couple questions :)

[newbeliever02072005]

I was thinking during bible study tonight and I have a question or two :) We were in:



Galations 3: 1-5: (1)O FOOLISH Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, cruicified among you? (2)This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (3)Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? (4) Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. (5)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?
Here Paul is trying to tell the Galations, not to be led to believe that after you receive the Spirit that you have to continue by works. That nothing that we do (works) is going to add or take away from the plan of salvation that Jesus gave us. I have a question. Would verse 3 be proof of OSAS?


In my bible the study notes for verse 1 has an explaination of what bewitched means. Here is what it says: Bewitched means to cast an evil spell on someone; Paul is thus saying that the only way to account for their theological deception is by malicious magic.



Did Paul think that someone cast a spell on these people? Or was it a way for Paul to grab the Galations attention to what he was saying. Wasn't the people of Galation more in a fascination type mode, rather then being under a spell? What do you all think?


Thanks!
Newbeliever :wave:

[mesue]

Galatians 3:1 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?
Galatains 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Galatians 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Galatians 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
Galatians 3:5 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?

1) Yes, the Whole book of Galatians is about grace and that we're no longer under the law, our salvation is not of works because that makes Christ dead in vain. Salvation is a is a gift. Gifts are not earned, they're given out of love and non-refundable.
2) The word for bewitched in Greek is

βασκαίνω
baskainō
bas-kah'ee-no
Akin to G5335; to malign, that is, (by extension) to fascinate (by false representations): - bewitch.

The people were mesmerized by the preachers of false doctrine, like some are duped by some TV evangalists today.

[Danfrey]

It is important to keep reading in Galatians. The Judaizers were trying to force the Gentiles into getting circumsized and following the Jewish Law. Paul talks about this in Chapter 5. It is important to see that he goes on to emphasize this was not a license to gratify the flesh. Chapter 5 goes a long way at showing the balance. We often see Grace and Works as an either or proposition. Works are the fruit of Grace in our lives. Not the works of the Law, but the works of the spirit....

16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

[daveleau]

I don't get that definition (dealing with casting a spell) in any of my references. I'd suggest checking a couple more references, if you have some. Mine says this of "bewitched":

To fascinate; to mislead with words.

OSAS or OSNAS cannot really be proven by one verse, since Scripture talks so much about salvation. My belief is that the overall view of Scripture teaches OSAS, and Galatians 3 is a good source for evidence. Here's some notes I posted on OSAS and OSNAS. I hope they give a point of reference for some of the verses that apply: http://www.christianforums.com/t2308809-osas-sermon-notes-and-critique-of-osnas-passage-usage.html

God bless you,
Dave

[mlqurgw]

I think it is important to understand the meaning of bewitched by the fact that Paul calls them foolish. The word foolish simply means unthinking. They were easily mislead because they weren't thinking. That is how people get bewitched, by just accepting what someone says without question.

[arunma]

I was thinking during bible study tonight and I have a question or two :) We were in:




Galations 3: 1-5: (1)O FOOLISH Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, cruicified among you? (2)This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (3)Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? (4) Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. (5)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?
Here Paul is trying to tell the Galations, not to be led to believe that after you receive the Spirit that you have to continue by works. That nothing that we do (works) is going to add or take away from the plan of salvation that Jesus gave us. I have a question. Would verse 3 be proof of OSAS?
It is my understanding that verse 3 is a rhetorical question, pointing out that we cannot be perfected in the flesh. Here's John Wesley's commentary on verse 3:
Gal 3:3 - 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?
In my bible the study notes for verse 1 has an explaination of what bewitched means. Here is what it says: Bewitched means to cast an evil spell on someone; Paul is thus saying that the only way to account for their theological deception is by malicious magic.

Well, it's certainly possible that magic could account for theological error. And at some level, all ungodliness is caused by some demonic activity. But I don't know if it is the only way to account for this error in doctrine. It seems to me that Paul used the word bewitched in the same sense that modern speakers would. If someone believes in absurdity, I might ask "who has bewitched you?"

Did Paul think that someone cast a spell on these people? Or was it a way for Paul to grab the Galations attention to what he was saying. Wasn't the people of Galation more in a fascination type mode, rather then being under a spell? What do you all think?

I think that the latter is true. It seems to me that Paul has used the literary technique of hyperbole to get the reader's attention.

[DeaconDean]

I believe Danfrey gave the best explaination. You have to keep reading Gal.3 all the way to the end. The explaination for what you are seeking is found in verses 22-26. There were certain Judizers who followed Paul everywhere he went and tried to entice the new Christians that they needed to come back to the Law. And Paul addresses that in v.22-26:

"But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."

As we have seen in the latter half of the 20th century, it is so easy to fool people. Would you say that the followers of Jim Jones were foolish? How easy was it for him to "bewitch" them into believing he was a prophet sent from God? We know that we are justified by faith. (Rom 3:28) And that works cannot get us into heaven. (Ga. 2:16) Our works that we do, are the outward expression of the inward work of the Holy Spirit in us. In other words, the Holy Spirit in us causes us to want to continue in good works rather than continuing in good works to cause the Holy Spirit to work in us. Our "works' come as a result of the Holy Spirit working in us.

[Andyman_1970]

A couple of things to keep in mind when reading Galatians, it's addressed to Gentile believers, not Jewish Christians. And being Torah observant (doing the works of the Law) was never understood to grant an individual salvation.........salvation has always been grace through faith.

Just somethings to keep in mind when reading Galatains.

[JPPT1974]

Thanks my friend
God bless you
About Galations!