Paul's "other gospel"

[hamba2han]

What is the name of this “other gospel” that Paul was very likely referring to in these verses from the Bible?

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. (Gal 1:6-9)

Let us examine historical evidence in order to determine the answer to this question.

We know that the apostle Barnabas died in 61 CE and the gospel that he was widely believed to have wrote was compiled in 51 CE.

The Epistle to the Galatians was not written before 54 to 58 CE and considering that no other gospel was in existence at this time and since it is also known that Barnabas was indeed preaching some “gospel” contrary to that of Paul’s during this period, it is therefore logical to believe that the gospel that Barnabas wrote is very likely indeed to be the “other gospel” that Paul was referring to in Galatians.

Most Christians would contend that the Gospel of Barnabas is a fraud but I would submit that given the differences and subsequent parting of ways between Paul and Barnabas, the gospel that Barnabas preached was indeed the gospel that Paul warned about when he wrote his Epistle to the Galatians.

 

[conan025]

The answer is in those verses you cited. It does not refer to some allegedly “lost gospel” like the Gospel of Thomas. Rather, Paul is talking about those who would pervert the Gospel of Christ and replace it with one based on works, specifically, the Old Testament law.

The Juadaizers were only the first in a long string of those who sought to reinterpret Christianity in their own terms. The gnostics were others, continuing with the sects today.

This is precisely why we need an authority to tell us what the scriptures mean. Otherwise, it’s simply my interpretation/proof texts against yours, with no way of knowing who is right. The Holy Spirit is not the author of chaos.

 

[Angelos]

What is the name of this “other gospel” that Paul was very likely referring to in these verses from the Bible?

Your question souns silly because it is based upon an assumption as your deliberate use of the word “likely” indicates.

If u read the verses u quoted from Paul’s epistle to the Galatians after taking off the blinders of Islamic hatred and prejudice towards Christ, you will not ask a similar question again. This is because Paul makes it clear that there is no *other Gospel *than the one preached by the apostles: pay attention to the plural marker!

Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ

Excellent premonition by Paul! He foreknew that an illiterate Arab and his group of scribes would pervert the Gospel of Christ :clapping:

Let us examine historical evidence in order to determine the answer to this question.

We know that the apostle Barnabas died in 61 CE and the gospel that he was widely believed to have wrote was compiled in 51 CE.

As usual, we once more see that Islamic notion of historic evidence pertains to personal presumptions with no evidence at all! Thanks for being consistent

Who are you to know that Barnabas wrote a gospel less you can know for sure that his supposed Gospel preceded the Canonical ones? Please specify the personal pronoun in your statement: is that “we” referring to Muslim clerics who know nothing about Christianity

The Epistle to the Galatians was not written before 54 to 58 CE and considering that no other gospel was in existence at this time and since it is also known that Barnabas was indeed preaching some “gospel” contrary to that of Paul’s during this period, it is therefore logical to believe that the gospel that Barnabas wrote is very likely indeed to be the “other gospel” that Paul was referring to in Galatians.

Most Christians would contend that the Gospel of Barnabas is a fraud but I would submit that given the differences and subsequent parting of ways between Paul and Barnabas, the gospel that Barnabas preached was indeed the gospel that Paul warned about when he wrote his Epistle to the Galatians.

Again, who knows that Barnabas was preaching some other Gospel at that time? Let’s follow another strategy now:

Please answer these questions:

1) Why didn’t Paul criticize Barnabas and the ones following his supposed gospel overtly although the Islamic Gospel of Barnabas condemns Paul many times, presenting the excellent examples of anachronism - which denies the authenticity of the material?

**2)**Why didn’t Paul warn the other Christian communities (Thessalonians, Colossians, Ephesians, Romans, Corinthians, Philippians) against the alleged Gospel?
**
3)**Why didn’t Paul give in any of his epistle the list of the canonical Gospels as well as the apocryphal ones?

**4)**Why didn’t Paul write a Gospel himself???

**5)**Why didn’t Paul claim to be one of the 12 apostles?

Interestingly, the Gospel of Barnabas contends that Barnabas was one of the twelve, and the author tells us why he writes the Gospel: to give testimony to the perversion of Christ’s Gospel by Paul! Funny indeed because the Islamic Barnabas miraculously knows even during Jesus’ lifetime that Paul perverted the Gospel.

I must also express my bewilderment: The Koran never implicitly or explicitly says that one of the apostles wrote Christ’s Gospel. The idea that some of Christ’s disciples were inspired and/or authorized to write Christ’s Gospel is a purely Christian concept and tradition! I am shocked to see you clinging to this Christian teaching, turning your back on Islamic teaching about Injil min Allah

Angelos N. (ex-muslim)

 

[Joe_Kelley]

From the context of Saint Paul’s writing, I suspect he was referring to the “Gospel”, that is the teaching, of the Judaizers. They were claiming that one must first become a Jew before he could become a Christian and that all Christians must observe all the Jewish practices.

 

[hamba2han]

The answer is in those verses you cited. It does not refer to some allegedly “lost gospel” like the Gospel of Thomas. Rather, Paul is talking about those who would pervert the Gospel of Christ and replace it with one based on works, specifically, the Old Testament law.

The Juadaizers were only the first in a long string of those who sought to reinterpret Christianity in their own terms. The gnostics were others, continuing with the sects today.

This is precisely why we need an authority to tell us what the scriptures mean. Otherwise, it’s simply my interpretation/proof texts against yours, with no way of knowing who is right. The Holy Spirit is not the author of chaos.

This raises the question as to how do Christians know that what Paul taught is correct and what is in the “other gospel” is wrong?

I agree completely that you do need an authority to tell you what the scriptures mean… and that authority is Jesus (pbuh) himself, not Paul and not the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE.

 

[exoflare]

This raises the question as to how do Christians know that what Paul taught is correct and what is in the “other gospel” is wrong?

I agree completely that you do need an authority to tell you what the scriptures mean… and that authority is Jesus (pbuh) himself, not Paul and not the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE.

If Jesus were the authority, then the apostles he set as authority figures would be so as well. Two sides of the same coin. Of course as Muslims I guess the only “Jesus” you even pay lip-service to is the strawman “Isa” that Mo made ignorant reference to…

 

[exoflare]

This raises the question as to how do Christians know that what Paul taught is correct and what is in the “other gospel” is wrong?

Get over yourself and actually listen to the replies for one second… There is no “other gospel” and the point of the verse you brought up is that any deviation from the real Gospel (i.e. Mohammed) is false.

 

[Angelos]

Look who is talking and advising us to listen to Jesus Himself rather than His apostles

Now I am asking you the same question:

Why do you believe in the Koran revised and edited by the third Chaliph Othman rather than in the one declared by Mohammed himself???

If you have doubts about the authority of Jesus’ disciples, read the Koran! Mohammed’s scribes somehow endorsed and praised their faith and mission.

Irini passi,

ANgelos N (ex-Muslim)

 

[Efrain]

I believe St. Paul might be talking about the Gnostics (gnosis=knowledge) who out of jealousy claimed to have had revelations which were superior or superceded the teaching of the Apostles. There were definitely some Gnostic teachings during the Apostle times according to tradition Simon the Mage in Acts 8:9 might have been the founder of such beliefs. Early Gnosticism claimed that the soul and body were distinct from each other and not related. The body itself was sinful and nature and couldn’t be controlled and therefore held the belief that the body sinned and not their soul. Basically during the persecutions they felt they were able to dent God because it was their body that denied God and not their soul. So I believe that these prophets and false beliefs is what St. Paul and other Apostles preached against.

 

[LSK]

This raises the question as to how do Christians know that what Paul taught is correct and what is in the “other gospel” is wrong?

I agree completely that you do need an authority to tell you what the scriptures mean… and that authority is Jesus (pbuh) himself, not Paul and not the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE.

This is where Catholics and you part company. We do believe that the legitimate councils called by The Church have such authority for it is they, through the Power of the Holy Spirit, who are in the position of determining what is false teaching and what is Truth.

 

[hamba2han]

Since the passage in question does indeed point to only one gospel and does not mention gospels, Christians need to ask what this one gospel was at the time Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galatians and which he said was a perversion of the gospel of Christ.

Aren’t you even the least bit interested to know what this gospel is?

As to the question of how do Christians know that what Paul taught is correct and what is in the “other gospel” is wrong?

The simple answer is that you “know” because Paul told you so… and so, it is entirely a matter of faith in Paul and not Jesus (pbuh).

Christians believe the testimony of one man over the other i.e. Paul over the preacher of this “other gospel”.

Why is this “other gospel” wrong?.. Because Paul said so.

That in a nutshell, is the whole basis of Christian belief i.e. because Paul said so and therefore it must be the gospel truth…

 

[Chris_LaRock]

There are many ‘other’ gospels out there. Paul was simply warning people from running after these frauds.

1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel –

1:7 not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ.

1:8 But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be condemned to hell!

1:9 As we have said before, and now I say again, if any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be condemned to hell! (NET Bible)

 

[Angelos]

Since the passage in question does indeed point to only one gospel and does not mention gospels, Christians need to ask what this one gospel was at the time Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galatians and which he said was a perversion of the gospel of Christ.

Aren’t you even the least bit interested to know what this gospel is?

As to the question of how do Christians know that what Paul taught is correct and what is in the “other gospel” is wrong?

The simple answer is that you “know” because Paul told you so… and so, it is entirely a matter of faith in Paul and not Jesus (pbuh).

Christians believe the testimony of one man over the other i.e. Paul over the preacher of this “other gospel”.

Why is this “other gospel” wrong?.. Because Paul said so.

That in a nutshell, is the whole basis of Christian belief i.e. because Paul said so and therefore it must be the gospel truth…

Dear amigo

Thanks for another post full of baseless arguments!

Since there were no Gospel**s **at the time Paul wrote his epistle to the Galatians - as you state in your latest post - it is easy to infer that there was no written Gospel at that time either! This leads us to the fact that Barnabas or any other disciple had not written a Gospel yet. Thanks for proving our point and rebutting your presumptions

Find some time to read Paul’s letter to the Galatians if you really want to know what that perversion was all about and why Paul warned the believers in Galatia. We already know what Paul was referring to when he wrote his letter.

Let me help you a little: Neither in Paul’s letters nor in the other books of the New Testament can we find anyone condemn a teaching that is similar to the tenets of Islam. Although there were many heresies at that time and some were condemned by Paul, none of those false doctrines or religions had anything in common with Mohammed’s bible and his objections to Christianity! So many apocryphal gospels with no Islamic content! Why??? Because no one knew anything about Islam at the time of the apostles since there was no Islam at all! (Your scripture will not be able to replace history with fantasies no matter how ardently it tries to manipulate all the prophets and scriptures. You should not waste your time and energy: friendly advice)

You are wrong again to say that we Christians believe in the testimony of one man over the others. We have many witnesses and the Church of Christ to defend the apostolic faith against heretics and false prophets, so stop worrying. You, however, believe that Christianity is a false religion because one man thought and taught so 600 years after both Jesus and His holy apostles. I hope you can figure out who clings to the nutshell now.

Peace,
Angelos N (ex-Muslim)

 

[hamba2han]

Since there were no Gospel**s **at the time Paul wrote his epistle to the Galatians - as you state in your latest post - it is easy to infer that there was no written Gospel at that time either!

6: I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel
7: not that there is another gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.… Gal 1:6&7, RSV

I would rather believe what is written in the Bible itself about the existence of a “different gospel” that people were turning to at the time Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galatians than to accept your unfounded assertion that there wasn’t any other gospel at that time in history.

Don’t you believe what is clearly written in your own Bible?

 

[FCEGM]

6: I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel
7: not that there is another gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.… Gal 1:6&7, RSV

I would rather believe what is written in the Bible itself about the existence of a “different gospel” that people were turning to at the time Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galatians than to accept your unfounded assertion that there wasn’t any other gospel at that time in history.

Don’t you believe what is clearly written in your own Bible?

You are limiting - for your own obvious reasons - the meaning of “gospel”. The word is translated as “good tidings” and there were other - and false - contenders for the attention of the Faithful than the good tidings of Christ Jesus preached by the St. Paul and the other Apostles and those ordained by them to do so. THAT is what he is referring to, not a written Gospel (even such as the later-written “Gospel of Barnabas”, etc.). Simple.

 

[Angelos]

6: I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel
7: not that there is another gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.… Gal 1:6&7, RSV

I would rather believe what is written in the Bible itself about the existence of a “different gospel” that people were turning to at the time Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galatians than to accept your unfounded assertion that there wasn’t any other gospel at that time in history.

Don’t you believe what is clearly written in your own Bible?

I am convinced now that you have difficulty understanding not only the context of Paul’s warnings but also basic English. It is clear as daylight in the letter to the Galatians that there is NO other Gospel Paul is referring to!
(It is really funny to see you quote Paul’s message and simultaneously disregard his emphasized statement that there is no other Gospel. Paul only says some people are trying to pervert the true Gospel, but they will fail to replace it with Christ’s only and genuine Gospel)

Please find something better than reading into the Bible what is not there, otherwise you will have no difference from those people perverting the Gospel of Christ.

Please stop distorting my remarks too. I said there was no written written written Gospel at that time, which one of your previous posts unintentionally supported.

Being anti-Pauline should not lead people into dishonesty

Peace to you,
ANgelos N (ex-Muslim)

 

[hamba2han]

This is really a problem of semantics with regard to what is actually written in the Bible.

Consider the following 3 versions of the Biblical verses in question:

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel
7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ… New International Version

6 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
7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ… New Living Translation Version

6 I am amazed. You are so quickly deserting the One who chose you because of the grace that Christ has provided. You are turning to a different “good news.”
7 What you are accepting is really not the good news at all. It seems that some people have gotten you all mixed up. They are trying to twist the good news about Christ… New International Readers Version

It is obvious that Paul is not stating that a different gospel or ‘good news’ does not exist altogether but rather he is saying that he himself does not recognise that this “other gospel” is a true gospel.

And so, by rejecting out of hand the “other gospel” that Paul warned about here, Christians have indeed chosen to believe his testimony over that of the preacher of the “other gospel”.

Again I ask this question – How do you know that the gospel that Paul preached is the correct one and that the “other gospel” he has warned about in these verses is wrong?

I know that Christians will not even attempt to answer this question and so I will take the liberty to answer it for them.

The answer is really very simple – Christians “know” that the gospel that Paul preached is true and the “other gospel” is a perversion of the gospel of Christ because Paul himself said so and therefore it surely must be the gospel truth.

Am I right or am I right?

 

[Chris_LaRock]

A specific gospel is mentioned:

Gal 1:6 I wonder that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel.

After reading the last part, you could conclude that another gospel existed. But this isn’t the idea. Men were telling lies about Jesus and trying to make up a false doctrine even when the church was first starting out. The next verse specifies that the false teachings were not literally ‘another gospel’:

Gal 1:7 Which is not another: only there are some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

And then a warning is issued for those who purposely pervert the truth:

Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema.
Gal 1:9 As we said before, so now I say again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema.

(anethema: accursed/ damned)

 

[Angelos]

This is really a problem of semantics with regard to what is actually written in the Bible.

Consider the following 3 versions of the Biblical verses in question:

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel
7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ… New International Version

6 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
7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ… New Living Translation Version

6 I am amazed. You are so quickly deserting the One who chose you because of the grace that Christ has provided. You are turning to a different “good news.”
7 What you are accepting is really not the good news at all. It seems that some people have gotten you all mixed up. They are trying to twist the good news about Christ… New International Readers Version

It is obvious that Paul is not stating that a different gospel or ‘good news’ does not exist altogether but rather he is saying that he himself does not recognise that this “other gospel” is a true gospel.

And so, by rejecting out of hand the “other gospel” that Paul warned about here, Christians have indeed chosen to believe his testimony over that of the preacher of the “other gospel”.

Again I ask this question – How do you know that the gospel that Paul preached is the correct one and that the “other gospel” he has warned about in these verses is wrong?

I know that Christians will not even attempt to answer this question and so I will take the liberty to answer it for them.

The answer is really very simple – Christians “know” that the gospel that Paul preached is true and the “other gospel” is a perversion of the gospel of Christ because Paul himself said so and therefore it surely must be the gospel truth.

Am I right or am I right?

You are definitely wrong, as usual

First, posting here a thousand different versions of biblical translation will not provide you with hard evidence for the existence of a written Gospel at the time of Paul’s epistle to the Galatians.

Second, how do YOU know that the *other *Gospel in question is the Gospel of Barnabas??? Likewise, how do you know that the other Gospel contains Islamic tenets? Even before that, how do you know there must be a Gospel with Islamic content even though history has denied such a prospect? The answer is simple: because your beloved clerics teach you so like your messenger, who lived 6 centuries after Paul & did not know anything about him! (Mohammed’s scripture has very limited info about Jesus & His disciples; this is why Muslim clerics and theologians have to spend their precious time fabricating stories about Judaism & Christianity so as to cover up the blanks and gaps in the Koran)

Third, why are you ignoring my previous questions about Paul’s letter to the Galatians? Why do u insist on disregarding the context of the epistle and Paul’s remarks? The answer is simple again: because you know you will find an answer that will not please you and rebut your claims.

Last, I wonder which version of the Islamic scripture Othman’s Koran declares perverted through the following verse:

041: 40 Lo! those who distort Our revelations are not hid from Us. Is he who is hurled into the Fire better, or he who cometh secure on the Day of Resurrection ? Do what ye will. Lo! He is Seer of what ye do.

It is clear that some people distorted the Koran in the early days of its compilation. (I am not taking into account the arbitrary differentiation of some satanic verses in Mohammed’s bible from those of divine origin yet! Early Muslims thought they had authority to separate satan’s revelation from that of Allah)

As long as Muslims project unto Christianity the weak points of their religion, the Bible will not be free from false accusations.

Peace,
ANgelos N (ex-Muslim)

 

[Bushmaster]

Other Gospel Saint Paul talking about?

What could it be but the evil book Quran?

John (ex-muslim, too)