The Galatians 1:8-9 Anathemas as Prescription
against Teaching a False Gospel
by Tim L. Anderson, Ph.D.
Western Baptist College--Salem, Oregon
In a zealous attack on the abandonment of the gospel, Paul utters these words to the Galatians in
1:8-9:
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to
you, let him be anathema. As we have already said, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to
you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be anathema.
With their uses and abuses throughout the history of the church, do these anathemas say anything the
twenty-first century Christians? What is propositional about this revelation? Is there "the transcendence of
anathema" as Timothy George has argued years ago.
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What is Paul demanding of his readers? What is
God demanding of us? Simply put, it is the contention of this paper that these anathemas prescribe
discipline for those who seduce others to a false gospel.
Scriptural Discourse as Human and Divine Speech Act
As evangelicals we approach the Scriptures as God's authoritative inerrant speech or "divine
discourse."
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We must understand what the human and divine authors mean by what they say. Meaning, in
the words of Vanhoozer, "is a regulative idea, one that orients and governs interpretive practice" or simply
"the literal sense."
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Utterances carry more than mere meaning. More must be determined than what was
said. The acts of speech are "embodied-enacted authorial intention."
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As biblical interpreters of human and
divine discourse, in rhetorical terms, we must go beyond determining the meaning--locution--of these
important anathema statements themselves to determine their illocution--the force or implications upon their
hearers and their perlocution--the author's desired effects.
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It will be born out that what Searle states is
correct. "Propositional acts cannot occur alone; that is, one cannot just refer and predicate without making
an assertion or asking a question or performing some other illocutionary act."
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An emphasis upon the Bible
simply as "propositional revelation"--a series of declaratory statements that can be either rationally affirmed
or denied--can cause these latter illocutionary or force qualities of God's revelation to be missed by the
reader. Therefore, the appropriate response to Scripture's authority is more than assent to its doctrinal
propositions, but obedience to its directives and "expressives."
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Therefore, the imperative ajnavqema e[stw
as a speech act has meaning, force and desired effects.
In sum, I will interact with the various interpretations of what these Pauline anathemas mean, defend
a more holistic view, and then describe their force upon the Galatians and Paul's desired effects. First,
however, who are the ones whom Paul is anathematizing in Galatians 1?
The Offenders and Offense: The Seducing Apostates and Their Gospel
It is beyond the scope of this paper to give an extended study on the identity of those causing the
problems in Galatia. However, some identification is necessary since, according to Paul, they deserve
anathematization. In general, he characterizes them as seducers and apostates--those in these Christian
congregations who seek to have Gentiles come under the authority of the Mosaic Law and first century
Judaism.
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