Galatians 1 6

Galatians 1:6 kjv

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Galatians 1:6 nkjv

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,

Galatians 1:6 niv

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel?

Galatians 1:6 esv

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel ?

Galatians 1:6 nlt

I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News

Galatians 1 verses

Galatians 1 6 Meaning

Paul expresses his profound astonishment and shock that the Galatians are so quickly turning away from the foundational truth of their salvation. They are abandoning God, who graciously called them through Christ, in favor of a message that is not a genuine gospel but a distorted, counterfeit one, based on works of the law rather than grace.

Galatians 1 6 Context

Galatians chapter 1 immediately plunges into Paul's urgent and forceful defense of the pure gospel against a severe doctrinal error. Following his standard apostolic salutation (vv. 1-5), Paul remarkably omits the usual thanksgiving common in his other letters. Instead, he abruptly launches into a passionate rebuke. This omission underscores the gravity of the situation in Galatia, where Judaizing teachers were undermining the core principle of salvation by grace through faith by insisting that Gentile converts must also observe Jewish laws, particularly circumcision, to be truly saved. This verse, Galatians 1:6, marks the starting point of Paul's sharp condemnation of this "different gospel" and the profound theological crisis it created. Historically, the Galatian churches were likely located in the Roman province of Galatia (either northern or southern, though Southern is more favored by scholars), established during Paul's missionary journeys (Acts 13-14, 16). The swiftness of their departure from the pure gospel was particularly distressing to Paul.

Galatians 1 6 Word analysis

• I am amazed (Greek: θαυμάζω - thaumazo): This term conveys strong emotional bewilderment and astonishment, verging on dismay or disappointment, rather than mere surprise. Paul is expressing his profound shock at their spiritual regression. It is not just an intellectual observation but a heartfelt expression of deep pastoral concern and disapproval.
• that you are so quickly (Greek: οὕτως ταχέως - houtōs tacheōs): The adverb "quickly" emphasizes the alarming speed and immediacy of their apostasy. This highlights the Galatians' lack of firm grounding in the gospel or their susceptibility to new teachings. It underscores the urgency and severity of the threat Paul addresses.
• deserting (Greek: μετατίθημι - metatithēmi): A strong verb meaning "to remove, change position, transfer, turn away, betray, or abandon." It implies a decisive shift of allegiance, a defection. This is not a passive wandering but an active turning away from a previously accepted truth. In a theological sense, it signifies an apostasy or falling away from the true faith.
• Him who called you (Greek: τὸν καλέσαντά ὑμᾶς - ton kalesanta hymas): "Him" refers to God the Father, the ultimate source of their salvation (cf. Gal 1:1). The participle "called" refers to God's sovereign, divine initiative in summoning them into His kingdom and relationship. This divine call is foundational and efficacious, signifying their entry into covenant relationship with God.
• in the grace of Christ (Greek: ἐν χάριτι Χριστοῦ - en chariti Christou): This phrase specifies the nature of their calling. It defines the character of the divine invitation – one entirely founded upon unmerited favor, God's free gift, accomplished through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. This is the essence of the true gospel; any addition to grace undermines it.
• to a different gospel (Greek: εἰς ἕτερον εὐαγγέλιον - eis heteron euangelion): The crucial distinction here lies in heteros. Unlike allos (another of the same kind), heteros means "another of a different kind." This is not an alternative path to the same destination, but a fundamentally different, and therefore false, gospel. It is not merely a supplementary message but a perversion that contradicts the true message of salvation. The "gospel" being offered by the Judaizers, requiring circumcision and adherence to the law for salvation, was not merely supplementary but antithetical to the "gospel of grace."

Galatians 1 6 Bonus section

The shock Paul expresses in Galatians 1:6 can be understood as a deeply pastoral lament, indicating his emotional investment in the spiritual well-being of the Galatians. It is a moment of deep disappointment because they so readily fell for a diluted message, demonstrating perhaps a superficial grasp of the radical implications of God's grace. The speed ("so quickly") with which they abandoned the true gospel indicates the potent influence of the false teachers, and perhaps the human inclination to self-effort rather than pure reliance on God's generosity. The temptation of a "different gospel" often preys on a desire for certainty, achievement, or perceived control over one's salvation, which legalism seems to offer more tangibly than radical grace. However, such a system invariably diminishes the glory of Christ's finished work.

Galatians 1 6 Commentary

Galatians 1:6 is Paul's sudden, emphatic opening statement of dismay and censure, cutting short any typical pleasantries to immediately address a critical theological defection among the Galatians. His astonishment stems from the startling speed with which they abandoned the very foundation of their faith—God's call to them rooted solely in the unmerited grace found in Christ. The "desertion" they committed was not merely a slight doctrinal deviation but a fundamental abandonment of God himself by shifting their allegiance from a grace-based salvation to a works-based system, likely influenced by Judaizing teachers. These teachers were proclaiming "another gospel," which Paul declares is not merely alternative, but different in kind – a complete perversion that rendered it no gospel at all. For Paul, the purity of the gospel is non-negotiable; any compromise or addition to salvation by grace through faith in Christ is an attack on the finished work of Christ and leads to spiritual slavery rather than freedom. His words underscore that true Christianity is defined by grace, not human effort, and departing from this principle leads one away from the God who called them.