The True Gospel is Reaffirmed to the Galatians Volume 6

Paul Reaffirms true Righteousness to the Galatians; “Faith in Christ”

Galatians 3:1-5 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? KJV

Immediately Paul follows up his declaration of the new life he and every true believer lives and enjoys is union or connection to Jesus Christ by way of believing the true Gospel and receiving Christ as ones Lord and Savior (Galatians 2:20), with calling out those in Galatia who had begun to allow themselves to be led down the path of a “works” gospel “foolish” or the Greek word anoetos which means unintelligent, unwise, without comprehension, or unable to perceive, think, or understand correctly, also by implication it means sensual. Paul no doubt was concerned that they had received the Holy Spirit, but by their allowing themselves to be “led away” or “bewitched” the Greek word baskaino which means to become fascinated with something by way of false representation or to speak, then to bring evil on one by feigned praise or the evil eye (hoodoo), to lead astray by evil arts, that they had allowed someone to lead them away from the truth and thus they had quenched all the blessings, graces, and gifts of the Holy Spirit and therefore suffered themselves to tremendous spiritual loss by now trying to perfect themselves in the flesh or in other words the legal righteousness of the Jew.

Paul wanted to have the assurance that they had received the Word of God he preached to them as he testified in this manner to the believers in Thessalonica, “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13), however, because many appeared to be abandoning the Gospel of Grace for this “works” gospel, Paul was unable at this point in his letter to have such assurance about many of them, as he would say very bluntly and plainly with these words to the Galatians just in the next Chapter, “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.” (Galatians 4:9-11). It is as if these Galatians had turned on to the road of “works righteousness” with no detour or exits ramps in their sights.

Paul wanted to see them come all the way back to the sweet simplicity that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord as he declared to the Corinthian believers in this manner, “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3). Paul spelled out the many blessings every regenerated born again believer has through “faith in Christ” to the Ephesians clearly and without any vagueness and Paul even prayed that their understanding to all that spiritual truth would be theirs by virtue of God the Holy Spirit opening their spiritual eyes to see and receive all that was theirs through faith in Christ (Ephesians 1:1-23). Did the “good work” or moral excellence and moral virtue that was wrought in you, that is in your inner man (the real you) was it done or performed by the works of observing the law or by believing the Gospel that I (Paul) preached to you of Christ Crucified and faith in Him? Paul wanted the answer to come from them examining their own lives of transformation or the lack of transformation to determine whether they had actually believed in vain or not.

Paul again uses the word “foolish” or the Greek word anoetos to inquire if they actually imagine or intend to gain completeness, fullness, or spiritual maturity apart from the work of God the Holy Spirit “in them”, but instead by them trying to keep the moral law of God (without the Holy Spirits energy and power) or by observing the Jewish ceremonial laws that are null and void “in Christ” (Philippians 3:2-3). Paul wants them to see the utter absurdity of where they are now being led, by reminding them that it is the sanctifying power of God the Holy Spirit that was at work “in them” when they first believed the Gospel that caused them to live the new lives that many of them lived. Paul was witness himself to God the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work in their lives and now he is stunned that they have so soon turned from Him back to the very things that brought them bondage, but never liberty, victory, or deliverance. Acts 14 details some forms of persecution that the ministers of the Gospel and those in the southern region of Galatia (who believed the Gospel) endured and Paul wanted them to examine themselves to consider whether their outward sufferings of persecution for becoming believers through “faith in Jesus Christ” was for nothing, seeing that they are now being led to turn away from Him (Christ). Paul wanted to assure them that their present sufferings (Romans 8:18) were not coming to them so that they would shrink back or draw back as with fear or pain from the truth of the Gospel, but it was to make them stand even firmer with determination and resolution being unshakable as he declared it in this manner to the Corinthian believers, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

My own Personal Note: Paul was never one to mince or soften his words when he felt that some harshness was necessary. Therefore, we find him here using the words “foolish” and “bewitched” speaking of these Galatians in order that he might jolt them out of their fog of false belief that they could go higher in Jesus Christ through the observance of the Jewish ceremonial laws and trying to keep God’s Moral Law “in the flesh”, but here Paul debunks their fallacy, false belief, or misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning. Let us remember these words written by Paul to the Roman believers (which are very much applicable to these Galatians and to us today, just substitute the word Christian for Jew) when he said, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.” (Romans 2:28-29).

“Are ye so thoughtless - As not to consider what you have yourselves experienced? Having begun in the Spirit - Having set out under the light and power of the Spirit by faith, do ye now, when ye ought to be more spiritual, and more acquainted with the power of faith, expect to be made perfect by the flesh? Do you think to complete either your justification or sanctification, by giving up that faith, and depending on the law, which is a gross and carnal thing when opposed to the gospel?” John Wesley

“Faith consists not in working, but in receiving (Romans 10:16-17). Having begun your Christianity in the Spirit, that is, in the divine life that proceeds from faith, are ye seeking after something higher still (the perfecting of your Christianity) in the sensuous and the earthly, which cannot possibly elevate the inner life of the Spirit, namely, outward ceremonies? [Neander]. No doubt the Galatians thought that they were going more deeply into the Spirit; for the flesh may be easily mistaken for the Spirit, even by those who have made progress, unless they continue to maintain a pure faith [Bengel].” JFB Commentary

“But I turn from Paul’s conception of the office to his statement of his theme. ‘Jesus was displayed amongst you.’ If I might vary the metaphor a little, the placard that Paul fastened up was like those that modern advertising ingenuity displays upon all our walls. It was a picture-placard, and on it was portrayed one sole figure—Jesus, the Person. Christianity is Christ, and Christ is Christianity; and wherever there is a pulpit or a book which deals rather with doctrines than with Him who is the Fountain and Quarry of all doctrine, there is divergence from the primitive form of the Gospel. I know, of course, that doctrines—which are only formal and orderly statements of principles involved in the facts—must flow from the proclamation of the person, Christ. I am not such a fool as to run amuck against theology, as some people in this day do. But what I wish to insist upon is that the first form of Christianity is not a theory, but a history, and that the revelation of God is the biography of a man. We must begin with the person, Christ, and preach Him.” Alexander MacLaren

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…