The Early Church Fathers often through this phrase around, as does St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians (verse 9).
“As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed!”
I would like to continue going down this rabbit hole in the writings of the Early Church Fathers, where they used this term anathema and what false gospels were specifically being taught.
There are Protestants & Evangelicals who claim that this verse is specifically speaking to the Catholic Christian Church, which is more based on their misunderstanding of what we believe (or what they think we do not believe).
There are also some in this forum who hold to what I would call false gospels, but I would like to focus on what the early Church was specifically referring to. I have a feeling there will be some overlap.
And I can only speculate how the LDS interpret this Scripture passage on two levels. One, because they could fit it into their claim of a “Great Apostasy”. And second, because, in defense of an Angel allegedly appearing to Joseph Smith and defending that with verse 8, which says, “But even if we or an Angel from Heaven should preach [to you] a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed!” Perhaps I shall visit LDS sources to better understand how they interpret this passage and if they are either using it as proof-text or deflecting from it. Who knows, I might be surprised that neither is the case.
“Yes, in Latter-day Saint (LDS) belief, Jesus Christ is God—specifically, God the Son, a separate and distinct member of the Godhead with God the Father and the Holy Ghost, united in purpose, but not one in substance like the traditional Trinity. He is considered the literal spirit child of God the Father, became God through perfect obedience and progression, and is the supreme being, Jehovah, the God of Israel, who created the world.” AI Overview
Peace to all,
LDS is very strong family oriented, I believe.
Joseph Smith’s mother, Lucy Mack was a Presbyteria from the north eastern United States, though her husband Joseph Smith Sr. was a Universalist and thus the Failed Trinity Logic in Joseph, I believe. And Joseph Smith has never acepted the Catholic Trinity, for the reason in the failed state of The Catholic Trinity having no Mother in the Godhead Family, I believe.
Trinity logic which came from Catholicism, from 1st and 3rd Century Forefathers of The Trinity logic, Praxaes and Tertullian who received their information from the Didache, the finished ending of The Gospel of Mark, I believe.
Logically Jesus is God and the Father is God and Mary is God always together in One Holy Spirit Family One God in being.
Failure in all religions is succession of The Failed Trinity logically seeing the Holy Spirit as a Person.
Accursed may be perhaps is logically not seeing the Holy Spirit as a Family becoming again in all creation One God in being through both natures from the spirit through the life becoming again in One Family, I believe.
LDS Theology is Family Oriented with Sacrifice Penance, forgiveness and Baptism in the Faith, I believe.
The Book of Mormon also teaches us that when we repent and are baptized “And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.”
The Modern Sacrifice: Instead of burnt offerings, individuals are commanded to offer a “broken heart and a contrite spirit”—symbolizing humility, submissiveness to God’s will, and a sincere desire to repent.
Purpose: Sacrifice is intended to build saving faith, help members overcome selfish desires, and enable them to become “more sacred or holy”. “As man now is, God once was; as God is now, man may be”.
The Two Natures and the “God-Man”
LDS doctrine generally differs from the traditional Christian view of two distinct natures (divine and human) within Christ. Instead, it teaches a continuity of nature between God and man: Yes, Mormons (Latter-day Saints) believe Jesus is God, specifically the divine Son of God the Father, the creator, and the Messiah, but their view differs significantly from traditional Christianity: they see the Godhead as three distinct beings (Father, Son, Holy Ghost) united in purpose, not one substance, and believe Jesus progressed to godhood through obedience, inheriting divine powers, and is our spirit brother.
When it comes to the Trinity the closest description is that Morman’s believe in the Social Model of the Trinity.
Many (even today) would call Joseph Smith’s assertions ‘blasphemous.’ But the logic is crystal clear and it follows that we can indeed, become Gods.
As Catholic, Logically, The Holy Spirit is The Holy Family of Gods becoming again in all One God in being and existed before creation was ever created always together in One Holy Family and all are Gods defined from preexistence from The Father through the Mother for the Son becoming alive and living in all mankind becoming Baptized transformed brothers and sisters for all mankind becoming for all Sons and Daughters of God through the Christ from Sacrifice through Penance forgiven for all mankind becoming again for all Creation glorified and transfigured in One Holy Spirt Family One God in being, I believe, OMNiLogicalGod.Com is Catholic.
As Catholic, logically the Christ is through Mary becoming for all brothers and sisters through immortal flesh for Jesus from the incorruptible Holy Spirit becoming Flesh Immortalization from Holy Spirit Incorruption in One Body through the Christ becoming Sons and Daughters of God for all becoming again in all One Holy Spirit Family One God in being.
From The Faith in the God of the Faith of Abraham is logically the Two Nature Spirit and Life God becoming again in all One Family One God in being.
Prayer: Latter-day Saints address all prayers to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, rather than praying directly to Jesus or the Holy Ghost.
The confusion for LDS and Catholicism is in understanding the Logical Rational and Faithful Trinity Family of God, Both religions are not seeing the Mother as God in the Godhead, and improperly seeing the Holy Spirit as a person. Logically the Holy Spirit is a Family One God in being always together with the Father and the Son together always with the Mother in One Family, I believe, OMNiLogically.
And we know not to judge and only in generalization do I speak, for all becoming again in all One Family.
The note in my New American Bible for these verses says that the Galatians were inclined to combine Jewish practices with the Gospel and consider them saving acts—beyond or in addition to salvation through Christ, I guess.
Yes, some Jewish Christians, called Judaizers, tried to convince Gentile believers in Galatia that they must adopt Jewish practices like circumcision and Mosaic Law to be truly saved, clashing with Paul’s teaching that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by works of the law. Paul fiercely opposed these teachers, emphasizing that the true Gospel offers grace and justification through faith, creating a new, inclusive family of God for both Jews and Gentiles.
Yes, Paul’s core teaching, especially in {Link: Romans and {Link: Galatians, only through God’s grace by faith in Jesus Christ, not by adhering to the works of the Mosaic Law, which cannot save but instead reveal our need for God’s mercy}. This "faith " is a free gift, not earned by deeds, but genuine saving faith inevitably produces good works as its fruit from teh spirti tree throughteh life tree from he Garden of Eden becoing again in all, through the Flesh of the Christ becoming through both fruits in One Body for all showing a transformed Baptized immortalized life, becoming glorified and incorruptibly spirit transfigured from Sacrifice through Penance a concept echoed by [James] becoming again in all One Holy Spirit Family One God in being(Google Search), who speaks of faith without works being dead.
Peace to all,
Becoming one in the the natures becomes from the spirit through the life in One Body becoming again in all One Holy Spirit Family One God in being, I believe.
Salvation is through the good works of the flesh rebirth for all out of the Bosom of Abraham now emptied through The Body of Christ from the Cross, through all generalizations, I believe.