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Pathways Through Paul, Vol 2
Daily Devotional
January 19
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Today's Pathway:
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Paul begins this chapter with a series of five questions. Ever since Galatians 1:11 he has been sharing his personal testimony and discussing the relationship between law and grace in a general fashion. Now he once again addresses the churches directly. The opening phrase,
"O foolish Galatians",
gives some indication of where he is heading. The term "O" carries the idea of both an emotional and a personal plea. Paul has been deeply affected by the direction the churches have gone. He is bothered enough to refer to them as "foolish", which means "not to understand". It is used to describe someone who is unwilling to use their mental abilities in order to understand. It is not a lack of intelligence as much as it is a mental laziness and carelessness. It describes a person who can think, but fails to have any discernment. Richard Trench wrote,
"In the word translated 'foolish' there is always a moral fault lying behind the intellectual, the mind being the ultimate seat of the error."
The Galatians should have known the truth. They had been taught it, and should not have been swayed from it. They were refusing to obey the truth. Instead, they had chosen to be "bewitched". Kenneth Boles wrote that the word translated "bewitched" comes from "an early superstition based on 'the evil eye': a person might be enticed to stare at someone who could bewitch him or cast a spell on him through the magic arts and then would do things totally foreign to his natural behavior. It could be translated, 'Who has hypnotized you?' Paul’s use of this word does not imply he believed in such a thing; he was using the word’s association with ignorant superstition to shame them."
The end result of this "bewitching" was that the Galatians chose to not obey the truth, which they knew to be the truth. Paul had laid out the truth of the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice on the cross so clearly to them that it was as if they had witnessed the crucifixion of the Lord personally. In his first question, Paul wants to know who it was that had convinced them to change their minds about salvation. This is a rhetorical question, for Paul obviously knows who the Judaizers are. But, he wants the Galatians to consider the differences in the character of those false teachers as compared to himself. This is why he has spent so much time giving his own testimony. He received his doctrine directly from God (Galatians 1:12). Where had the Judaizers received their doctrine from? He had preached the Gospel and seen many receive Christ (Galatians 2:2). What had the Judaizers done? He had stood up for the truth, even if it meant confronting Peter (Galatians 2:11). Had the Judaizers done this? The churches of Judea had glorified God because of the change that had taken place in his life (Galatians 1:24). Had anyone praised God for the Judaizers? So, the Galatians needed to ask themselves first of all, "Who are these people who are trying to convince us that Paul's doctrine is wrong and theirs is correct?" This is still a good question to ask when the false teachers come around. Certainly the Scriptures are the final arbiter of truth. However, it can be beneficial to examine the background, character, and certainly the motives of those who teach some new doctrinal position. What is the source of this new doctrine? Does their lifestyle measure up to that which the Bible teaches? Are they genuinely concerned with the spiritual well-being of others, or are they simply trying to build a following for themselves? Are they current examples of those who Jude was warning about when he wrote,
"These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage" (Jude 1:16)?
Applying these questions to those who teach strange doctrines will usually make it clear that either their teachings are founded in ignorance of the Bible, or their motivation is not to honor God, but is rather to promote themselves.
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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