THE APOSTLES’ DOCTRINE ONLY!!!

 

 

While Galatians 1:6-9 has specific reference to “the gospel” aspect of what the apostles taught, there are many other references that indicate the same level of priority and validity for the rest of what Christ taught through His apostles, as is necessitated by this Galatians passage. To begin with:

 

A) Jesus spoke of the importance of living by the whole council of God (Matt. 4:4).    That encompasses “All Scripture…”                               (2nd Timothy 3:16-17).

B) Jesus taught only what God wanted taught (John 7:16-18), and it was truth. (John 8:31-32).  " All Scripture is Truth" (John 17:17).

C) According to Jesus’ own words, our love for Him is defined by our willingness to obey His teaching   (John 14:15-23).

 

And His teaching did not end with His death on the cross. After His death, He would return to His apostles in the form of the Spirit (John 14:15-23), which He did (Acts 2:1-4, 2 Cor. 3:17), and continue to reveal and teach God’s Truth through them (John 16:12-14, 17:6-17). What they taught was His teaching. (Incidentally, this is why Jesus could affirm that whatever Peter bound for terms of admittance into Christ’s church/kingdom would be honored by Heaven-Matthew 16:18-19- because in reality, it would be Christ Himself, His Spirit in Peter, received earlier that day (in Acts 2) which would be binding baptism and repentance for the forgiveness of sins. To deny the essentiality of baptism for the forgiveness of sins therefore, is to deny Jesus’ teaching, and indeed, Jesus Himself.)

 

          This is why it is so vital for us to learn and obey what the apostles taught; for they did not speak from themselves any more than Jesus during His physical, human existence did. He spoke as God directed, and, like the prophets before them, so also did the apostles. (2nd Peter 1:20-21).

 

          And while Galatians 1:6-9 does refer specifically to “the gospel” aspect of His/their message, many other passages are much broader in their intended scope of reference and application, covering all the Truth that Jesus taught through His apostles, including similar warnings regarding those who refused to accept and follow that truth in many cases. For instance, see the following references:

 

A). Matthew 28:20

B). Acts 2:42, 13:4-12, 18:9-11

C). Romans 16:17-18

D). 1st Corinthians 11:1-2

E). 1st Corinthians 14:33-38

F). 2nd Corinthians 4:1-3

G). Ephesians 4:11-16

H). 1st Thessalonians 4:1-8

I).   2nd Thessalonians 2:9-15, 3:6-15

J).  1st Timothy 1:3-11 (which ties all the apostles doctrine to “the gospel”)

K). 1st Timothy 4:1-11, 6:3-5

L).  2nd Timothy 1:13, 2:15-19, 3:1-4:4

M).Titus 1:9-2:15

N). Hebrews 2:1-4

O). 2nd Peter 3:15-18

P). 1st John 2:24-27

Q). 2nd John 1:6-11

 

In all of these references, we see the importance of teaching only what Jesus Himself taught, whether in Person, or, in the Spirit through His hand-picked apostles, in all things; not only because it’s all we need (2nd Peter 1:3-12, Jude 3), but also because we do not want to face the consequences of denying what Jesus, in the form of the Holy Spirit, directed in the New Testament age, through His apostles (Matthew 12:31-32). That condemnation certainly rivals the one mentioned in Galatians 1:6-9 for those who distort the “gospel” message portion of God’s Truth, a truth in which we are to place our faith, a faith which was, in the first century “…once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

 

          I hope that this helps to show why it is so vital to respect and teach only what the Lord Jesus Christ and His hand-picked apostles taught, without contradiction in all things and not only the “gospel” aspect; because these passages clearly indicate that they were teaching only God and Christ’s will in all they taught in the New Testament. And if we are not content to teach only what Jesus taught either in Person, or in His apostles teachings (Acts 2:42), then Scripture says we do not truly love Him (John 14:15), nor is He truly our Lord (Luke 6:46-49).

 

 

In the Love of God and His Eternal Truth;

Douglas E. Dingley

 

 

Blessed to be the Evangelist for the church of Christ in Rapid City, South Dakota

Contact at: 605-343-4183; or, doug.dingley@gmail.com