The Apostle Paul writes the letter to Galatia to deal with an apostasy that had impacted the church in a negative fashion. It seems that certain Judaizing teachers wanted to syncretize the Law of Moses with the Law of Christ. That is, they wanted a hybrid form of New Testament Christianity. Paul was amazed that they had departed from following after the gospel that was proclaimed unto them so soon after his departure.
In one passage, he tells them that they were “bewitched” into following these false teachers into apostasy and ruin. Galatians 3.1-3 says, “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?” What does it mean for a person to be “bewitched” in the context of being led astray spiritually speaking?
The Greek term for “bewitched” is βασκαίνω (baskainō) and it is defined as “to malign, that is, (by extension) to fascinate (by false representations).” In other words, they were maligned by the false representations offered by those able to “fascinate” their auditors. These false teachers were willfully misleading the Galatian brethren into paths of spiritual destruction.
Along these same lines, the Old Testament prophet, seer, and judge, Samuel, said similar words to Saul. Upon returning from his military conquest of the Amalekites, Samuel challenged Saul’s adherence to the commandment of God. Saul was told to “utterly destroy” the Amalekites down to the last person and animal. Instead, he came back with the king and select animals from the flocks of the Amalekites. Notice Samuel’s response to Saul’s disobedience. I Samuel 15:22-23 says, “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” Rebellion against God is likened unto the sin of witchcraft. One might paraphrase Samuel by saying, “Who bewitched you into rebelling against God?!”
One might better understand the concept of being bewitched in the context of sorcery and deception. Magic is deception at its core. Notice how Simon the Sorcerer is described in the book of Acts. Acts 8:9-11 says, “But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.” Unlike modern audiences in magic shows, these people who lived in Samaria believed that Simon was godlike in his abilities. He beguiled them, by his ability to perform magic, into believing that his power came from God. This is how false teachers work. They mesmerize their audiences by their charisma and smooth words into believing a prevarication.
The truthful preaching of God’s word is decidedly unlike the methods used by false teachers. Paul offered the context of his preaching over a method of delivery that used human wisdom and rhetoric. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 says, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
The Apostle Paul understood the power of words and their ability to misled people. Colossians 2:4 says, “And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.” The word “beguile” comes from the Greek term παραλογίζομαι (Paralogizomai) and it means “to misreckon, that is, delude, beguile, deceive.” As stated previously, magic is deception at its core, and this is precisely what these false teachers at Colosse wanted to do by using “enticing words.”
Charismatic, charming speakers have used their polemic abilities to gain adherents and pervert God’s holy writ. This stands in contradistinction to the proclamation of God’s word in its simplicity and truth. Our preaching should seek to represent God’s revelation accurately and connect people to Christ. Sound preachers are not seeking to “gain a following” for themselves. It is about preaching Christ and Him crucified.
Let all of man’s wisdom perish in view of God’s word. 1 Corinthians 1:18-21 says, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
By Johnny Trail (Idea taken from Paul D. Murphy)
