Modern Day Galatianism

Contemporary evangelicalism has been devastated by both the charismatic movement on the one hand and legalism on the other. One clear example of the heretical error of Galatianism, together with misguided zeal, is the recent publication of the Ten Commandments on textbook covers for school students by the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF). Rather than acknowledging the philosophical bankruptcy of public education, the ADF is encouraging confrontation by largely conservative Christian students and parents with the educational hegemony and secular school officials over 1st Amendment free speech rights. Surely, these are hollow victory at best and elicits the snickers of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) attorneys.

ADF is a nonprofit, national legal defense and advocacy organization founded by neoevangelical leaders Bill Bright, Larry Burkett, James Dobson, D. James Kennedy, Marlin Maddoux, and Don Wildmon. It's President and General Counsel is attorney Alan E. Sears. Like other conservatives, the organization serves a growing vital role of litigating the rights of people of faith before local, state and federal courts. The ADF courageously seeks to counter the nefarious influence of opponents like the ACLU and to build precedent-setting legal victories. However, I believe their 10 Rules campaign is sadly misguided.

The front of the book cover depicts a white-bearded Moses holding Israel's Decalogue with the caption, "These aren't suggestions! They're God's Law." Question: Is Israel's Decalogue the appropriate antidote to the spread of paganism, nihilism, and postmodern relativism in the 21st Century? Folks, the Law is not the Gospel. Efforts to defend morality must not undermine Grace and the Gospel.

The back cover contains a slightly smaller edition of the Ten Commandments and pictures of three individuals with quips.

A female teacher holds an apple and A+ card while saying, "They are very good!"

But the Apostle Paul says, "...the law bring about wrath", "...sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death" and "...when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died." Romans 4:15; 7:5, 9

A young girl says, "They're the right things to do."

But the Apostle Paul says, "What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions (so that they might increase), until the Seed (Christ) should come to whom the promise was made..." "...we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed." Galatians 3: 19, 23

And in the top right corner, a young dude on a skateboard utters his spiritually illiterate advice, "Just do 'em!"

But the Apostle Paul says, "...the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." Romans 8:7

How utterly oblivious and contrary the back cover is to the history of the Jewish Nation, Christ's Glorious Gospel, and the teachings of the Apostle Paul in his Epistles. Galatianism--plain and simple!

Both the efforts of the ADF and their book cover are belated attempts to counter the insidious social and moral effects of modernism and postmodernism in American culture. The book cover is largely a response to more recent attacks by liberals to litigate against the public display of the Ten Commandments, under the ruse of 'separation of church and state', and to erode traditional concepts of American religious freedom. While the front cover campaign may produce some badly needed awareness of sin, the back cover will only exacerbate the Church's bondage to law and lawlessness.

The theology behind the book cover is none other than law-centered Covenantism, which rejects that "form of teaching" (Romans 6:17) given by the ascended Lord Jesus Christ and entrusted to the Church by the Apostle Paul. For a more detailed explanation, see THE LAW and The Law & Sanctification.

Why not a book cover which proclaims the existence of the Creator--e.g., Genesis 1:1, Acts 17:24, etc.? Or, of Everlasting Life--e.g., John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:20, etc?

WITHCHRIST.ORG