COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS
LESSON NUMBER 21
Gal 3:1 “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? ”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Gal 3:1)
BEWITCHMENT AND FOOLISHNESS
INTRODUCTION
Paul now returns to speaking directly to the Galatians. He has spent considerable time fortifying that the Gospel he had preached was authentic – and there is only one Gospel. What Paul preached was given to him by Christ, was approved by the other apostles, and had worked powerfully in those who believed it. Those who walked contrary to that Gospel, even on a momentary basis, were wrong – even if it was Peter, the premier apostle among “the twelve.” The acid test of whether or not a message is true Gospel is found in (1) Its compatibility with the revealed purpose of God. (2) The fundamental role of Jesus Christ within it. (3) How the righteous view it, and (4) Its effectiveness among those who embrace it. Paul has confirmed that the Gospel he preached passed all of these tests. In other words, there was no real need for the Galatians to have given heed to any other Gospel. The message had been the means through which they were justified (Gal 2:16), and regenerated (Gal 6:15). For this reason, Paul does not ask them to account for their preference of another Gospel, for no possible defense can be made of such an action. Neither does he ask them to point out where he was deficient, or what part of his Gospel did not meet their desires or need. Having established the truth of his Gospel, as confirmed by its undeniable effects in those who embraced it, and the hearty approval of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, any need for an explanation from them, was removed. Further, the certitude produced by the Gospel refuses entry into meaningless dialog about any perceived deficiencies in its proclamation. When it comes to being justified in the sight of God, there is no room for human opinion or varying views of the matter. Beginning at the Garden of Eden until this very day, questioning what God has said is wrong – never right, and never tolerable. Of course, just as with the Galatians, the teachings of unfaithful men have opened the door for doubt and skepticism. In the wake of such allowances, doubt is cast upon what the Lord has said, not what men have said. I know of no other reason why men would defect from the true Gospel of Christ to “another gospel.” At some point, the opinions of men are given greater weight than they deserve – even if they fly in the face of direct statements made by the Lord Himself, and encased within the Gospel message. For this reason, Paul will speak candidly and forthrightly on this matter.
WHEN PEOPLE ARE FOOLISH, THEY HAVE BEEN BEWITCHED
Gal 3:1a “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you . . . ”
Having substantiated the truth of the Gospel he had proclaimed to the Galatians, and by which they had been illuminated and regenerated, Paul now addresses them directly. He will speak within the framework of the Gospel itself and the obligation that has been laid upon men to believe it. He will not probe into the reason for their defection, but will rather show the utter absurdity of drawing back into the state of ignorance from which they were once delivered.
O FOOLISH GALATIANS. Other versions read, “You stupid Galatians,” CJB “senseless Galatians,” DOUAY “You stupid people of Galatia!” GWN “O thoughtless Galatians,” YLT“O YOU poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians!” AMPLIFIED and “You crazy Galatians!” MESSAGE
The word “foolish” is translated from a rather strong word that means, “unintelligible, not understanding,” THAYER “ignorant,” UBS “unwillingness to use one's mental faculties in order to understand - foolish, stupid, without understanding,” LOWA-NIDA and “devoid of understanding” LEH
The very condition of being stupid, thoughtless, and spiritually ignorant contradicts the very nature of spiritual life. It was our ignorance that alienated us from God in the first place (Eph 4:18). Apostolic doctrine frequently expresses discontent with a state of ignorance: “I would not have you ignorant . . . I would not, brethren that ye should be ignorant . . . be not ignorant” (Rom 1:13; 11:25; 1 Cor 10:1; 12:1; 1 Cor 1:8; 1 Thess 4:13; 2 Pet 3:8).
What does it mean to be “ignorant,” “unlearned,” or “foolish?” It is not to know something that has been revealed, or made known. It is never excusable for men to remain unlearned and unsure concerning matters that have been uncovered and divulged by the God of heaven! Today, men have learned to be content with such a status, but it is only because they have been bewitched. In fact, within the professed Christian community there is an attitude that approximates scoffing that is projected against those who insist that the saints of God are to know things that have been revealed by the Lord – such as the realities made known in the Gospel of Christ. This condition is not a simplistic one, as confirmed by this very text. It becomes clear that the only way to maintain spiritual ignorance, while professing to be a Christian, is to embrace a flawed message. It is that message that causes them to be “foolish.”
You will notice that Paul does not speak accommodatingly to the Galatians, as though they had simply made a mistake, or inadvertently erred in their judgment. Their state was not caused by a simple lack of understanding, or spiritual immaturity.
WHO HATH BEWITCHED YOU? Other versions read, “by what strange powers have you been tricked,” BBE “Who has put you under a spell? CJB “Who has hypnotized you,” CSB “Who put you under an evil spell?” GWN “Who hath fascinated you?” MRD “What magician has hypnotized you and cast an evil spell upon you?” LIVING and “Whose sophistry has bewitched you” WEYMOUTH
The word “bewitched” is translated from a word meaning, “to bring evil on one by feigned praise or an evil eye, to charm, bewitch one,” THAYER “cunningly deceive,” FRIBERG “place under a spell,” UBS and “to practice magic on.” LOUW-NIDA
Involved in this word is the idea of disparaging what a person has previous received – like Satan convincing Eve the commandment of the Lord was not in her personal best interest (Gen 3:4-5). In other words, Satan cannot convince a person of the need for “another gospel” until he has persuaded them of the ineffectiveness of the Gospel through which they were begotten again. Further, there is only one way that such a deception can be wrought. That is to convince the victim that life in this world is more important than life in the world to come, and one’s experience in the flesh is the most important of all experiences. In other words, the person being deceived is brought to believe that their life and will is primary, and that God exists only to assist them in living successfully and with pleasantness in this present evil world.
Until the people of God are totally intolerant of deception and being led astray, they will be vulnerable to the flood of pretenders that have been loosed in the world. In the case of the Galatians, it was professed Christian Jews who insisted that certain advantages were found in circumcision and the keeping of Jewish traditions that could not be realized through the Gospel of Christ. Therefore they sought to maintain a semblance of the truth – namely the concept of justification. However, their false gospel redefined both the nature and reality of justification, affirming that the keeping of laws and ordinances was the true stimulus to attaining an acceptable state before the Lord of glory. Paul states they were “foolish” in swallowing such views, and had been bewitched, or cast under the spell of false prophets.
It must be remembered that the love of the truth involves a corresponding hatred of the lie. If men will culture the love of the truth, bringing it to its intended maturity, the lie will become more and more obnoxious to them, and thus become more apparent.
NOT OBEYING THE TRUTH
3:1b “ . . . that ye should not obey the truth . . .”
Paul further diagnoses the Galatian condition. They were presently in a state of spiritual ignorance, where the fact and implications of the Gospel were no longer known. The only proper way of classifying them was “foolish.” Further, although they had been reconciled to God, had access to the throne of grace, and would be given wisdom from above when requested, they had allowed themselves to be seduced, deceived, and bewitched.
THAT YE SHOULD NOT. The focus here is the condition that resulted from being “bewitched.” They were convinced that they ought NOT to do something. That is, as a result of embracing another gospel, it became unreasonable to them to yield to the true Gospel.
No person can be deceived by another gospel until the importance of the true Gospel is minimized by means of distortion. This is done subtlety by switching the emphasis from being reconciled to God to having a happy life upon the earth. Such a gospel renders the requirements of Christ foolish, and beyond the bounds of reason. Such things as crucifying the flesh, being a stranger and pilgrim in the world and resisting the devil now become unreasonable, and are often even perceived as impossibilities – which is the direct result of failing to see their necessity. They had been thrust into an impossible condition.
I do not believe it is possible to overstate this circumstance. Delusion ultimately leads to thinking Divine requirements are unreasonable, and not in our best interest. In thinking in such a manner, self is placed upon the throne of the heart, and the individual is captured by the devil and held within the bounds of foolishness and spiritual stupidity.
OBEY THE TRUTH. This phrase – “that ye should not obey the truth” – is omitted in all modern versions. It is included in the following English versions: Douay, Geneva, Bishop’s, Webster, Revised Webster, Wycliffe, Tyndale, Young’s Literal, English Majority Text, Literal Translation.
This exact phrase is mentioned again in Galatians 5:7 – and all of the modern versions include it, although omitting it in this text. Further, the reasoning expressed in 5:7 is precisely the same as in this text – that of having been turned aside from the truth of the Gospel to “another gospel:” “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” (Gal 5:7). Further, this thought is what directed this epistle in the first place. The Galatians had “removed” themselves from the One who had called them into the grace of Christ, in order to embrace another gospel (Gal 1:6-7). Further, Paul has just finished a defense of “the truth of the Gospel” (Gal 2:5,14), and will yet affirm that he had borne witness to “the truth” in his communications with them (Gal 4:16). I therefore conclude that this phrase fully expresses the intentions of Paul, and is not an imposition in the text. Further, there is by no means unanimity among textual scholars concerning the propriety of its omission from the text. I will proceed in the persuasion that the words are proper, and assist us in understanding more fully and precisely what Paul is saying.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO OBEY THE TRUTH? The phrase “obey the truth” is also mentioned in Romans 2:8, being stated in the negative: “do not obey the truth.” There it is stated that those so characterized will receive “indignation and wrath.” Truth that is not obeyed has been rejected. Peter wrote of “obeying the truth through the Spirit” (1 Pet 1:22).
To “obey” the truth is to follow it – to conform one’s life to the truth, which is the affirmation of ultimate reality. This includes, but involves more than, obeying a commandment. To be sure, it does involve submitting to what the Lord requires without hesitation. In the fuller sense of the word obeying the truth is shaping our lives around what it declares. For example, if the truth of the matter is that “the world passeth away and the lust thereof,” 1 John 2:17), the person who obeys the truth stands aloof from the world and denies worldly lusts that “war against the soul” (1 Pet 2:11). If it is the truth that resisting the devil means he will “flee from you,” the person who obeys the truth immediately sets out to resist the devil.
In this particular passage, if it is true that men are “justified by faith” and “not by the deeds of the Law” (Gal 2:16-17; 3:11,24; 5:4), then obeying the truth is done by living by faith and steering clear of a system that relies upon human accomplishment. To this day, this is a truth that is scarcely known by any sizeable section of the body of Christ. There has been a massive turning away from the truth in favor or embracing human wisdom, techniques, and procedures. Promoters of procedures and lists of rules have gained a prominent position in the professed church. As a result of their message, there has been a commensurate removal from the God who calls men into the grace of Christ. This has taken place just as surely as the defection with which the book of Galatians deals.
This condition cannot be successful addressed by soft words and pleasant appearances. The very matter of salvation is at stake, just as surely as it was in the case of the Galatians. We can expect Paul to become more intense in his teaching, seeing the situation is so grave.
CHRIST EVIDENTLY SET FORTH
3:1c " . . . before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?"
Other versions read, “Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified,” NKJV “Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified,” NASB “right before your very eyes—Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified,” AMPLIFIED “For you used to see the meaning of Jesus Christ's death as clearly as though I had waved a placard before you with a picture on it of Christ dying on the cross,” LIVING “For the meaning of Jesus Christ's death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross,” NLT “I told you exactly how Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross,” CEV and “for it's obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the Cross was certainly set before you clearly enough.” MESSAGE
A DISPLAY OF PROFOUND WISDOM. With profound wisdom, Paul is declaring the implications of the crucifixion of Christ. At this point, he does not remind the Galatians that this was a display of Christ’s love for them – although, for those who believe, that is certainly true, as Paul himself states in Galatians 2:20. But that is not the point Paul is making. He is rather affirming how utterly illogical it is to buy into a system of Law, as though justification could be realized through the works of those who require deliverance and salvation. The only way they could have come to such a conclusion is to be bewitched, or cast under the spell of the evil one.
The point here is that the world crucified Christ, and in His death Jesus died to the worldly order, even though He had never sinned. When He died, for all practical purposes, His visible presence was no longer required in the world. He had finished the work He came to do, and only a forty-day ministry to His disciples was necessary to prepare them for the inauguration of the New Covenant and the day of salvation. The “wells of salvation” would not be positioned in the ceremonies of the Law, or the distinctions that it taught.
EVIDENTLY SET FORTH. As one has well said, “Jesus Christ was the sum and substance” of Paul’s ministry. JOHN GILL He made Jesus live before the eyes of the people, so that it was no different than standing at the foot of the cross like Mary, the women, and John the beloved disciple. In the glow of the crucified Christ things were seen as they really are.
◆ The Father, in the death of Jesus, was seen as He really is – not able to abide sin, or to receive sinners upon the basis of their own works. His absolute hatred of sin and total intolerance of it was clearly demonstrated as He smote the Son, cutting Him off from Himself while the Son made an end of sin.
◆ The Son. In His death Jesus confirmed He was not of this world. He made it clear that the world could not be identified with Him in any way. Death to the world was necessary for Him to take away sin and enter into His heavenly ministry. It is also necessary if men are to gain eternal advantage from Him. All of this is made clear in the Gospel.
◆ Sin. The heinousness of sin is seen in the death of Christ. Once the iniquities of us all were laid upon Jesus, and He carried our sins in His body on the cross, it was necessary for Him to be cursed (Gal 3:13). What further testimony is required to establish the nature of sin?
◆ The world. The world does not and cannot receive Christ, for He is not of the world. Thus He said, “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil” (John 7:7). He told His disciples that when the world hated them, then they would know it hated Him before it hated them (John 15:18).
◆ The devil and his hosts. The hostility of Satan and his forces was made known in Christ’s death, in which He “destroyed the devil” and triumphed over “principalities and powers” (Heb 2:14; Col 2:15). Whatever comes from these opposing forces, regardless of how pleasant it appears, is to be rejected and violently thrown down to the ground.
As evident as these things may appear, all of them had passed beyond the comprehension of the Galatians. The very thing that caught their attention and took hold of their affection at the first was willingly forfeited when they chose to embrace “another gospel.” What was once evident to them was no longer evident. It had become so obscured that Paul had to labor to re-establish the very nature of the Gospel – a Gospel which they had once joyfully embraced.
UNION WITH CHRIST’S DEATH IS CRITICAL. Every member of Christ’s body started out being “baptized into His death” (Rom 6:3). They commenced a life in which they carried about in their body “the dying of the Lord Jesus” (2 Cor 4:10). In the power of that persuasion, they were able to crucify “the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Gal 5:24). Denying self, and taking up their cross daily, they were able to follow Jesus wherever He went (Lk 9:23).
How necessary it is that men “mortify” their “members that are upon t he earth” (Col 3 :5). To fail to do this is to exclude oneself from Christ, and fall from Him who has called us into the grace of Christ. Yet, this is what had happened in Galatia – a circumstance that was induced by the proclamation of a false message, an erroneous gospel. It was a gospel that depended upon men and what they do, not upon Christ and what He did. The results were, and still are, disastrous.