THE BOOK OF GALATIANS – CHAPTER 3:1-9 - MESSAGE 6 – PAUL CHASTISES THE GALATIANS WITH QUESTIONS; AND RIGHTEOUS ABRAHAM JUSTIFIED BY FAITH
PART 1. THE BEWITCHING OF THE GALATIANS
{{Galatians 3:1 “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?”}}
WOW! What an opening this is to the new section. Paul calls them foolish and states they have been bewitched; have come under a spell of witchcraft. Imagine reading that for the first time, but the Apostle had led up to this by challenging their error and then exposing it in Chapter 2.
So far in the epistle Paul has written much about his own personal experience as a background for setting out before the Galatians the great error of their way. In no other letter does he explain so much of his life and actions. The reason he did that was to reinforce AGAIN his credibility as an Apostle of Jesus Christ for it is authority that is fundamental in this letter. The Galatians had accepted the authority of the sneaky false teachers while rejecting Paul’s authority.
I remember when I was young; I think in my late childhood, an uncle or my grandfather chastised me for calling someone a fool. Obviously I have never forgotten that. The purists say that the only fools are those who do not believe in God according to this verse – {{Psalm 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt. They have committed abominable deeds. There is no one who does good,}} - and no one else ought to be called a fool except the atheist.
That idea might also be backed up by this verse – {{Matthew 5:22 but I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court and whoever shall say, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”}}
However Paul writes to the Ephesians not to walk as unwise men wasting time, and then adds -
{{Ephesians 5:17 “so then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”}} Not to understand and to walk unwisely is for them to be like fools (the suffix “ish” meaning “like”). The foolish man built his house upon the sand, those virgins who were fools did not ensure their lamps were filled with oil.
So . . . it was a real slap in the face for these Galatians who were acting like fools and hopefully it stopped them in their tracks and made them think of their situation.
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR BEWITCHING THEM?
Paul also questioned who had bewitched them. Holman in his excellent translation renders it as “who has hypnotized you?” [[Strongs Concordance says this - from baskanos, "to cast an evil spell, wishing injury upon someone; to bewitch") – properly, to exercise evil power over someone, like putting them under a spell; (used only in Galatians 3:1)
[In classical Greek, Aristotle used (baskaíno) for "bewitching through the use of an evil power." That is, putting someone under a spell so they no longer could think (act) according to reason.]]
Who was it that cast a spell over the Galatian churches? The evil power was twofold. It was demonic activity exercised through the false teachers, those wanting to place the Christians under the Law in addition to grace. It is sinister and demonic.
PART 2. BEFORE WHOSE EYES . . . PUBLICLY PORTRAYED AS CRUCIFIED
When the Galatians first heard the gospel it could be said of them they had the clearest vision, without defect or cataract, for the Holy Spirit showed then the sharpest contrast of death and life, and they were converted thoroughly. Paul said “before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.”
There are ideas on this but this is what it means to me. The gospel was so clearly preached with the power of the Holy Spirit, and the personal application of the gospel was so clear, that it was as if these people were there at the crucifixion to understand all that was happening. “Jesus was on the cross for ME. It was MY sin that nailed Him there. He was pierced through for my sin. Look at him hanging there – that was done for me because He loved me. Take my life, Lord, and come into my life – save me and make me a child of God. I am totally without merit, undone and dead in sin. I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.”
Yes, the gospel was “publicly portrayed as crucified” and NOTHING was added to faith. Salvation comes through faith and by no other means, and by no extra additions. The Galatians had added additions because they had been bewitched.
We have a pure gospel that must not be adulterated by man’s inventions and devious additions. It is not a light thing to add to the gospel of grace, and should we tolerate such additions? Clearly the answer from Galatians 1 is that we must not for one moment accept the fouling of the pure gospel of grace. Remember twice in that chapter Paul called for the false teachers who brought that perverted gospel, to be accursed.
We will close this first verse with a quote from Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges - [[“In the concluding verses of the preceding chapter the Apostle has not been directly addressing the Galatians. He has rather been following up his rebuke to Peter by an argument - a soliloquy - ending in a “reductio ad absurdum”. A doctrine which practically makes the death of Christ superfluous, is impious and revolting. ‘And is this the doctrine which you were lightly disposed to accept? O foolish Galatians, to what spell of sorcery have you succumbed? Christ Crucified was lifted up before you as the object of faith. Instead of looking away (Hebrews 12:2) from all else to Jesus Christ alone, you allowed your eyes to wander to the Law and your own works, and so yielded to the deadly fascination of these Judaizing teachers.’”]]
PART 3. THE FOOLISH ONES ARE PUT UNDER QUESTION
{{Galatians 3:2 “This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”
Galatians 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”}}
(a). Paul fires now three questions at the Galatians. With regard to the first question – {{Romans 10:17 “Therefore FAITH comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ,”}}. Faith comes by hearing the word of God when the Holy Spirit imprints the word in your hearts and you get converted. It is all of faith, not of works. The Galatians had no answer to this except their own experience and that told them that when they heard the gospel they were saved by faith. The Law had nothing to do with it initially and so it has no part NOW! There was only one obvious answer to the first question.
(b). With regard to the second question – {{1Corinthians 1:30 “but by His doing you are in Christ Jesus who became to us WISDOM from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”}} Our wisdom is in Jesus Christ, not in the Law. For Christians to reject the wisdom of God, it meant foolishness. The Galatians were foolish. Another verse means that if the Christians are filled with the knowledge of the will of God and have spiritual wisdom, then they would not have fallen into error – {{Colossians 1:9 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual WISDOM and understanding.”}}
(c). With regard to the third question – {{Hebrews 10:14 “By one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”}} Perfection comes through the sacrifice of Christ, and by His one offering. That offering gave us all perfection. The foolish Galatians were so bewitched that they were thinking perfection now came by the works of the flesh (the keeping of the Law). How wrong they were. Sanctification is through the Holy Spirit, not at all through the Law.
The reason for these questions was to convict the Galatians into sanity, to bring them back to reality, and to know from what heights they had fallen. Paul felt very strongly about it all for he tried in the extreme to bring perfection into his life by keeping the Law as a Pharisee of the Pharisees, and it was utterly useless. Then through the mercy of God he discovered what true grace was and how salvation is a free gift through grace and not by Law. It is little wonder that he is so emphatic on this matter with the Galatians.
We are never perfected in the flesh for the flesh belongs to the old nature that is corrupt. All it breeds are the maggots of destruction; every filthiness in God’s sight. The flesh is weak and utterly sinful – {{Romans 7:18 “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh . . . .”}}
PART 4. YOU DID NOT SUFFER IN VAIN WHEN UNDER GRACE
{{Galatians 3:4 “Did you suffer so many things in vain - if indeed it was in vain?”}}
What Paul is saying is that IF faith in Christ for salvation without the Law was wrong, then these Galatians when suffering persecution, did it all in vain. If they had a worthless faith to begin with then all their suffering was unnecessary and a waste of time, meaningless. They faced persecution for their Christian stand that was based on their position in Jesus Christ, obtained through faith and grace and NOTHING else. The keeping of the Law was foreign. There was a time after their becoming believers in the Lord, that they were able to state categorically that their salvation depended on the grace of God alone and on faith alone.
Once works are added, and keeping the Law was adding works to salvation, then it negates the grace of the Lord Jesus and makes it all vain. Paul is getting them to think about suffering for the Name of Christ and what they were suffering for. If we believe in fairy tales then we certainly are not prepared to die for fairy tales. Salvation through faith alone is a reality, for when hundreds of millions of Christians have died for their faith, they know it to have 100% substance in God.
These Galatians suffered under grace not under the Law so did they suffer in vain? They certainly did not and they knew it. That was the purpose of Paul’s question.
Part 5. HOW DID YOU RECEIVE THE SPIRIT – THROUGH THE LAW OR THROUGH FAITH?
{{Galatians 3:5 “Does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, then do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”}}
This is the fifth question in five verses. The strategy Paul is using is one to make the Galatians reflect on their position of succumbing to a false gospel. For all those who are holding to the teaching of false teachers, then the best way to get them to examine their belief system is to challenge through questioning so God can then establish truth.
In the case here Paul puts up the argument with fact and reason. If you like, with evidence and then the cause.
On one side is the FACT that is knowable – God has provided the Holy Spirit and evidenced that with miracles. That can not be denied by the Galatians. Great things were done for the Lord, rather, the Lord did great things among them. All that must be accepted.
Now we come to the other side. It is the REASON for that fact. Paul even helps them out by suggesting the only two possibilities. It is either empowered through the works of the Law OR it is empowered by hearing with faith. Which one is it to be? You, Galatians have to make the choice.
Where did you depart from hearing with faith to chain yourselves in bondage to the Law? Why were you so gullible not to realise you did not start that way? You knew the power of God only through faith so why now turn to the incapability of the Law’s works to progress you? Why did you not realise this was happening? How is it you uprooted yourselves only to place yourselves in another camp?
PART 6. ABRAHAM THE GREAT EXAMPLE OF FAITHFUL BELIEVERS
We come to a very important section in Galatians and that is the position Abraham has. His name has been introduced here because he was a man of faith who was not under bondage to the Law (because the Law was not introduced for another 600 years).
{{Galatians 3:6 “Even so Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”
Galatians 3:7 “Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.”
Galatians 3:8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying, “All the nations shall be blessed in you,”
Galatians 3:9 so then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”}}
We will look at what transpired in Genesis, the material Paul drew on for his argument against the Galatians -
{{Genesis 22:15-18 Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son - indeed, I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore, and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies, and in your seed ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED BECAUSE YOU HAVE OBEYED MY VOICE.”}}
The faith of Abraham initiated the salvation for all nations, though it was not actually Abraham who did this, but the Lord working through Abraham. In my flesh, that is in me, there is no good thing. It was God who blessed Abraham and gave him a heart to seek the Lord. Paul declares that all those of faith are the children (“sons” mean that) of Abraham. Paul is stressing the point that it is faith achieving this and not the Law because it did not exist. Faith preceded the Law and faith supersedes the Law.
Galatians 3:8 is a majestic verse confirming that the salvation blessing for the Gentiles happened because of Abraham’s faith. So important was this man that God called him “The friend of God”. In verse 9, Abraham is called “the believer” and all those converted from among Jew and Gentile share Abraham as believers.
There is something important in what was said to Abraham in Genesis. Abraham had been told already that all nations of the earth would be blessed through him (through His seed/offspring = more correctly through his descendant Jesus Christ). “All” nations would be exactly that – Israel and all the rest; all the Gentile nations.
God does not repeat facts needlessly so when you get an expression like [[“and I will greatly multiply your seed as the STARS of the heavens, and as the SAND which is on the seashore,”]] then the stars and the sand must have special meanings. They do. One is heavenly in nature (STARS) and the other is earthly in nature (SAND).
The heavenly descendants of Abraham are the saved from among the Gentile nations, in other words, the Church. The sand on the seashore represents the Jews for the Jews are an earthly people, and all the promises for Israel are based in the land. All the restoration promises for Israel, all through Abraham and the prophets, are all earthly based, not heavenly. You can search that out for yourself. For starters, just try these two promises of God –
{{Genesis 13:15 “for all the land which you see I will give it to you and to your descendants FOREVER,”
Genesis 17:8 “I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, FOR AN EVERLASTING POSSESSION, and I will be their God.”}}
Abraham has both those descendants, the earthly and the heavenly in fulfillment of the promise of God, “All the nations shall be blessed in you,”
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