Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Galatians 1:9
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.
9. He repeats his denunciation with slight differences. (1) He does not mention ‘an angel from heaven’, (2) what in the preceding verse he put hypothetically, “should any preach”, is now assumed to be the fact, “if any is preaching”; (3) there, it was a Gospel which St Paul had preached to them, here, it is a Gospel which they had ‘received’. This reception of the truth made its relinquishment more perilous.
As we said before ] lit. as we have said before. The reference is not to Gal 1:8, but to the teaching of St Paul and his colleagues on the occasion of his second visit to them. They had drifted away from their old position: St Paul’s position is ‘now’ the same as ‘before’.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
As we said before – That is, in the previous verse. It is equivalent to saying, as I have just said; see 2Co 7:3. It cannot be supposed that he had said this when he was with them, as it cannot be believed that he then anticipated that his doctrines would be perverted, and that another gospel would be preached to them. The sentiment of Gal 1:8 is here repeated on account of its importance. It is common in the Scriptures, as indeed it is everywhere else, to repeat a declaration in order to deepen the impression of its importance and its truth. Paul would not be misunderstood on this point. He would leave no doubt as to his meaning. He would not have it supposed that he had uttered the sentiment in Gal 1:8 hastily; and he therefore repeats it with emphasis.
Than that ye have received – In the previous verse, it is, that which we have preached. By this change in the phraseology he designs, probably, to remind them that they had once solemnly professed to embrace that system. It had not only been preached to them, it had been embraced by them. The teachers of the new system, therefore, were really in opposition to the once avowed sentiments of the Galatians; to what they knew to be true. They were not only to be held accursed, therefore, because Paul so declared, but because they preached what the Galatians themselves knew to be false, or what was contrary to that which they had themselves professed to be true.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. Let him be accursed.] Perhaps this is not designed as an imprecation, but a simple direction; for the word here may be understood as implying that such a person should, have no countenance in his bad work, but let him, as Theodoret expresses it, , be separated from the communion of the Church. This, however, would also imply that unless the person repented, the Divine judgments would soon follow.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
9. said beforewhen we werevisiting you (so “before” means, 2Co13:2). Compare Gal 5:2;Gal 5:3; Gal 5:21.Translate, “If any man preacheth unto you any gospelBESIDE that which,”c. Observe the indicative, not the subjunctive or conditional mood,is used, “preacheth,” literally, “furnisheth you withany gospel.” The fact is assumed, not merely supposed asa contingency, as in Ga 1:8,”preach,” or “should preach.” This implies thathe had already observed (namely, during his last visit) themachinations of the Judaizing teachers: but his surprise (Ga1:6) now at the Galatians being misled by them, impliesthat they had not apparently been so then. As in Ga1:8 he had said, “which we preached,” so here, with anaugmentation of the force, “which ye received”acknowledging that they had truly accepted it.
accursedThe oppositeappears in Ga 6:16.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
As we have said before, so say I now again,…. Either when he first preached the Gospel among them; or rather referring to what he had just now said, which he repeats with some little alteration; as if any, men, or angels, be they of what name, figure, rank, or office whatever,
preach any other Gospel unto you, than that ye have received; and as the apostle thought, readily, willingly, sincerely, and heartily, in the love of it; assenting to the truth, feeling the power of it, and openly professing it:
let him be accursed; which he repeats, for the more solemn asseveration and confirmation of it; and to show that this did not drop from his lips hastily and inadvertently; nor did it proceed from any irregular passions, or was spoken by him in heat, and in an angry mood, his mind being ruffled, disturbed, and discomposed; but was said by him in the most serious and solemn manner, upon the most thoughtful and mature consideration of the affair.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
So say I now again ( ). Paul knows that he has just made what some will consider an extreme statement. But it is a deliberate one and not mere excitement. He will stand by it to the end. He calls down a curse on any one who proclaims a gospel to them contrary to that which they had received from him.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
As we said before [ ] . Comp. 2Co 13:2; Phi 3:18. Not to be referred to the preceding verse, since the compound verb would be too strong, and now in the following clause points to an earlier time, a previous visit. Comp. Gal 5:21; 2Co 8:2; 1Th 4:6.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “As we said. before,” (hos proseirekamen) “as we have previously said,” before asserted, affirmed; This alludes to former warnings that Timothy and Silas had joined him in giving to the churches in Galatia during their travels.
2) “So say I now again,” (kai arti palin lego) “even at this moment (right now) I again say (it);” The truth stands repeating, and false doctrine, like wild weeds, must be resisted and exposed again and again, as Paul had done to the Galatian brethren in the recent past.
3) “If any man preach any other gospel unto you,” (ei tis humas euangelizetai) “if anyone preaches to you all a gospel,” referring to the gospel of circumcision.
4) “Than that ye have received,” (par’ ho parelabete) “Beside what ye received,” when we preached, which was the gospel of Christ, Rom 1:16; 1Co 15:1-3.
5) “Let him be accursed,” (anathema esto) “Let him be a curse,” or “let him alone, as if he were a curse,” of leprosy, black plague, or some other deadly, contagious disease, 1Co 16:22; Rev 22:18-19.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
9. As we said before. Leaving out, in this instance, the mention of himself and of angels, he repeats the former assertion, that it is unlawful for any man to teach anything contrary to what they had learned. (23) Observe the expression — ye have received; for he uniformly insists, that they must not regard the gospel as something unknown, existing in the air, or in their own imaginations. He exhorts them to entertain a firm and serious conviction, that the doctrine which they had received and embraced is the true gospel of Christ. Nothing can be more inconsistent with the nature of faith than a feeble, wavering assent. What, then, must be the consequence, if ignorance of the nature and character of the gospel shall lead to hesitation? Accordingly he enjoins them to regard as devils those who shall dare to bring forward a gospel different from his, — meaning by another gospel, one to which the inventions of other men are added; (24) for the doctrine of the false apostles was not entirely contrary, or even different, from that of Paul, but corrupted by false additions.
To what poor subterfuges do the Papists resort, in order to escape from the Apostle’s declaration! First, they tell us, that we have not in our possession the whole of Paul’s preaching, and cannot know what it contained, unless the Galatians who heard it shall be raised from the dead, in order to appear as witnesses. Next, they assert, that it is not every kind of addition which is forbidden, but that other gospels only are condemned. What Paul’s doctrine was, so far as it concerns us to know, may be learned with sufficient clearness from his writings. Of this gospel, it is plain, the whole of Popery is a dreadful perversion. And from the nature of the case, we remark in conclusion, it is manifest that any spurious doctrine whatever is at variance with Paul’s preaching; so that these cavils will avail them nothing.
(23) “ D’enseigner autre doctrine que cello qu’il avoit enseignee aux Galatiens.” “To teach any other doctrine than that which he had taught to the Galatians.”
(24) “ Quand on y mesle des inventions humaines, et des choses qui ne sont point de mesme.” “When it is mixed up with human inventions, and with things that are contrary to it.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) As we said before.Probably, upon his last (i.e., his second) visit, at the beginning of this, his third, great missionary journey (Act. 18:23). The germs of the apostasy in the Galatian Church would be already visible.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. As we said before On former occasions forewarned you. Paul doubtless here recalls to the memory of these misguided men how he had foretold the coming of these very intruders, and the danger of their being accepted. The time of this forewarning was probably his last visit.
Accursed The menacing repetition of this anathema indicated his own firmness, and the awfulness of their danger. The guilt of their apostasy is aggravated by the repetition of the warnings.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘As we have said before, so now we say again. If any man preaches to you any Gospel other than that which you have received, let him be anathema.’
He repeats what he has said in a slightly different way. The double stress and double curse brings out how much his emotions are stirred. These men who had come preaching to the Galatians, and were wrongly stressing that they had the backing of the Jerusalem church, ‘unlike Paul’ (or so they said), were bringing an emaciated message. Instead of seeking to bring the Galatians into the freedom of Christ they were trying to bring them into bondage to a set of religious and ethical observances. They were enmeshing them in ‘do this, do that, and don’t do the other’, until it was not clear to them what they really had to do. They were binding them with burdens grievous to be borne. And the sad thing was that these things that they were involving themselves in had in fact no power or ability to save them. They were simply man made requirements which gave an outward show of being religious, and substituted for the truth. They imparted a certain satisfaction because men hoped that they were achieving something, but in fact they were achieving nothing, for they left them just as they were before.
The Jerusalem church in fact took far longer to find release from the requirements of Judaism than the rest of the Christian world, for they were mainly Jewish Christians in a Jewish land witnessing to Jews, and they found it hard to let go of what had continually been their custom. And they were accustomed to it. It was part of their way of life. But Paul recognised that to tie Gentiles up in these things was totally inappropriate and was to put them under an unnecessary and cruel burden. Indeed it was anathema.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Gal 1:9. Let him be accursed. Though we may look upon the repetition of the anathema here to be for the adding of force to what he says; yet we may observe, that by joining himself with an angel in the foregoing verse, he does as good as tell them, that he is not guilty of what deserves that anathema: skilfully insinuating to the Galatians, that they might as well suspect an angel should preach to them a doctrine different from his, that is to say, a false gospel, as that he himself should; and then in this verse he lays the anathema wholly and solely upon the Judaizing seducers. See on 1Co 16:22.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gal 1:9 . Again the same curse (“deliberate loquitur,” Bengel); but now the addition of an allusion to an earlier utterance of it increases still more its solemn earnestness.
] is referred by Chrysostom, Theophylact, Theodoret, Oecumenius, Luther, Erasmus, Estius, Grotius, Bengel, and most of the earlier expositors, also Flatt, Winer, Matthies, Neander, to Gal 1:8 . But in this case Paul would have written merely , , or simply , as in Phi 4:4 . The compound verb (Gal 5:21 ; 2Co 7:3 ; 2Co 13:2 ; 1Th 4:6 ) and point necessarily to an earlier time, in contrast to the present . Hence the Peschito, Jerome (comp. Augustine, who leaves a choice between the two views), Semler, Koppe, Borger, Rckert, Usteri, Schott, Olshausen, Baumgarten-Crusius, de Wette, Hilgenfeld, Ewald, Wieseler, Hofmann, Reithmayr, and others, rightly take it as indicating the presence of the apostle among the Galatians at the time when he uttered this curse; comp. Gal 5:3 . We must, however, look upon this presence as the second and not the first visit (Hofmann); for the expression in the form of curse betrays an advanced stage of the danger , and not a merely prophylactic measure.
] apodosis, “ so say I also now (at the present moment) again; ” so that thus glances back to the time to which the applied. Rckert regards together as the protasis (comp. Ewald), in which case the proper apodosis, so it is in fact , before would be wanting . Or rather, if were the protasis, would be the real apodosis. But why introduce at all such a forced departure from the separation, which presents itself so naturally, and is so full of emphasis, of into protasis and apodosis? The reference of . to an earlier time is certain enough; and , now , in the sense of the point of time then present, is very usual in Greek authors (Lobeck, ad Phryn . p. 18 ff.) and in the N.T.
. . .] Paul does not here, as in Gal 1:8 , again use with the subjunctive, but on account of the actual occurrence puts the positive , thus giving to his utterance a climactic character, as in Act 5:38 f. (see on the passage); Luk 13:9 ; Winer, p. 277 [E. T. 369]; Buttmann, neut. Gr . p. 190; Stallbaum, ad Plat. Phaed . p. 93 B. Comp. 2Co 12:20-21 ,
-g0-
-g0- .
As to with the accusative , [21] which does not occur elsewhere in Paul’s writings, see Lobeck, ad Phryn . p. 268.
] often used of that which one gets through instruction . See Kypke, II. p. 222. It may, however, denote either to take (actively), as in 1Co 15:1 ; 1Jn 1:10 ; Phi 4:9 ; or to receive (passively), as in Gal 1:12 ; 1Th 2:13 ; 1Co 15:3 , et al . The latter is preferable here, as a parallel to in Gal 1:8 .
[21] The studied design which Bengel discovers in the alternation between (ver. 8) and (ver. 9), “evangelio aliquem instruere convenit insultationi falsorum doctorum,” is groundless. For they might say just as boastingly, “ evangelium praedicavimus vobis! ” The change in the words is accidental.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
9 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.
Ver. 9. Than that ye have ] Of the camel it is said, that he will never carry any more weight than what at first is laid upon him; nor go one foot beyond his ordinary journey. Conscience will not budge nor yield a hair for an angel’s authority. Stand fast in the good old way, and find rest, Jer 6:16 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
9 .] As we said before (referring, not to Gal 1:8 as most Commentators; for the word more naturally, as in 2Co 13:2 (so , 1Th 4:6 ), relates to something said on a former occasion, and the plural seems here to bind it to , but to what he had said during his presence with them: see a similar reference, ch. Gal 5:3 ; Gal 5:21 ), I also now say again, If any one is (no longer now a supposition, but an assumption of the fact: see Hermann, ut supra; and Ellic.’s note) evangelizing you (reff.) other (with another gospel) than that which ye received (from us), let him be accursed (see above).
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Gal 1:9 . . The contrast between this plural and the singular proves that Paul is here referring, not to previous warnings of his own by letter, but to joint warnings given by his companions Silas and Timothy as well as himself during his visit to the Churches. He never speaks of himself in the plural number. : as we have also forewarned you of late, I say again . Our versions interpret we have said before and so say I now again . But Greek usage forbids this antithesis between . and . means to forewarn , not to say in time past ( cf. 2Co 13:2 , Gal 5:21 , 1Th 3:4 ); while is used indifferently of recent or of present time. In Mat 9:18 , 1Th 3:6 it means of late , in Mat 26:53 , Joh 13:7 ; Joh 13:37 ; Joh 16:12 ; Joh 16:31 , 1Co 13:12 ; 1Co 16:7 it means now , by way of contrast with the future. cannot therefore be used to contrast the present time with the immediate past. The words belong really to the preceding clause, and contain a reminder how recent had been the warnings which the Apostle is repeating. Since the rendering of Joh 9:25 Whereas I was blind, now I see appears to contradict this view of , it may be well to point out that does not mean whereas I was , but that the speaker’s real meaning was, I being ( sc. , by nature) blind now see .
The true rendering is of some historical importance, as evidence that warnings on the subject of circumcision had been given to the Galatians by Paul and his companions during a recent visit (see Introd., p. 146).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
before. i.e. at his second visit (Act 18:23).
so = and.
If. Greek. ei. App-118.2. a.
any man. = any one. App-123.
preach, &c. Same expression as Gal 1:8.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
9.] As we said before (referring, not to Gal 1:8 as most Commentators; for the word more naturally, as in 2Co 13:2 (so , 1Th 4:6), relates to something said on a former occasion,-and the plural seems here to bind it to ,-but to what he had said during his presence with them: see a similar reference, ch. Gal 5:3; Gal 5:21), I also now say again,-If any one is (no longer now a supposition, but an assumption of the fact: see Hermann, ut supra; and Ellic.s note) evangelizing you (reff.) other (with another gospel) than that which ye received (from us), let him be accursed (see above).
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Gal 1:9. , as) He speaks deliberately. He seems to have paused between the writing of each verse. A similar asseveration is repeated, ch. Gal 5:2-3; Gal 5:21.-, we said before) In the plural: for in Gal 1:8 he wrote we have preached, also in the plural.-, I say) in the singular. All knew the truth of the Gospel; Paul knew that the minds of the Galatians had been truly impressed with the Gospel; he now therefore says, ye have received, and by this expression there is an epitasis [emphatic addition, or augmentation of force] in the repetition.[3]-) if. This is more positive than [though it should happen that], Gal 1:8.- , furnish you with any other Gospel [preach to you]) Here is put before the verb , though in the 8th verse is put after; this is for the sake of emphasis; moreover we are not to suppose that there is no distinction intended in the different cases [ and ]: We have preached the Gospel to you, has the dative of advantage: To furnish any one [Accusative] with a Gospel, is fitted to direct a sneer against the false teachers pretensions.
[3] See Append. on Epitasis. In the first use of the words, ver. S, Though we, etc., preach any other Gospel, there do not occur the words than that ye have received. The addition of these words, Gal 1:9, on the second use or repetition of the former words, constitutes the Epitasis.-ED.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Gal 1:9
Gal 1:9
As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema.-He repeats it to emphasize its truth and importance. To insist that a man must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses was such a perversion of the gospel as to destroy its nature, and to call down upon him doing it the condemnation of God.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
so: 2Co 1:17, 2Co 13:1, 2Co 13:2, Phi 3:1, Phi 4:4
than: Deu 4:2, Deu 12:32, Deu 13:1-11, Pro 30:6, Rev 22:18, Rev 22:19
Reciprocal: Lev 15:8 – General Deu 13:8 – consent 1Sa 26:19 – cursed 1Ki 13:21 – Thus saith Pro 28:10 – causeth Isa 9:15 – the prophet Jer 23:16 – Hearken 1Co 16:22 – Anathema 2Co 11:15 – whose Gal 1:8 – though Gal 5:12 – cut 1Pe 5:12 – true 2Jo 1:10 – come
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gal 1:9. -as we have said before. The reference implied in . is doubtful. By a great number-including Chrysostom, Bengel, Winer, Neander-the reference is supposed to be simply to the previous verse: As we have just said, so I repeat it. 2Co 7:3; 2Ma 3:7; and Winer, 40. Others, as the Peschito, Borger, Usteri, Hilgenfeld, Meyer, Wieseler, suppose the allusion to be to a previous visit of the apostle. The use of the perfect, though not decisive, and the antithesis of in the following clause, favour this view. The language would have been different had the apostle wished to say nothing more. See Gal 5:21; 2Co 13:2; 1Th 4:6. This opinion is confirmed by the sameness of tense of the two verbs, as if they referred to the same event. The re-asseveration in Gal 5:2-3 is no case in point to be adduced as an objection; for it has no verb compounded with , and the statement in Gal 1:3 is far from being a repetition of the second verse. , – mark a more distinct lapse of time than a recurrence to what had just been written, and the change from to points to the same conclusion: As he had said when among them by way of affirmation and warning.
-and now again I say. The change from the plural to the present is significant. The previous warning was uttered by the apostle and his fellow-labourers, but the following sentence is based on his sole apostolical authority. This is not, as Rckert makes it, part of the protasis or preceding sentence: As I said before, I now say again. The meaning is: As we said before, so now I say again,- referring to repetition of the same sentiment, and in contrast with . in composition with the verb. The first of these opinions preserves, as Ellicott says, the classical meaning of , for it refers to a time just passed away. Mat 9:18. Tempus quodque proximum, et significant, Lobeck, Phryn. pp. 18-20. But later writers use it as it is employed in this clause, now, or in this next sentence. Mat 3:15; Joh 9:19; Joh 9:25; Joh 13:7; 1Co 13:12. The statement is:
-If any man is preaching to you a gospel different from what ye received, let him be accursed. The Rheims version tries to preserve the original in both verses: evangelize to you beside that which we have evangelized to you. The statement is now made merely conditional, or the fact is assumed by with the indicative. The case is put as one that may be found real. Donaldson, 502. See also Tischendorf, Praef. p. 57:7 ed.; Klotz-Devarius, vol. 2.455; Luk 13:9; Act 5:38-39. The verb . is here followed by the accusative of person, , emphatic from its position. No other example occurs in the writings of the apostle. But we have the same construction in Luk 3:18, Act 8:25; Act 8:40; Act 13:32; Act 14:15; Act 14:21; Act 16:10, 1Pe 1:12. Phrynichus, ed. Lobeck, 266, etc.; Winer, 32. For , see on previous verse. The verb , followed either by or by , pointing to the source, is to receive, to take into the mind, what is given by instruction, and corresponds to the of the preceding verse. In this verse the evangel, which is the theme of the verb, goes out on them as its direct objects-; in the other it is given to them, or for their benefit–and they received it. The change may have been intentionally suggestive. For , see previous verse.
Fuente: Commentary on the Greek Text of Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Phillipians
Gal 1:9. To emphasize his warning against the false teacher, Paul refers to what he had taught them at a previous time. Said before is from PROEI-PON, which Thayer defines at this place, “to say before, i. e., heretofore, formerly.” Robinson defines it, “to have said before, to have already declared.” Hence it could not be intimated that Paul’s present warning was some new idea of his. We know Paul had been among them before and had delivered his teaching on the matters of proper living. (See chapter 5:21.) Accursed is from ANATHEMA, and Thayer defines it at this place, “a man accursed, devoted to the direst woes.” Robinson says it means to be “separated from God’s favor and delivered to destruction.” It is easy to see that preaching a false doctrine is one of the worst sins of which a man can be guilty.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Gal 1:9. Before refers not to Gal 1:8, which is too near, but to the last visit of Paul to Galatia.
Preach implies the actual fact, not the mere possibility, as the hypothetical should preach (, Gal 1:8), and thus attacks more directly the Galatian pseudo-apostles.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema. [Here the apostle supposes an impossibility, that he may thereby show that it is not possible to make any alterations in the gospel which God would sanction or accept. No man could make such alterations; no, not even an angel. Chrysostom suggests that these gospel perverters claim for their teaching the authority of the older apostles, Peter, James, John, etc., and interprets Paul thus: “Don’t tell me of John, don’t tell me of James. If one of the highest angels were to come, corrupting the truth originally preached, he must be rejected. . . . When the truth is in question, respect of persons is inadmissible.” In this connection it is interesting to note that the Galatians had at first received Paul as an angel of light (Gal 4:14), and they were now probably so receiving these perverters. Also we may observe that the words of angels would be valueless if spoken in an improper spirit (1Co 13:1), and lastly that the sayings of Jesus differ from the sayings of the law in this very respect, viz.: they are weightier than any words conveyed through the agency of angels (Heb 1:2; Heb 2:1-3). Upon all such perverters Paul pours out the anathema of God, devoting them to destruction. See 1Co 16:22 . In later centuries the anathema became associated with excommunication, until the two words became convertible terms; but no such confusion of terms existed in Paul’s day, and his words mean more even than severance from the church. Moreover, excommunication would not affect angels, since they are not members of our churches. Paul’s language shows that at his last visit (Act 18:23) he had warned the Galatians against such Judaizers, and he now makes the warning more effectual by repetition. His reference to his former words suggests surprise that they should have so far forgotten them as to be misled despite them. The strong wording of this entire passage forms a solemn warning against the sin of corrupting the gospel. All offices, appearances and reputations to the contrary, whoso perverts the divine truth is an enemy to Christ, and rests under the curse of God. Compare Mat 7:22-23 . And who will presume to say how large or important a change must be to constitute a perversion? It is best, as Dean Howson observes, to understand Paul as “precluding any deviation of any kind from the original gospel.”]
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
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.
Ahhhhh, Paul realizes some need to have warnings repeated – some just don’t listen carefully when Paul speaks so he adds a little emphasis. I say again! Get it this time if you missed it the last time – let the person that preaches a different gospel be accursed. I don’t think there was any doubt in Paul’s mind as to what he wanted to say.
Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson
Paul even repeated his warning for emphasis. The prior warning in Gal 1:9 probably refers to what Paul had told them when he was with them in person rather than to what he had just said in Gal 1:8. [Note: Cf. Morris, p. 45.] "We" implies Paul and his fellow missionaries, not just Paul alone.
"The vehemence with which Paul denounces those who teach another gospel (literally, he says, ’Let them be damned’) has bothered some commentators, as well as other readers of the letter. But this shows how little the gospel of God’s grace is understood and appreciated and how little many Christians are concerned for the advance of biblical truth." [Note: Boice, p. 429.]
"Accursed" evidently refers to being under God’s judgment, not just excommunication, since an angel could be the possible object. Paul changed from the subjunctive mood of possibility in Gal 1:8 to the indicative mood of actuality in Gal 1:9.