Bewitched

(Galatians 3:1-3)

Occasionally when we read the text of the Bible, we come across some issues with translation, where the original Greek text is quite different to the English translation. In verse 1 there are several extra words in about a quarter of the translations that are missing from the others. There are also a few other less significant variations in the other verses too.

But the reason for these variations is different from the usual translation problems. Generally when I find such issues, I turn to the Greek to sort out the correct translation. But in this case I turned to two different Greek texts to discover that the variations also appear in the Greek texts. I looked at both the “Koine Greek New Testament” and the “Nestle Greek” text…and found they are different.

Fortunately the additional words do not greatly change the meaning of the texts, but they do greatly add to the clarity of the verses as you will see.

Bewitched

In the first verse we can see the missing words by comparing two common translations. The first is from the RSV and the second is the NKJV.

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? (Galatians 3:1 RSV)

and,

O 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? (Galatians 3:1 NKJV)

Paul is concerned that the Galatians church had been bewitched or tricked in some way. If we read the RSV version this is all we see. We do not know what this “bewitching” is all about and why Paul is so concerned.

However when we look at the NKJV the form of the bewitching becomes clear. The church in Galatia has been bewitched, or led astray, to cease obeying the truth of the New Covenant and to wander off into falsehoods. They had accepted lies about the nature of worship under the gospel, and as a result were walking away from Christ rather then walking with Him.

Is it then any wonder that Paul was concerned!

Now as the scriptures continue we see what it is that this bewitching is all about. We begin to understand the nature of how the Galatians had been bewitched to turn from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Bewitched by Law

Consider now this second verse in this section. It is clear from this verse exactly where and why Paul is concerned.

Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? (Galatians 3:2)

The power of the New Covenant and the gospel of Jesus Christ comes through receiving the Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit is the work of transformation, to change us into the image of Christ.

Look at it like this. The law was given by Moses and the people were told to keep the law and so be acceptable to God. But no man was able to keep the law. To a person we all failed because all of mankind was born under the power of sin. So keeping the law to become perfect in the sight of God is an impossibility.

This is why all mankind is in need of a Saviour to define a way by which we can become acceptable in the sight of God and to be perfected into the image of Jesus Christ. We cannot do it ourselves, and that is why God gives us the Holy Spirit to effect the changes needed within us to have victory over the flesh and over sin.

Paul was concerned that the Galatians had been bewitched to think this perfecting work could be done by works of the law, or by keeping the letter of the law. But as he shows, the receiving of the Holy Spirit did not and does not come through keeping the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Law cannot make anyone perfect because it is through the law that the knowledge of sin becomes known, as it says,

For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20)

And we see this matter strengthened by the writer of Hebrews who again shows that there is no perfection possible under the law.

11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levit’ical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchiz’edek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. (Hebrews 7:11-12)

Note well that the law was given under the priesthood of the Levites, and only a Levite could be a priest under the laws of Moses. But Jesus was not a Levite. He was born of the tribe of Judah and He became a priest under the order of Melchiz’edek, not Levi.

We see again that it is clearly shown that you cannot become perfected under the Levitical law by keeping the laws of Moses. But you CAN be perfected under the priesthood of Melchiz’edek, that is, by following the teachings of Jesus Christ, who is our high priest.

Furthermore, we see that the law changes when the priesthood changes. The laws that are in effect under one priesthood are not the same when w new priesthood comes into effect. And it is evident that Jesus serves under a different priesthood than the priesthood of Levi. Thus, the rules and the laws all change.

This is why Paul was so concerned, because the Galatians church was rejecting the priesthood of Jesus Christ and returning to the priesthood of Levi by seeking perfection under the law, which is not possible. Perfection can only be received through the teachings of Jesus Christ, which comes through faith, not the law.

Perfection

The final verse we are looking at today (Galatians 3:3) again has a translation issue, where the different versions offer greater clarity. And this extra information drives to the heart of Paul’s concern with the Galatians church. Look at these two variations, again from the RSV and the NKJV.

Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? (Galatians 3:3 RSV)

and,

Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? (Galatians 3:3 NKJV)

Paul is concerned about the church deviating from the path that will lead to perfection in Jesus Christ. When Paul taught them the gospel of salvation, the people were baptised and received the Holy Spirit, and taught the words of Jesus that would lead them to life and enable the Holy Spirit to transform them into the image of Jesus Christ, which is the image of perfection.

But as they were bewitched by false teachings that led them to try and be perfect through works of the law, they were falling away from the grace of God and cutting themselves off from Jesus Christ, as Paul explains in the first few verses of Galatians chapter 5. The were trying to be perfect by “being good” through keeping the precepts of the law, and this does not work.

The Israelites lived under the law for hundreds of years prior to this and none of them were able to keep it. They all fell to sin, and it was because no-one could keep the law that Christ came to show us a better way. In Jesus Christ, through faith, we have the chance to be made perfect, which the law could never do.

Situation Today

Is it any better today in the Christian Church than it was for the Galatians church in Paul’s time?

I am sad to say that for many churches today it is even worse, because they avidly follow the law, as taught by their pastors and ministers, but the law has been twisted to suit their own ends. To make it worse, much of the ministry of many churches today is a mish-mash of law, Christianity with some pagan teachings thrown in as well.

We are no better today than the church of the Galatians was in the Bible. In fact the church is worse off.

So what is the solution to this issue? Each Christian needs to go back to the source of our faith, which is Jesus Christ and His teachings. Seek the Lord in prayer to find the truth, and study the Bible to identify truth from error. The New Testament does not contradict itself, nor does it contradict the Old Testament. You CAN find the narrow path of the truth that winds through the Bible and follow Christ to find and receive the perfection possible through faith in Jesus Christ.

But it is not an easy walk and you will be opposed, especially by those who choose to follow the modern teachings of what is falsely called Christianity today. Do not listen to them. Seek for yourself and find the right path. Be led by the words of Jesus Christ and seek the Holy Spirit as your guide. God is faithful and He has promised to open up your eyes to see His salvation if you seek diligently.

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