But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.

Galatians 1:8-11

How critical people can be of Christians and our faith, sometimes in good faith and other times bitterly, masking their own inner pain with hate. But be very careful in this point. Even if we find that something is making some people we don’t agree with very mad, we should not hold onto that thing!

Freaking out our ideological or philosophical opponents is not sufficient grounds to adopt a belief as gospel! Remember, satisfying the people on “our side” is also a kind of people pleasing! God through Paul was speaking in this passage of false teachers. Not unbelievers, not atheists, not sceptics, not Satanists, not anyone in need of the Gospel but rather those who were perverting it for their own benefit.

Remember: we are preaching the truth because it is the truth, not because it is convenient or expedient to our personal values or individual preferences. Don’t mistake those temporary, earthly alignments for eternal Spiritual alliance, which is found in the Church and all her members.

Ethan Kirl