Who bewitched the Galatians? And are they still around?

[HTacianas]

It is certainly not impossible that I over reacted to your comment, I apologize. I am in a position to see anti-Semitism from Christians in ways most people do not see. So, without hearing your tone and or knowing your background, I can only go by what little I see and apparently was wrong.

No problem.

 

[AFrazier]

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?

To ask, "who hath bewitched you?" is just a turn of phrase. They had been led astray.

The context shows what Paul means by the question. They had been taught the gospel of Jesus Christ, to love one another. And someone came in behind Paul and taught them differently, that they needed to keep the law of Moses, which was incorrect. The old covenant was disanulled with the establishment of the new covenant. So having begun in faith, are they now made perfect by the law? God forbid.

 

[Blood Bought 1953]

Modern day Judaizers are all around.Their mantra today is “ You have to repent of your sins to be saved.” Not in the KJV.It adds to Paul’s Gospel and if you preach it, you are in danger of being “accursed”

 

[bcbsr]

Thanks. That's interesting. Which ceremonies?

Ceremonies which are religious. Water baptism, communion. Some sects have many other ceremonies. To make salvation contingent upon these would place one into a Neo-Circumcision status as I see it.

 

[ViaCrucis]

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?

The KJV translates the word as "bewitched", but it's helpful to understand that isn't what the original Greek word means (in a literal sense). Paul is not suggesting someone or some group literally used magickal powers on the churches of Galatia.

Paul asks who has ἐβάσκανεν (ebaskanen) them. The word βασκαίνω (baskaino) means to malign, slander, from a verb meaning to profess or assert; but in this sense it means something like hoodwinked, or to pull the wool over one's eyes. The Galatians have been hoodwinked, they've been taken, they've been had by charlatans making false professions.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Saint Steven]

To ask, "who hath bewitched you?" is just a turn of phrase. They had been led astray.

The context shows what Paul means by the question. They had been taught the gospel of Jesus Christ, to love one another. And someone came in behind Paul and taught them differently, that they needed to keep the law of Moses, which was incorrect. The old covenant was disanulled with the establishment of the new covenant. So having begun in faith, are they now made perfect by the law? God forbid.

Just a turn of phrase?
No big deal then? Wow.
I agree with the rest of your post, for the most part.

 

[Saint Steven]

Ceremonies which are religious. Water baptism, communion. Some sects have many other ceremonies. To make salvation contingent upon these would place one into a Neo-Circumcision status as I see it.

I don't connect those ceremonies with law-based organizations. Neither baptism or communion have their roots in the old covenant law.

 

[ViaCrucis]

You changed horses midstream.
You said, "Jewish converts" (who insisted the Galatians keep the Jewish law)
Then you said, "Jews" (are still around today)

These weren't Jews, i.e. practitioners of the Jewish religion, but they were Jewish Christians--converts from Judaism to the fledgling Christian religion. That itself isn't noteworthy, as at the time the majority of Christians were Jewish, including St. Paul himself and the other Apostles. What is noteworthy is that there were a particular group of Jewish Christians who insisted that following Jesus, being a Christian, depended upon the Torah and observing the commandments God gave to Israel; as such they taught that Christians must practice circumcision, observe the Sabbath, follow the dietary restrictions, and the Jewish holy days, along with all the other rites of Jewish observance. Going so far as to say that one can have no salvation apart from the commandments of the Torah. These are the ones who have "bewitched" the Galatians, for having originally heard the Gospel and the preaching of grace in Christ as Paul and the other Apostles had taught, along came these guys saying they need something more than what they had already received, they needed to be circumcised, observe the Sabbath, and all the other rites of Jewish observance as well.

Since this group did consist of Jewish converts, it is fair to say yes there are still Jews today--but like most Jews in the first century who had nothing to do with the new Jesus Movement, they really don't care what you and I do as long as we leave them alone. It is more accurate to say that there are still Judaizers though, and the vast majority of today's Judaizers have absolutely nothing to do with Judaism at all--they are instead uncircumcised* Gentiles who still insist on things like circumcision, the Sabbath, the Jewish holy days, the dietary laws, etc.

*By uncircumcised I don't mean whether or not they have literally had anything "snipped", because in Jewish belief and practice just because you have been circumcised doesn't mean you are circumcised. A circumcised Gentile still has to go through the process of a bris/brit milah when converting to Judaism. Jews weren't the only people in history to practice circumcision, the Egyptians practiced it as well, so there were circumcised Gentiles, and they still had to be brought into the covenant through circumcision; hence why a circumcised Gentile is still an uncircumcised Gentile--because they are a Gentile.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

Just a turn of phrase?
No big deal then? Wow.
I agree with the rest of your post, for the most part.

It was a big deal, the Galatians were being taken for fools by false teachers. But they weren't literally being enchanted by a wizard or some such silliness.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Saint Steven]

It was a big deal, the Galatians were being taken for fools by false teachers. But they weren't literally being enchanted by a wizard or some such silliness.

-CryptoLutheran

Right. I agree with that.

 

[AFrazier]

Just a turn of phrase?
No big deal then? Wow.
I agree with the rest of your post, for the most part.

Foolish Galatians, who has beguiled, cajoled, inveigled, seduced you?

To be bewitched is to be seduced and beguiled. Delilah bewitched Samson. No magic. It's just a figure of speech. And Paul never actually used the word "bewitched." That's just the English word the translators chose to employ.

So no, no big deal. Yes, just a turn of phrase.

 

[bcbsr]

I don't connect those ceremonies with law-based organizations. Neither baptism or communion have their roots in the old covenant law.

Not talking about Old Covenant Law. I'm talking about the Neo-Circumcision principle of viewing salvation as contingent upon law (Not necessarily Mosaic law, but some law), and upon religious ceremony (not necessarily upon the ceremony of Circumcison). That's the difference between Circumcision and the Neo-Circumcision. Same salvation by works principle.

 

[ebedmelech]

Those who "bewitched" the Galatians were called "Judaizers". Here's some good insight:
https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/judaizers.html

 

[Saint Steven]

Foolish Galatians, who has beguiled, cajoled, inveigled, seduced you?

To be bewitched is to be seduced and beguiled. Delilah bewitched Samson. No magic. It's just a figure of speech. And Paul never actually used the word "bewitched." That's just the English word the translators chose to employ.

So no, no big deal. Yes, just a turn of phrase.

Just to be clear, I didn't claim that actual witchcraft was being used.

 

[Saint Steven]

Not talking about Old Covenant Law. I'm talking about the Neo-Circumcision principle of viewing salvation as contingent upon law (Not necessarily Mosaic law, but some law), and upon religious ceremony (not necessarily upon the ceremony of Circumcison). That's the difference between Circumcision and the Neo-Circumcision. Same salvation by works principle.

Okay. That's news to me. Thanks.

 

[dqhall]

Posts like this almost make me want to pull my hair out. When you say, "Jewish law," do you mean the Torah, God's law... or the additions to it made by rabbis? Because the additions to it are "Jewish law," but "it" is God's law... He is the author... and since He is the author it is a good thing. Otherwise, you are inferring that God wrote/created something that wasn't "good?"

And yes, there are lots of Jews around today. And there is also a lot of anti-Semitism around today as well. God has a plan for them... I could show it to you in Scripture but I am not sure you'll care to hear anything. But hear this... Yeshua haMashiach...Jesus the Messiah... is Jewish. He returns as the Lion of the Tribe of JEWdah. Yes, we get the word Jew from Judah. He returns as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah... the New Jerusalem doesn't have a gate for Gentiles (just the 12 tribes)... I have a feeling you will be one in for a rather large surprise when he returns.

Take care.

The Jewish law requires the sacrifice of bulls, sheep and doves in order to receive forgiveness. There was the offering of the shewbread. There were legions of priests (kohen) to be paid tithes to and infighting for the greater gains sought by chief priests (Josephus). There was a grievous two drachma temple tax collected from the Jews each year. Jewish men were required to go to Jerusalem three times a year for three festivals at their own expense. This required another ten percent of their income, the second tithe.

Jesus was a Jew as were his apostles. To be against abuses in the Jewish law is more an effort of reform than anti-Semitism. They killed Jesus after complaining he did not keep the law.

Circumcision does not prove allegiance to God. Even Muslims are circumcised and some of them hate Jews. One does not need to have his/her food certified kosher to become Christian. I may seek salvation in the name of Jesus rather than the name of Moses.

There are some laws I would not disobey as one seeking Christ. I may not murder, bear false witness, commit adultery, fornication, homosexuality, theft, assault, fraud, tax evasion etc.

 

[Ken Rank]

The Jewish law requires the sacrifice of bulls, sheep and doves in order to receive forgiveness. There was the offering of the shewbread. There were legions of priests (kohen) to be paid tithes to and infighting for the greater gains sought by chief priests (Josephus). There was a grievous two drachma temple tax collected from the Jews each year. Jewish men were required to go to Jerusalem three times a year for three festivals at their own expense. This required another ten percent of their income, the second tithe.

Jesus was a Jew as were his apostles. To be against abuses in the Jewish law is more an effort of reform than anti-Semitism. They killed Jesus after complaining he did not keep the law.

Circumcision does not prove allegiance to God. Even Muslims are circumcised and some of them hate Jews. One does not need to have his/her food certified kosher to become Christian. I may seek salvation in the name of Jesus rather than the name of Moses.

There are some laws I would not disobey as one seeking Christ. I may not murder, bear false witness, commit adultery, fornication, homosexuality, theft, assault, fraud, tax evasion etc.

You're confusing God's law and Jewish law. God's law was given to Israel, but Israel isn't all Jewish, in fact, most aren't. Regardless, I don't seek to convince you of my belief. Blessings.

 

[discipler7]

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.

EPHESIANS.6: = 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ...

HEBREWS.10: = 15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,

16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”
17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Where do the Spirit-indwelled Christians find truth about spiritual matters and righteousness.? Do the Spirit-indwelled Christians have God's laws put into their hearts and written in their minds by God.?

 

[dqhall]

You're confusing God's law and Jewish law. God's law was given to Israel, but Israel isn't all Jewish, in fact, most aren't. Regardless, I don't seek to convince you of my belief. Blessings.

Ten tribes of Israel were taken into captivity by the Assyrians. Some may have fled to Jerusalem as refugees before being overrun by the Assyrians. Those who remained were Judah, Benjamin and some of the Levites according to the Bible. If I convert to Judaism I may need to observe the Jewish holidays and all these other Torah commandments. Jesus specified there are Jewish laws that I must not disobey. I have stated some of them in my previous post. Jesus even advised his fellow Jews to pay Roman taxes. When the Jews rose up against Rome in 66 AD instead of remain as submissive tax payers, many thousands of them perished as they were overrun by the Roman army.

 

[Ken Rank]

EPHESIANS.6: = 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ...

HEBREWS.10: = 15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,

16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”
17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Isaiah 59:16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. (17) For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

The priestly garments, that was what Paul was drawing on here.