistle is addressed, were planted in the four cities of Southern Galatia, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch, others assert that those Churches were situated in North Galatia. These two opposite opinions are conveniently designated as the South Galatian and the North Galatian Theory.
In his work – A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, published in 1920 – Ernest De Witt Burton collaborates the nature of the debate as to whether the Epistle was addressed to those Churches in the Northern part of Galatia or the Southern Part of Galatia:
On the basis, therefore, of the Acts narrative, and the evidence of the letter that “the churches of Galatia” to which it was addressed constituted one group founded on the same general occasion, we must exclude any hypothesis that the letter was addressed to churches in both parts of the province, and make our choice between the two hypotheses: (a) that Paul founded churches in northern Galatia on his second missionary journey, and addressed the letter to them and them only, using the term Galatia in its older, ethnographic sense; and (b) that he founded no churches in northern Galatia, and that he addressed his letter to the churches of Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and (Pisidian) Antioch, using the term Galatia in the political sense.
The importance in understanding to whom this epistle was written is to understand the actual historical context of how and why the Apostle Paul wrote what he wrote to certain peoples and groups. Thus, we must have a basic foundational understanding as to the historical context of the Epistle before any consideration of the textual context is to be discussed and understood. While, I am not going to delve into the nature as to whom the epistle was written too, suffice it to say that we understand the textual context as being this: …Unto the Churches of Galatia. (see Gal. 1:2). Whether these churches were in the Northern part or Southern Part is up for debate and is only mentioned here as a background of historical understanding.
However, not only is the historical context important to understand, but the importance of the content of the message, nature of the message and purpose of the message must be understood and properly interpreted within this historical context. While there is dispute as to the date of the Epistle itself, the overall historical context of the Epistle is two-fold:
1) It is addressing an attack on the Apostleship of Paul and his doctrines he espouse and teach.
2) It is addressing the false teaching by those Jewish-Christians who were convincing the Galatian Christians that they must adhere to the Jewish rituals of circumcision and keep the strict observations of the feasts and new moons as prescribed within the Old Covenant and Judaic Law.
3) Finally, the evidence of Gal. 1:6 shows forth the historical context of how First Century Christians fell into Apostasy due to false doctrines and teachings that others purport to instill upon others.
It is here that when a person truly studies the historical and doctrinal aspects of the Epistle of Galatians, there is the understanding that the modern Christian Apologetic reasoning to use Gal. 1:6-9 as a proof text to refute Mormonism is invalidated on the more evidentiary reasoning as to the actual historical and doctrinal context of the epistle itself. Therefore, let us look at the first aspect of the Epistle.
The Apostolic Authority of Paul under Attack
As mentioned before, the first aspect of the Epistle is the direct attack upon the apostleship of Paul. Burton, in the same work mentioned above, discusses the nature of the attack upon Paul’s Apostleship:
The letter itself furnishes evidence, which is confirmed by 1 and 2 Corinthians, that the apostolic office or function was clearly recognized as one of great importance in the Christian community, and that the question who could legitimately claim it was one on which there was sharp difference of opinion. An apostle was much more than a local elder or itinerant missionary. He was a divinely commissioned founder of Christian churches, indeed, more, of the Christian church ecumenical. With their effort to keep the Christian movement within the Jewish church, including proselytes from other religions, the judaisers naturally associated the contention that the apostolate was limited to those who were appointed by Jesus or by those whom he appointed. With their denial of the distinctive doctrines of Paul they associated a denial of his right to teach them as an apostle. This denial seems to have taken the form of representing Paul as a renegade follower of the Twelve, a man who knew nothing of Christianity except what he had learned from the Twelve, and preached this in a perverted form. This appears from the nature of Paul’s defense of his independent authority as an apostle in the first two chapters of the letter, and indicates that with their theory of a limited apostolate the judaisers had associated the claim that the apostolic commission must proceed from the circle of the original Twelve.
It is the very same attitude of these Jewish-Christians (or Judiazers) that modern Christian Apologists implement in their arguments to deny the Apostleship of the General Authorities of the Latter-day Saint Christian Faith, limiting it to the Original Twelve apostles of Christ. Discredit the authority of the person, one ultimately discredits the nature and purpose of the message being delivered. A very serious charge to make and buy into – one of which a commentator has taken upon themselves to perform:
eternally condemned; The Holy Spirit speaks this through the Apostle Paul, this means that Joseph Smith is accursed and damned to hell for preaching another gospel. And you can only be saved by receiving the True Gospel as The Holy Spirit and faith are only imparted through the preaching of the true Gospel
However, Burton is not the only one to discuss this. Martin Luther, one of the great reformers and quite possibly the father of the Protestant Reformation, provided the following commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians:
In every way they sought to undermine the authority of St. Paul. They said to the Galatians: “You have no right to think highly of Paul. He was the last to turn to Christ. But we have seen Christ. We heard Him preach. Paul came later and is beneath us. It is possible for us to be in error—we who have received the Holy Ghost? Paul stands alone. He has not seen Christ, nor has he had much contact with the other apostles. Indeed, he persecuted the Church of Christ for a long time.”
Who were these people that Luther refers to?
These Jewish-Christian fanatics who pushed themselves into the Galatian churches after Paul’s departure, boasted that they were the descendants of Abraham, true ministers of Christ, having been trained by the apostles themselves, that they were able to perform miracles.
Why I mention this is because of the tone of the Epistle from the outset. Imagine having seen Christ. Being struck down on your way to arrest believers and you are a Jew who prescribed to the Pharisaic traditions. You encounter the Resurrected Christ, spend time with the original twelve, are separated with another into the apostolic calling and go about preaching the Gospel, setting up churches and submitting letters to keep those believers adherent to true doctrines and teachings. Imagine having been informed that your very own testimony, the very calling you hold to as coming from God and you have been separated into by the original twelve is being discredited. How would one respond? The answer is quite clear. Paul is angry and upset. Angry that those defectors are denying his apostolic calling. Using their reasoning and argumentation of their perverted belief that because they are descendants of Abraham, that they are the only sole heirs of Salvation and that in order to be saved, one has to not only be circumcised but have to be adopted into the Judaic religion.
This is where the argument of the Christian Apologist falls apart when using Galatians 1:6-9 as a proof text to prove that Mormonism is “another Gospel” that is false and preaching a different Jesus. In fact, there are two main points where this argument falls apart, when properly examined in historical and textual context: 1) Claiming to be the “Chosen” people of God based upon Ancestorial decent from Abraham as those Jews of the First Century rise of Christianity; And, 2) Teaching that in order to be saved, one has to adhere to the circumcision and be adopted into the lineage of Abraham in order to be considered part of the Chosen people of God.
Mormon’s do not claim any Judaic traditions to Abraham. Meaning, members of the faith, nor the leaders go about saying that we are “Abraham’s Seed” and therefore are the sole persons of the True Gospel Message. In fact, if anything, we definitely understand what Christ and Paul truly taught regarding who were of the Seed of Abraham:
They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. (John 8:39).
When we look at the context of John 8:39, we find that there is a discussion between the Jews and Christ. In fact, verse 33 says this: They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed…and Christ responding with acknowledgement to their response in verse 37: I know that ye are Abraham’s seed. Yet, sandwiched between 33 and 37, we find that Christ says a very interesting thing: Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. Thus, the context of what Christ says in verse 39 is understood within the context of verses 33-39. What were the works of Abraham? And why is that important to understand in light of Galatians 1?
John Calvin, in his work Commentary on John – Volume 1, discusses the nature of verse 39 and the context of verses 33-39.
39. Abraham is our father. This altercation shows plainly enough how haughtily and fiercely they despised all Christ’s reproofs. What they continually claim and vaunt of is, that they are Abraham’s children; by which they do not simply mean that they are the lineal descendants of Abraham, but that they are a holy race, the heritage of God, and the children of God. And yet they rely on nothing but the confidence of the flesh. But carnal descent, without faith, is nothing more than a false pretense. We now understand what it was that so greatly blinded them, so that they treated Christ with disdain, though armed with deadly thunder. Thus the word of God, which might move stones, is ridiculed in the present day by Papists, as if it were a fable, and fiercely persecuted by fire and sword; and for no other reason but that they rely on their false title of “the Church,” and hope that they will be able to deceive both God and man. In short, as soon as hypocrites have procured some plausible covering, they oppose God with hardened obstinacy, as if he could not penetrate into their hearts.
If you were the children of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham. Christ now distinguishes more plainly between the bastard and degenerate children of Abraham, and the true and lawful children; (“Entre les enfans d’Abraham qui sont bastars et forlignans, et le vrais et legitimes.”) for he refuses to give the very name to all who do not resemble Abraham True, it frequently happens that children do not resemble, in their conduct, the parents from whom they are sprung; but here Christ does not argue about carnal descent, but only affirms that they who do not retain by faith the grace of adoption are not reckoned among the children of Abraham before God. For since God promised to the seed of Abraham that he would be their God, saying,
I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, (Genesis 17:7,)
all unbelievers, by rejecting this promise, excluded themselves from the family of Abraham.
The state of the question therefore is this: Ought they to be accounted Abraham’s children who reject the blessing offered to them in the word, so that, notwithstanding of this, they shall be a holy nation, the heritage of God, and a royal priesthood? (Exodus 19:6; Joel 3:2.) Christ denies this, and justly; for they who are the children of the promise must be born again by the Spirit, and all who desire to obtain a place in the kingdom of God ought to be new creatures. Carnal descent from Abraham was not indeed useless, and of no value, provided that the truth were added to it. For election dwells in the seed of Abraham, but it is free, so that all whom God sanctifies by his Spirit are accounted heirs of life.
What I find strikingly similar (when I had devoted some time to studying the historical aspect of the Epistle to the Galatians) is that the similar arguments proposed by the Judiazers as to their direct lineage of Abraham is that of those Jews who confronted Christ while he served his earthly ministry and stated the same argument and were proven false. Yet, the question had not been answered – what were the works of Abraham and why did Christ mention to these people that if Abraham were truly their father, they would do the work of Abraham? The answer is very simple and quite obvious. Faith. The work of Abraham was that of faith in the redemptive power of Christ and the salvation of man. This is evident in verse 56: Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day.
Paul says this in Romans 4:3 – For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. What scripture is Paul referring to?
While many interpreters would say that this is evidence of salvation of grace within the Old Testament, a true and more careful reading of the scripture Paul refers to does not talk about works of righteousness, but talks about believing in the promises of God and the covenants God makes with those who choose to enter into a righteous relationship with the Divine:
…the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” And Abram said, “O Lord God, what wilt Thou give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Since Thou hast given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who shall come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:1-6, NASB)
Regarding how Genesis 15:1-6 is referring to Faith as a Work, we look only to James 2: 21 – Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
We understand that the nature of God calling up Abram to sacrifice his only begotten son was to test his “faith” in God. Because of Abram’s faith, he believed that there was a purpose and reason for such a command. This is where the argument of the Salvation by Grace alone and Salvation of Grace and Sanctification come into conflict. It is this very reason that some Christian Apologists rely so heavily upon the idea and understanding that because Galatians 1:6-9 talk about a Gospel of Works as being another gospel and therefore cursed by God is reason to condemn Mormonism.
However, the reality and truth are, that when we look at the nature of the Gospel of Grace, we see that we are not only called into repentance and embrace the reality of Christ, but that we are to no longer live as we had lived prior to our conversion. Our faith is not just a belief but a life long change to conform our will to following Christ. Thus, when we look at Abraham, we see that God made a promise to Abraham in providing an heir and that Abraham would be the father of an innumerable amount of people. Christ, declared to the false Jewish belief that because they were of the lineage of Abraham, they were therefore Chosen of God as a holy and distinct people, stated that if these Jews were truly the Seed of Abraham, then they would believe in Christ just as Abraham believed in him – Christ being the Lord in the Old Testament. It is the reason Paul, the Apostle, stated in Romans that because Abram believed on the word of God, that he was declared righteous.
What all this means is that when we look at all of the Apostle Paul’s teaching, he taught two fundamental things:
1) Salvation does not come from lineage and ancestorial descent.
2) Salvation is not produced from performance of any type of “Works of Righteousness” as a means to gain Christ’s acceptance. On the contrary, because of Christ’s redemption and saving grace bestowed upon us, we manifest our appreciation and devotion in following after him and because of our faith in Christ, the evidence is the very works produced as a result of that faith and devotion – Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. is the opposite of if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. The Apostle Paul stated it simply, by their fruits, ye shall know them. Christ declared that a good tree does not bring forth evil fruit and a bad tree does not bring forth good fruit. Works are the fruit of our faith.
Hence, it is this very reason that those Jewish-Christians who claimed that because they were descendants of Abraham, they were the “promised and chosen” seed of Abraham. Thereby, perverting the Gospel of Christ and teaching the Galatian believers that in order for them to be saved, they had to not do the works of righteousness, but had to embrace the traditions and rituals of the Judaic rights of circumcision and be adopted into the “family lineage” of Abraham in order to be considered the chosen of God. Something that the Mormon Faith, Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the Prophets and apostles of the Church have never; nor, will ever teach and embrace.
Another thing to note, regarding this, and how it all correlates with the nature of disputing the authority of Paul, is that when these Judiazers taught the Galatians, they were effectively disproving Paul’s teaching and denied Paul as an Apostle of Jesus Christ. They had convinced the Galatian Christians not to accept Paul’s teaching on the basis that Paul’s doctrine was “another gospel”. Something which we will discuss next.
False Teaching of the Jewish-Christians
Previously, I discussed the nature of what these Jewish-Christians were teaching the Galatian Christians as to what they believed to be a “true gospel” as opposed to what Paul, the Apostle taught. And, the more I think about this, the more I am starting to realize the similarities between these Jewish-Christians and some of the Evangelical Christians that I dialogue with in regards to Mormonism and the doctrines of the LDS Faith.
The first thing we noticed, and one of the later things I had discussed in the prior section, is that the “works” these Jewish-Christians were teaching were the circumcision and adoption into the Abrahamic line. To these people, the belief in the Abrahamic covenant still had a hold upon their mindset and belief system. While embracing this, they assimilated the ideals of the Older covenant with that of the newer Covenant of Grace. To this, we look to the original twelve that Christ had called into discipleship and later became known as the Apostles.
All twelve men were Jews. There were no Gentile Apostles that Christ had called to follow after. In fact, the gospel of Grace was first preached in contrast to the long held traditions of the various schools of religious thought within Jerusalem. The Pharisees, Sadducees and the Zealots.
These twelve men were from the surrounding area of Judea and Jerusalem. Thus, from this Jewish idealism, the Jewish-Christians believed that the Gospel were preached unto them and them alone because of their ideal understanding that the Nation of Israel is God’s Chosen People, and, likewise, because Abraham was promised to have numerous children surpassing the stars in heaven. Therefore, it would be natural that these people would integrate their Jewish idealisms within the New found gospel of Christ. And, as a result, preached “a different gospel” of Jesus Christ.
Burton expounds upon this thought of how and what doctrine these Judiaziers would use to influence the Gentile Christians, the difference between Peter and Paul and how the original 12 Apostles accepted Paul’s missionary efforts and preaching to the Gentiles:
On the one hand, there were added to the Christian community in Judæa certain men of strongly conservative tendencies who were convinced that Christianity ought to be built strictly on the basis of the Abrahamic covenant, and that the Christian sect ought to differ from other Jewish sects, in particular from the Pharisaic sect, only by the addition of the doctrine of the Messiahship of Jesus, and in no case by any subtraction from the doctrines or requirements of the Old Testament religion as currently interpreted. On the other hand, as the effects of the evangelistic activity of Paul became more manifest and better known to the church at Jerusalem, the real extent and serious nature of his departure from the views and practices now becoming current in the mother church doubtless became more evident. As a result of these two influences the question of the obligation of the Gentile Christians to be circumcised came to an issue in the incident narrated by Paul in Gal. 21-10. The debate which took place on that occasion was apparently limited to this one question of the circumcision of Gentile Christians. The Jerusalem apostles at first urging Paul to conform, at least in the case of Titus, to the views of the ultraconservative element, were at length persuaded to throw their influence on the side of Paul’s view, to give their approval to his way of winning the Gentiles to faith in Christ, and not to insist upon circumcision.
Not only does Burton accept the notion that these Jewish Christians integrated their understanding of the Jewish customs and doctrines, but that they admittedly required and retained the idea of salvation through circumcision. Thus, this brings about the truer understanding of what the Apostle Paul states in Romans 2:24 – 3:1 –
For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written, For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
We know that the understanding of what Paul was relating here is within the context of Romans 2:2-10 where the Apostle Paul discusses those who do the works of Righteousness and how they are blessed because of this and how those who do the works of unrighteousness are in anguish, tribulation, and that these two faucets of human experience are not just among the Jews, but also of the Gentiles. It is here, that the Apostle Paul says that man will be judged by their works – not their faith. This is not to diminish the Gospel of Grace and the salvation that Christ had brought about, but it is to realize that one can’t say that they confess Christ as their Lord and Savior in word alone, but must confess that Christ is their Lord and Savior in word and deed. Christ saves us from death – both physical and spiritual, however we are held accountable to the things we do in our life that result in either having a blessed life or a cursed life.
Thus, what we discover is the specific doctrine that Paul is contending against, and that of being circumcised in order to receive salvation and redemption. Yet, Burton is not alone in this understanding of what it was Paul was calling the Galatian believers to turn away from. An understanding of the doctrine that was literally causing the Galatian Christians to apostatize from the gospel Paul preached. The Jaimeson, Fausset and Brown Critical Commentary discusses it in this way:
Judaizing teachers had persuaded the Galatians that Paul had taught them the new religion imperfectly, and at second hand; that the founder of their church himself possessed only a deputed commission, the seal of truth and authority being in the apostles at Jerusalem: moreover, that whatever he might profess among them, he had himself at other times, and in other places, given way to the doctrine of circumcision. To refute this, he appeals to the history of his conversion, and to the manner of his conferring with the apostles when he met them at Jerusalem; that so far was his doctrine from being derived from them, or they from exercising any superiority over him, that they had simply assented to what he had already preached among the Gentiles, which preaching was communicated, not by them to him, but by himself to them {Paley}.
Turning to Martin Luther’s Commentary, we further read his comments as follows:
Their objection to Paul’s Gospel is identical to that recorded in the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Acts to the effect that it was not enough for the Galatians to believe in Christ, or to be baptized, but that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses, for “except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.” As though Christ were a workman who had begun a building and left it for Moses to finish.
The more one studies this epistle, one begins to understand that the context (both historically and contextually) is not about the denial of accountability and being obedient to the Gospel of Christ, but it is about the denial of promoting and preaching the nature and custom of Circumcision as being the ordinance to secure one’s salvation. In other words, it is specifically against the doctrine of circumcision that the Apostle Paul refers to as being “another Gospel”. In this light, the accusation that Mormonism is “Another Gospel” according to Galatians 1:6-9 is a fallacious argument having no foundational support on this. It further exposes the error of the critic who uses Galatians 1:6-9 as a proof text against Mormonism and against the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. In short, Galatians 1:6-9 actually supports the Latter-day Saint position more so than the modern Evangelical Christian would presume it to support their own position. The observation on this latter statement is self-evident.
Judiazer claims that in order to secure one’s salvation in Christ is to become adopted into the Abrahamic Covenant and be Circumcised according to the manner in which Moses was commanded to be circumcised.
Christian believers today say something to the effect: In order to be saved, one only need to make a confessionary statement through prayer and accept Christ in their heart and life. Anything added to this; baptism, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, obedience to Christ and the commandments of Christ – are but another gospel. On the contrary, even Satan and the demons believe in Christ, does this mean they are saved? Some atheists are adherents to good works of human service and devotion, does this mean they are saved? The reality is that Salvation is first and foremost by and through Jesus Christ. Man can’t in anyway redeem himself from the fall. Yet, once redeemed from his sins, man has an obligation to turn from his natural tendencies, former beliefs and subjugate them to follow after Christ and live in a manner where the power of redemption is manifested through them. Christ, Paul and the scriptures are consistently clear that men will be judged, not on their faith, but upon their deeds in this life. Something Christians (when it comes to the differences between Mormonism and modern Evangelical Christian teaching and dogmatics) scoff at, yet turn and teach as evidence of one’s faith and reason for the hope of Salvation that lies within the follower of Christ.
Evidence of Apostasy:
The Epistle to the Galatians is strong evidence for doctrinal apostasy. Something that Christian Apologists disagree with when it comes to the Latter-day Saint statement and belief that Early Christianity had gone into a state of apostasy, the power of the Priesthood having become corrupt and ultimately removed from the earth.
Not only was Paul contending for his reason and calling as an Apostle of Jesus Christ, combating the false doctrine of Circumcision, but that he recognized the reality and severity of the false doctrine having come into the belief of the Galatian Christians and caused them to turn from the Gospel of Christ.
While some would agree that this is specific to the reference of those Churches in Galatia, the reality is that we do not have any reference or source as to whether or not the Christians in Galatia turned back to the true Gospel of Christ or if they had completely abandoned the gospel of Christ for the more Judaic perversion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No matter, the fact is, Paul recognized that these believers were falling away from the pure gospel of Christ.
This apostasy was due to three factors: First, the doubt as to Paul’s authority as an Apostle (Which we discussed first); Second, declaring the Gospel that Paul preached as being contradictory to that which the Jewish-Christians believed and accepted as the true Gospel, declaring that their doctrines come from the original Twelve whom were Jews as well and Paul, only being an emissary of the Original Twelve; and Thirdly, influence of the Galatian’s own cultural, ethnic and previous paganistic belief system.
A serious inquiry of the Epistle to the Churches of Galatia shows forth that the reality of doctrinal apostasy was very real. Why would Paul contend for his authority of Apostleship, defend his teaching and declaring that it is the same gospel as that of the original Twelve in Jerusalem and call the Christian believers in Galatia to repentance and back into the true gospel of Christ?
Final Thoughts and Testimony
The overall historical and textual context of the Epistle to the Galatians shows that the reference to “Another Gospel” is not a reference to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but it is a reference to the false doctrinal teaching that in order for a Gentile Christian to be saved, they had to accept the custom of circumcision and be adopted into the false ideal of the “Chosen” lineage of the Abrahamic Covenant. There is no evidence, in light of this investigatory study, supporting the modern Christian interpretation of Galatians 1:6-9 as to Paul referring to Mormonism, Joseph Smith and the coming forth of the Restoration of the Gospel. It is actually on the contrary that Galatians 1:6-9 is in support of the Latter-day Saint position of how and why there needed to be a restored gospel of Christ. The epistle is a call to repentance of following after false doctrines and traditions and embracing the true gospel of Jesus Christ. What is the true gospel of Jesus Christ?
- We believe that men will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam’s transgression.
- We believe that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
- We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Whether you want to agree with me or disagree with me is up to you. I am only responsible to share what I believe to be true, how it is true and the substantial evidence for that truth.
I, personally, testify to you that Jesus Christ truly is the sole source for our redemption. That by and through Christ, we are saved and have our hope and purpose. That because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, men can truly come to understand the reality of God’s divine plan: A plan to bring about the purpose and reason for our existence. I testify that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not about confessing Christ as our Lord and Savior, but it is about putting to death the old things and walking in a newness of life. That it is about how we live our life as much as it is about our belief in Christ, Jesus.
I truly have come to a knowledge as to the reality and truthfulness of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That it is truly the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ in these last days. That Joseph Smith was truly called of God, and those who declare otherwise, denying him his divine appointment as a Prophet in these last days are much like those Judiazers who denied Paul’s divine Apostleship.
I do testify that the Book of Mormon, and the Church is not “Another Gospel” but The Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Book of Mormon truly another testimony as to the reality and purpose to Christ’s mission, redemption and the call to repentance.
I say this because it is true, I say it, not because I have a false hope, or have been misled by the General Authorities, I say this because I have tasted the reality of Christ’s atonement, I have tasted the reality of being Born Again. I have tasted the bitterness of giving into false doctrines and presenting them as true doctrines. I have tasted the bitterness of attacking the doctrines of Christ in light of these false teachings that bind men to philosophical meanderings and improper interpretations of sacred scriptures.
I testify that there is a real living Prophet that leads the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that men are truly held accountable in either rejecting or accepting a True Prophet of God.
I say this with authority and truth and I say it in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Mindful Latter-day Saint Apologetics 
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