Throughout Chapter 1 and 2 of Galatians, which we have already covered in previous studies, the great apostle Paul had been strongly defending the divine origin of his apostolic calling and the gospel of grace he preached. Now, beginning with Chapter 3 of Galatians, the apostle turns to the Galatians themselves and their own experience with regards to their initial response to the gospel message. Our study will cover the first nine verses of chapter three. Let us read these first nine verses before we analyze what Paul is saying here. “Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Therefore, he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nation by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, in you all the nations shall be blessed. So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” Notice that this passage we just read is divided into two parts. Verses 1-5 deal with the experience of the Galatians Christians by way of a series of questions and then in verses 6-9, Paul is speaking of Abraham who is the father of all who believe. He is dealing with Abraham as our example, as our prototype, and with how the gospel saves us individually. With this introduction, let us look carefully at this passage and see what lesson we can draw out of it for we who are living today. Paul begins by a very strong statement. “Oh, foolish Galatians.” The word “foolish” really means “unthinking” or “idiotic” implying irrational behavior or stupidity. If Paul was living today, he very likely would have said, “You stupid or idiotic Galatians.” Any Christian who turns from the glorious gospel of salvation by grace alone and desires to be saved by his own personal good works, really deserves to be called foolish for that is pure stupidity. It is just like a farmer who deliberately gives up using his tractor to plow his land and goes back to plowing by oxen. Paul feels that their behavior was so irrational that he wondered if someone had not cast a spell on them. Please notice what he says. “Who has bewitched you (or who has cast a spell on you)?” The word “who” here is in the singular, but the Judaizers, who had caused the problem, were really a group of people. Therefore, the implication is that, behind the Judaizers, was the enemy of all souls, which is Satan. In 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 4, Paul tells the Corinthian believers that just as the devil deceived Eve, Paul is afraid that Satan might use the same deceptive method to deceive them and bring them another gospel that doesnt belong to the truth.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 01:54:51 +0000
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