Once again, here is my fairly literal translation of these verses:
1O unthinking Galatians, who has deluded you, to whom according to eyes Jesus Christ was distinctly set forth crucified? 2I am desiring to learn only this from you: Did you receive the Spirit out of works of law or out of hearing of faith? 3Are you thus unthinking? Having begun in [the] Spirit, are you now completed in [the] flesh? 4Have you suffered so much in vain, if indeed [it was] in vain? 5Therefore, the One supplying the Spirit to you and working miracles among you, [does He do it] out of works of law or out of hearing of faith?
Lots of thoughts.
Notice Paul’s approach – asking questions. I submit this is a very loving and respectful way to reprove a person. He could have easily just enumerated their faults and failures and been 100% correct in everything he said. But we usually do so out of evil, unloving hearts and only put the person on the defensive. We usually are already frustrated and angry and just want to rip them to shreds. Read the five verses again and ask yourself, “Does asking questions (from a right heart) communicate respect? Does it give the person the opportunity to easily say, “You know, you’re right. I hadn’t thought of it that way!” Lord help us to guard our hearts and then to remember that questions may be a better way to open another’s heart.
Secondly, notice Paul asks who has “deluded” or “bewitched” them. Once again, the underlying worldview here is that there is Truth. In order for someone to believe something different they must either be ignorant or deluded. But there is Truth. That is why satan is a deceiver. That is why he and his minions must masquerade as “angels of light” and “ministers of righteousness” (II Cor 11:13-15). The “truth” they offer is not alternate truth. It is not truth. In order to get others to believe their “truth” those persons must be deceived. Sadly, we are easily deceived because of the evil without appeals to the evil within. We need desperately for God to help us. In His light we see light. Jesus is the Truth and the life. We desperately need God to “shine in our hearts, to the give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (II Cor 4:6). Though apparently genuine believers, the Galatians allowed themselves to be drawn into a deception – into believing something that simply was not true. We’re no better than them. God help us.
Once again, just so I note it, I am confused about the Jew/Gentile thing. Paul is clearly renouncing and rejecting the combination of Judaism with Christianity. He is clearly exposing it as a deception. Why is this true in a Gentile church but apparently not in Jerusalem? Why is it such an enormous evil in Galatia but apparently coddled in Jerusalem? Why distinguish at all between Jews and Gentiles in the church age? That still doesn’t make any sense to me. Will keep studying.
Finally, a thought on this law/grace thing. Most of the commentators are apparently happy to leave the matter of “law-keeping” as a matter of Judaism, but I would suggest we need to bring this truth into our world. What do I mean? I have no problem being tempted to add to Christ all of the circumcision and sacrificial rites and keeping of the Passover. So I guess that makes me safe. Right? NOT. We are not ignorant of satan’s devices. The law-keeping for us is something different, but it is still law-keeping.
And this is always a delicate business because we all know that walking with Christ certainly ought to change my life, ought to change the way I act, the decisions I make, etc. But when does this become a matter of “having begun in the Spirit” but now trying to be “completed by the flesh”? Certainly I want to be an active participant in the process of progressive sanctification, but, on the other hand, I don’t want to fall into the Galatians’ error and be in some way “adding” works to faith. I want my life to be in fact driven by the Spirit and not my flesh. While I want to “do” good things, how can I discern the difference here?
I think it is interesting that Paul distinguishes the two (twice, vss. 2 and 5) as being either “works of flesh” or “hearing of faith.” Here is a way I think I could try to distinguish things: If what I propose to do could be just as easily done by an unbeliever, then it is simply a work of the flesh. Unbelievers can be circumcised, can offer sacrifices, pay tithes, observe Passover, etc. I can be baptized, go to church, read the Bible, wear a coat and tie, teach Sunday School; do all those things and be a complete unbeliever. But an unbeliever cannot really pray – if by that we mean a sincere entering into a relationship of conversation with God, as opposed to simply “saying prayers.” They can’t really read the Bible, if by that we mean to open the Word, believing it really is the face and voice of God, to long to understand and embrace what we read, to see it as a love letter from my wonderful Father. And, although even unbelievers are quite capable of love, yet they cannot love from a heart that is smitten with the love of Christ, that longs to love because I myself have been so loved. In each of these examples, the difference is that faith comes first. My heart comes first. Then my “doing” is actually a fruit of that faith, a natural outflowing of what faith has already accomplished in my heart. I guess I am suggesting that legalism and “works of the flesh” are even otherwise good things which I do without faith. They are the things I do without necessarily thinking I need God’s help, the things I might do to “get Him to like me” rather than as an expression of gratefulness for grace already received.
God help me, while I want to “do” the right things, to do them as expressions of faith, always trying to make sure my heart is “in it” and that I’m not just “doing.”
Just some random thoughts as I study along.
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