Today the Anabaptists and others, finding it difficult to condemn us, accuse
us Lutherans of timidity in professing the whole truth. They grant that we
have laid the foundation in Christ, but claim that we have failed to go
through with the building. In this way these perverse fanatics parade their
cursed doctrine as the Word of God, and, flying the flag of God's name, they
deceive many. The devil knows better than to appear ugly and black. He prefers
to carry on his nefarious activities in the name of God. Hence the German
proverb: "All mischief begins in the name of God."

When the devil sees that he cannot hurt the cause of the Gospel by destructive
methods, he does it under the guise of correcting and advancing the cause of
the Gospel. He would like best of all to persecute us with fire and sword, but
this method has availed him little because through the blood of martyrs the
church has been watered. Unable to prevail by force, he engages wicked and
ungodly teachers who at first make common cause with us, then claim that
they are particularly called to teach the hidden mysteries of the Scriptures
to superimpose upon the first principles of Christian doctrine that we teach.
This sort of thing brings the Gospel into trouble. May we all cling to the
Word of Christ against the wiles of the devil, "for we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places."


VERSE 7. Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you.

Here again the apostle excuses the Galatians, while he blames the false
apostles for disturbing their consciences and for stealing them out of his
hand. How angry he gets at these deceivers! He calls them troublemakers,
seducers of poor consciences.