Who bewitched the Galatians? And are they still around?

[Saint Steven]

I might be wrong but isn't communion rooted in Passover and baptism rooted in ceremonial bathing (Mikveh) still practiced today. Weren't these traditions sort of repurposed by example of Jesus? Maybe 'repurposed' isn't the right word.

The Last Supper was a Passover meal, however the Lord's Supper is celebrated differently. Weekly, or monthly, (even daily in the NT) rather than annually. And the ceremony bears little resemblance to Passover. No reference to the Exodus, for instance. Baptism was a totally new deal, as I understand it.

 

[Anguspure]

Right.
The questions in verses 2 and 3 still apply. A litmus test?

1) Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?
2) Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?

The implication is that once we have received the Spirit, we are going backwards to return to the law for guidance. In fact this would be a fleshly endeavor, not of the Spirit.

It would be like using the manual controls in a jet equipped with an efficient auto pilot system.

Except that the manual controls would not cause one to crash and burn, whereas an imperfect attempt to follow the law after accepting the salvation of Christ Jesus will.

 

[Saint Steven]

Except that the manual controls would not cause one to crash and burn, whereas an imperfect attempt to follow the law after accepting the salvation of Christ Jesus will.

Right. Any attempt, really. The letter of the law kills.

 

[Anguspure]

Right. Any attempt, really. The letter of the law kills.

I think though that this is not because the law is deficient in anyway, rather it is we who fail.

Paul writes: Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.


James also writes: For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

 

[Saint Steven]

I think though that this is not because the law is deficient in anyway, rather it is we who fail.

Paul writes: Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.


James also writes: For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

I'll agree that the law had its place. I see it as a monument on the road of grace. Cause for reflection, not a call to action.

Galatians 5:18
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

 

[2Timothy2:15]

When you're going to publicly correct somebody, you should read what the other person actually said. What I said was, that murias is the Greek word for 10,000 and that, in the verse in question, it's in PLURAL FORM. That means at least 20,000.

Where in your post did you mention 20,000? You said it was 1/4 and I am not sure you can assume that it was 20,000 anyhow. Since you said it was 1/4 that meant 25%. Maybe you should be more clear and the problem is not my math but the way it was communicated?

" The word for "many thousands" is murias, which is the word for 10,000 and in is in plural form. The Jewish population of Jerusalem according to a a number of sources was around 80,000... so at least 1/4 believed

STRONGS NT 3461: μυριάς

μυριάς, μυριαδος, ἡ (μυρίος) (from Herodotus down), the Sept. for רְבָבָה and רִבּו;

a. ten thousand: Acts 19:19 (on which passage see ἀργύριον, 3 at the end).

b. plural with the genitive equivalent to an innumerable multitude, an unlimited number ((like our myriads), the Latinsexcenti, German Tausend): Luke 12:1; Acts 21:20; Revelation 5:11 (not Rec.st); (here L T δισμυριάδες, which see); used simply, of innumerable hosts of angels: Hebrews 12:22 (here G L Tr put a comma after μυριάσιν); Jude 1:14; Deuteronomy 33:2; Daniel 7:10

I do not agree with you doubling the number based on the definition. It simply means too many to count, not 20,000.

 

[Ken Rank]

Where in your post did you mention 20,000? You said it was 1/4 and I am not sure you can assume that it was 20,000 anyhow. Since you said it was 1/4 that meant 25%. Maybe you should be more clear and the problem is not my math but the way it was communicated?

Right here....

Acts 21:20 in English says, "many thousands of Jews believed and remained zealous for the Law." The word for "many thousands" is murias, which is the word for 10,000 and in is in plural form. The Jewish population of Jerusalem according to a a number of sources was around 80,000... so at least 1/4 believed.

So, if I say that murias means 10,000 and that the verse in Acts uses that word but in PLURAL form, then it is at least 20,000... maybe more... this is simple math and shouldn't need to be explained.

 

[Stone-n-Steel]

Chapter three of the epistle to the Galatians begins with this sobering question.

Galatians 3:1
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What foolishness are we talking about here? And who are these bewitchers?
But first, how do we define "bewitched"?

Definition: bewitched
transitive verb. 1 a : to influence or affect especially injuriously by witchcraft. b : to cast a spell over. 2. : to attract as if by the power of witchcraft : enchant, fascinate. bewitched by her beauty.

Someone cast a spell over the Galatians. An injurious influence to enchant and gain power over them. The Apostle Paul is furious. He calls them foolish!

So, who are these spellcasting monsters that are trying to devour the church at Galatia? And are they still around today? Let's review the context.

Galatians 3:1-6
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are several questions asked of the Galatians by the Apostle:
1) Who has bewitched you?
2) Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?
3) Are you so foolish?
4) After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?
5) Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain?
6) -- question #2 is repeated here, thus giving it extra emphasis.

This doesn't identify the perpetrators, but identifies the problem. Someone was trying to get them under the law. To entice them to do the fleshly works of the law instead of continue as they had begun, by the Spirit.

To find the perpetrators, we need to back up to the pervious chapter which ends with this.

Galatians 2:21
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In chapter two the offenders are named in the situation with Peter (Cephas) and the Circumcision Group. (Sabbatarians in today's terminology)

Galatians 2:11-14
When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

I think today there are still preachers from the pulpit who preach you must do this or that to be saved or keep your salvation. I find that foolish for any Bible student who has read Galatians.

 

[2Timothy2:15]

Right here....


So, if I say that murias means 10,000 and that the verse in Acts uses that word but in PLURAL form, then it is at least 20,000... maybe more... this is simple math and shouldn't need to be explained.

Nothing in your statement said 20,000 and you can not imply 20000 to say it is plural form. Anyhow, making words all caps does not support your claim anymore. Never the less, even when you read the meaning of the word it does not clearly mean the plural form equals 20000.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3461&t=KJV

Even these scriptures which use the same greek word do not support your notion of 20000.

Tools

Heb 12:22

But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company G3461 of angels,
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Jde 1:14

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands G3461 of his saints,
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Rev 5:11

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand G3461 times ten thousand, G3461 and thousands of thousands;
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Rev 9:16

And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand G3461 thousand: G3461 and I heard the number of them.

 

[Ken Rank]

Nothing in your statement said 20,000 and you can not imply 20000 to say it is plural form. Anyhow, making words all caps does not support your claim anymore. Never the less, even when you read the meaning of the word it does not clearly mean the plural form equals 20000.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3461&t=KJV

Even these scriptures which use the same greek word do not support your notion of 20000.

Tools

Heb 12:22

But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company G3461 of angels,
Tools

Jde 1:14

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands G3461 of his saints,
Tools

Rev 5:11

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand G3461 times ten thousand, G3461 and thousands of thousands;
Tools

Rev 9:16

And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand G3461 thousand: G3461 and I heard the number of them.

You are looking at Strong's numbers without looking at the form the word itself appears in. In other words, 1 word can have prefixes or suffixes in various forms which will slightly alter the definition and yet still be the same 1 Strong's #. You should have known this before lecturing me.

 

[2Timothy2:15]

You are looking at Strong's numbers without looking at the form the word itself appears in. In other words, 1 word can have prefixes or suffixes in various forms which will slightly alter the definition and yet still be the same 1 Strong's #. You should have known this before lecturing me.

Discussing not lecturing. I thought having a discussion was an ok thing. Anyhow not everyone is the a Greek scholar I suppose. With that being said, the math is still not adding up based on no tangible number being clear. Based on the definition I see, a myriad is 10000, a murias is more but not equal to an exact amount.

 

[roky23]

I see no reason for your hostility. A question was asked as to who had convinced the Galatians they had to return to the law. The Jewish law.

I feel the same. I feel like want to pull my hair. There is difference between the torah and jewish law as an man made traditions.

 

[roky23]

The Galatians were Sabbath keepers & obeyed the law. They weren’t “Christians” who went to church on Sunday & celebrated Christmas and Easter And ignored the law/commandments

Paul was writing to the Galatians earning them about people teaching works-based salvation vs faith-based salvation.

exactly! You are right! There is nothing wrong with the law of God it self. But what is wrong is work+salvation and after salvation work+justification. The law of God shows what is good and what is bad. Just imagine if we throughout the law of God out.... it would be lawlessness.

 

[Ken Rank]

I see no reason for your hostility. A question was asked as to who had convinced the Galatians they had to return to the law. The Jewish law.

I didn't give a fair answer for this. I think the Christian premise that the Galatians were returning to Jewish law is wrong and entirely out of context. Paul wrote:

Gal 4:8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.
Gal 4:9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10 You observe days and months and seasons and years.

Read the bold. Before they heard the gospel they did not know God, they served false gods, and weren't known by God. Guess what... that is not the description of a Jewish person in the first century, it is a description of a PAGAN in ANY century. The day and months and seasons and all that were Saturnalia, Samhain, and many others. They were returning to their HEATHEN ways... they had never followed Jewish law.

 

[HTacianas]

I might be wrong but isn't communion rooted in Passover and baptism rooted in ceremonial bathing (Mikveh) still practiced today. Weren't these traditions sort of repurposed by example of Jesus? Maybe 'repurposed' isn't the right word.

You're right that communion has its origins in Passover, and that baptism originated in ceremonial baths. John the Baptist was baptizing people under the old covenant.

Most Christians in the world don't refer to Easter as Easter. It's called Pascha, meaning passover.

But "repurposed", you're right, isn't the right word for it. It is a continuation into Christianity.