Are there really many gospels: many ways to God?  The false teachers said, ‘Yes’, and threw the church into confusion (Acts 15:24).  But the Apostle Paul said, ‘No’!  He was convinced that Jesus is the only way to God’s kingdom, and that His death on the cross was full payment for the sins of the world – God’s way of rescuing us from the evil in the world (Galatians 1:3-5).  He asserted that there is no other gospel (Galatians 1:6-7): and that anyone who should suggest a different way, or devalued the work of Christ on the cross - should be eternally damned.

This is a very strong message to commit to writing, but Paul was unashamed of the gospel of Jesus because it is uniquely true and divinely powerful to bring sinners to salvation (Romans 1:16).  This gospel was promised in the Old Testament and brought to light when Jesus was raised from the dead (Romans 1:2-4).  It is a gospel of blessing, and if it is distorted or substituted in any way, it will bring cursing.  

The Holy Spirit made Paul so sure of this that he went so far as to curse himself, if he should ever move from the gospel which Jesus had revealed to him.  Even if an angel should bring a different message, he should also be condemned to hell along with Satan.  No apostle nor even any angel, no church council nor church leader, has any right to change the gospel of God’s grace, subtract from it or add to it.  They would place themselves under God’s curse.  And so the false teachers, who denied that Jesus was God and the only acceptable sacrifice for sin, or who forced Christian Gentiles to follow the Jewish law, were as unacceptable to God as the devil (2 Peter 2:13-15).
 
Paul’s potent language was not hyperbole.  It is the truth from God.  It was designed to stop believers tolerating false teachers who undermined the church and led people astray.  We need to hear the same warning.  While there are many expressions of church and styles of worship, there can only be one true gospel.  Yet there are many teachers who either deny parts of the gospel or supplement it with pious rituals God has not commanded.  All their changes will appeal to some people; but they do not appeal to the God who will judge them, and those who follow them.  We must stop being naïve.  If preachers teach a different gospel to what Paul so fully describes in his letters, then they are deluded, dangerous and destined for judgement.  Pray that you will not be trapped by them; and pray that they will repent.