Scripture
Galatians 1:8
Paul warns against any gospel contrary to the apostolic gospel already preached.
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse!
No contrary gospel
Paul’s warning reaches even a claimed heavenly messenger. Later revelation claims must be tested against the apostolic gospel.
Where this passage comes up
- A great apostasy made restoration necessaryThe New Testament warns of apostasy but promises the gospel will endure, and the apostles' message was preached without a break from the first century on.
- Priesthood authority was restoredHebrews says Christ holds his Melchizedek priesthood forever, without successors, and the Aaronic priesthood was set aside, so access to God rests on him.
- The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus ChristAn inward witness cannot settle whether a book is scripture. The Bible's test is whether a message matches the apostles' gospel, even when an angel brings it.
- The Watch Tower organization must be trustedScripture commends testing every teacher by God's word, and an organization that calls itself fallible cannot make questioning its teaching a test of loyalty.
- Public revelation and prophetic testsThe Torah and the apostles give public tests for anyone who claims to speak for God: agreement with earlier revelation, loyalty to the one God, and predictions that come true.
- The apostolic gospel is finalPaul and Jude describe the apostles' message as a trust to guard. So any later revelation can be tested by one question: does it preach the same gospel?