Paul repeats the curse, directing it now upon other persons. Before, he
cursed himself, his brethren, and an angel from heaven. "Now," he says, "if
there are any others who preach a gospel different from that you have
received from us, let them also be accursed." Paul herewith curses and
excommunicates all false teachers including his opponents. He is so
worked up that he dares to curse all who pervert his Gospel. Would to God
that this terrible pronouncement of the Apostle might strike fear into the
hearts of all who pervert the Gospel of Paul.

The Galatians might say: "Paul, we do not pervert the Gospel you have
brought unto us. We did not quite understand it. That is all. Now these
teachers who came after you have explained everything so beautifully."
This explanation the Apostle refuses to accept. They must add nothing;
they must correct nothing. "What you received from me is the genuine
Gospel of God. Let it stand. If any man brings any other gospel than the one
I brought you, or promises to deliver better things than you have received
from me, let him be accursed."

In spite of this emphatic denunciation so many accept the pope as the
supreme judge of the Scriptures. "The Church," they say, "chose only four
gospels. The Church might have chosen more. Ergo the Church is above the
Gospel." With equal force one might argue: "I approve the Scriptures. Ergo I
am above the Scriptures. John the Baptist confessed Christ. Hence he is
above Christ." Paul subordinates himself, all preachers, all the angels of
heaven, everybody to the Sacred Scriptures. We are not the masters,
judges, or arbiters, but witnesses, disciples, and confessors of the
Scriptures, whether we be pope, Luther, Augustine, Paul, or an angel from
heaven.