A Confrontation of Questions

Introduction

Today we continue our series through the book of Galatians.

‘A Church with a Problem’ (Gal. 1:1-12)

I. The Prayer of Paul (v1-5)

Defense; Disposition; God’s Deliverance Praised

II. The Perversion of the Gospel (v6-9)

The Gospel has been Perverted (def) transmuted, corrupted, distorted from it’s true use and end.

Write this down: “It’s either All by Grace, or it’s not at all by Grace” - Me. It’s either by Faith, or it’s by Works.

The Church had been Effected (v6-7a); the Offenders Cursed (v8-9)

III. The Preeminence of Christ (v10)

A Choice v10a); a Consequence (v10b)

IV. The Providence of Christ (v11-12)

Not Received by Man (v11-12a); Given by Christ (v12b)

‘Setting the Table’ (Gal. 1:13-24)

I. Times Past (v13-14)

A Religious Man; a Self-Righteous Man; a Man of Renown

II. Transformation & Tutelage (v15-19)

A Calling (v15); A Change (v16a); A Cause (v16b); a Communion (v17-19)

III. Testimony Observed (v20-24)

Truth Exposed; Change Evidenced; God was Exalted

‘Looking Back’ (Gal. 2:1-10) - (At the ‘Counsel of Jerusalem’ meeting - Act. 15)

I. Following the Call (v1-2)

Faithfulness in Service (v1a); Fellowship in Ministry (v1b); Following the Spirit (v2)

II. False Brethren Emerge (v3-5)

Tension (v3); Tares (v4); Resistance (v5a); Reason (v5b)

III. The Furtherance of the Gospel

No Partiality of Persons (v6); A Perception of Purpose (v7-9); A Plan for the Poor (v10)

‘Apostles at Odds’ (Gal. 2:11-14)

I. The Person (Peter)

Loved by Christ; Labored for Christ; In the Lineage of Christ

II. The Problem

A Confrontation Over Cowardice;

Which led to… a Denial of the Truth; Disunity & Disruption in the Body of Christ; Dissimulation of Doctrine & a Destruction of the Work

A Confrontation that was Correct

A Confrontation that was Not Concealed

‘The Doctrine of Justification’ Pt. 1&2 (Gal. 2:11-21)

I. The Prelude

The People had been Troubled; The Gospel had been Perverted; The Church had been Parted; Paul Confronted Peter

II. The Position (v16)

Justification is a Judgment of Innocence Rendered; It’s Not a Pardon; It’s God who Justifies; It’s an Act, not a Process; It’s Obtained by Faith, not by Works

III. The Power (v15; 17-20)

A Testifying Power; A Transformative Power; A Transitioning Power; A Transfiguring Power

IV. The Proof (v21)

Either Grace is Important; Or the Sacrifice was Ineffective

Today we’re going to examine the first 5 verses in Gal. 3. What we see as we begin this chapter is a series of questions that Paul poses to the church.

(Ill.) I’d listened to a book a few years ago by Trey Gaudy named ‘It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask’. Trey Gaudy is now a news commentator, but prior to that he served in the House of Representatives, and prior to that, he was what’s called in SC a “Solicitor” (which is like a district attorney). I said all that to say this: He’s an attorney - and a skilled one at that. Attorneys have a skill set that they must develop if they’re going to be any good. That skill is the art of asking questions to make your point. You see, you can state your point: Jesus did this with the Pharisees in Matthew 23:23–24 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.” You can illustrate your point: as Jesus did with multiple parables: Namely Mat. 13:3-9 Or, you can ask questions to reveal your point. Mat. 16:13-16. Notice that Jesus didn’t give the answer, He asked the questions to reveal the answer. He asked these questions to get them to not only think about it, but come to their own conclusion on the matter.

What we see at the onset of chapter 3, is Paul doing the same thing. Paul begins asking a series of questions for the church to answer. He’s already stated the truth: Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Later in this chapter and again in the next, Paul gives two different illustrations to make his point.

But right here he asks a series of no less than FIVE questions designed to get this church to pickup what he’s laying down.

That being said, he asks the first question in v1 - Who hath Bewitched You?

I. Who hath Bewitched You? (v1)

They were Spellbound

As we consider this verse, I want us to truly understand what Paul is saying.

The first thing that we notice is that he calls them foolish. (Not once, but twice in three sentences).

This is important, as it demonstrates a few different things:

Paul wasn’t afraid to call them what they were

It demonstrates Paul’s mindset concerning those who would know truth, then resort to this wicked doctrine. He’s so amazed by it, he likens them unto being brainwashed. Bewitched (def) To fascinate; to gain an ascendancy over by charms or incantation; The best word I could think of was it’s as if they were spellbound - which is the illustration that we get from this word here.

(Ill.) How many of you have seen the Jungle Book? Do you remember the snake in that movie? How it charmed the boy, and the eyes did all the hypnotic spinning, and before he knew it, he was fixing to be dinner?

In this question, he’s asking ‘Who was it that put this spell on you? Who caused you to abandon that which they knew to be right for this deception?

They were Spellbound

They Rejected Truth

In this trance that they were put under, it caused them to reject the truth.

And that’s the crux of the whole matter when you get down to it.

The TRUE Gospel - that Jesus loved the whole world that He gave His life a ransom. He died for our sins & raised for our Justification, and if we will BY FAITH accept the free gift of Salvation, we will be saved and have fellowship with the God of Heaven. THAT’S THE TRUTH.

But they have rejected the truth.

More importantly let me ask you this: If two things contradict one another, can both be true?

In other words, if it’s true that the Gospel is by Faith Alone and someone else says that it’s by Faith plus Works can both be true? (No).

What do you call something that’s not true? (False / a Lie)

So that means that if the Gospel is by Faith Alone, then the Gospel of Faith plus Works must be False / a Lie, right?

They Should have Known Better

When he says “…before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” What he’s saying is the crucifixion of Christ was preached before you in such vivid fashion, it’s as if He was crucified in your very presence!

Do you know what he’s saying? You should have known better!

We preached unto you how Jesus:

Was taken in the garden

Put on trial before the chief priests and Pilate

Rejected for Barabbas - a murdering insurrectionist (the real kind not the J6 kind)

He was beaten & bruised - placed in a purple robe and a crown of thorns

He was mocked & abused

He was led up Mt. Calvary’s Hill, where they stripped Him and hung Him upon a Cross between two thieves

How He prayed for them as He hung there

How He cried out ‘IT IS FINISHED’

How He gave up the Ghost - and they laid Him in a new tomb where no man had laid

But we also told you about how He only needed that tomb for 3 days & 3 nights for on that Sunday morn, the women came unto an empty tomb because JESUS HAD RAISED FROM THE DEAD!

He died so that you might be saved - it’s a free gift of God by Grace. AND PAUL JUST GOT DONE SAYING: Galatians 2:21 “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

We told you all these things! You should have known better!

Who cast a spell on you that you’d turn from the truth to a lie???

He asked them “Who hath Bewitched You?”

Who Bewitched You?

II. How was the Spirit Received? (v2)

Now Paul asks the most pressing question to date - and he asks it in such dramatic fashion!

Sometimes, when the writer or the Bible story demonstrates a mocking tone or snarky / sarcastic response, it doesn’t translate quite the same in the old english. When Paul says “This only would I learn of you…” what he’s saying is “Let me ask you this question” or “Explain this to me then…”; “Tell me this fella’s…” “Just tell me this one thing…”

And then he follows it up with a most important question - What saved you?

What Work did you Do to Merit the Spirit?

In the apostolic age before the completion of the Word of God, the Spirit’s manifestations of miracles and such were obvious.

The Bible speaks of the initial manifestation of the Spirit in Act 2 and they spoke in tongues.

Acts 2:1–4 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

I think the most illustrative way to see how the Galatians recieved the Spirit would be examining what happened when Peter preached unto the first Gentile converts

Acts 10:42–46(a) “And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God…”

Providing God changes not, the predominately gentile church in Galatia would have experienced something similar:

They would have heard the Gospel

They would have believed (faith)

They would have recieved the gift of the Holy Ghost - an evidence of their Salvation

So Paul is asking them - what work did you do to get saved? What work did you do to receive the Spirit of God upon you?

You see church, the reason Paul was sarcastic when he asked them is because he knew the answer! They did no work, no good deed to get saved!

As He told the church in Ephesus: Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

He asks ‘What work did you do to receive the Spirit, but what he’s implying is: Didn’t you Receive when you believed?

Didn’t you Receive when you Believed?

This would not only have been their experience, but it’s clearly what the Bible teaches.

Ephesians 1:13–14 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Titus 3:5–6 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;”

1 John 4:13 “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

Paul would tell the church in the next chapter: Galatians 4:6 “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”

Church let me ask you this: Does the Spirit of God dwell in you?

If not, you’re not His!

Romans 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

If you DO, tell me - what work did you do to get it?

We’re saved - and receive the Holy Spirit when we put our Faith in Him

He asks them: Who Bewitched You? How was the Spirit Received?

III. Has your Flesh Made you Better? (v3)

He Marvels at their Mindset

Here is the second time he calls them foolish. Paul stands in amazement at this doctrine that he’s addressing.

Church, I do believe that if ANYONE takes an honest look at this doctrine - without bias of the flesh, familial ties or other earthly attachment they will see this as clearly as Paul does, and marvel at the contrariness of the doctrine.

But understand - he calls them foolish for the thing he’s getting ready to point out

He Marvels at their Mindset

He Acknowledges their Beginning

He says “You began in the Spirit”

So notice, this point builds upon the last one.

The last was “Did you receive the Spirit by Faith or Works?”

Now he acknowledges “Ok, you began in the Spirit, right?”

He Acknowledges their Beginning in the Spirit, then He Illustrates the Absurdity of the Flesh making them better

He Illustrates the Absurdity

So you believe that you started with the Spirit of God upon & in you - and yet, it’s your flesh that is going to perfect you? Your flesh is going to make you better in some fashion?

Church that’s absurd! It’s saying that your flesh can do what God cannot! It’s absurd, ungodly & foolish! YET THIS IS THE MINDSET OF MANY TODAY who hold to the Jesus PLUS false Gospel.

The ‘Jesus +’ crowd will fall into two groups:

Some will say Jesus + Works will save and keep you

Others will say that Jesus saves you, but your works keeps you

(They typically won’t come out & say it just like that, but that’s exactly what they mean!) And that’s the mindset / doctrine that Paul is rebuking and illustrating the absurdity of right here!

Church let me ask you this:

How can a man be born again of the Spirit of God, yet be kept by the works that he does? How is it that the flesh has power to keep one’s salvation when the Spirit of God cannot?

Church, it’s no wonder why Paul called them foolish for believing this!

He illustrates the absurdity

He asks: Who Bewitched You? How was the Spirit Received? Has your Flesh made you Better?

IV. Have you Suffered for Nothing? (v4)

Their Faith brought Persecution

You must remember, that those who professed Christ in those days suffered persecution.

They suffered it from the Religious zealots

They suffered it from the Jews in authority

They then suffered it from Roman government

These gentiles were no different. They would have suffered persecution for their faith in Christ

Their faith brought Persecution - and what Paul is telling them is that it meant nothing if their faith is abandoned

It Meant Nothing if Faith is Abandoned

If they were to suffer in the flesh - to be rejected of men - to be ostracized, beaten & maligned for their faith in Christ - and then turn around and abandon that faith in favor of puffing up the flesh & pleasing men, then what they had suffered was for nothing! They’d done better to never have suffered at all.

Then he follows it up with ‘if it be yet in vain’ - holding out hope for their repentance and rejection of the false ungodly doctrine they’d be bewitched by.

They’re persecution was in vain if they abandoned their faith

He asks: Who Bewitched You? How was the Spirit Received? Has your Flesh made you Better? Have you Suffered for Nothing

V. How is God’s Work Completed? (v5)

With this point, he builds once again.

He’d asked:

How are you Saved? By the Spirit or Works? (v2)

Does your Flesh perfect what the Spirit Began? (v3)

Now, it’s What is the Catalyst for the Work of God? Those that minister and labor evidently in miracles - how does that come about?

Keeping the Law Yourself doesn’t Manifest the Spirit in Others

Notice the image “HE that ministereth to YOU” - in other words, those that are ministers of the Word of God, they are teaching / preaching - by what power are they doing these things? Is it by the works of the Law or of Faith? (This is outward expression of the Spirit of God unto another)

You see, I cannot keep the Law and somehow, someway that will manifest the Spirit of God in you.

(Ill.) If I could, I could live all week this week and keep every law of God - Not take the LORD’s Name in vain, not lie, steal, no other gods before Him, etc… and do you know what that would do for you? NOTHING. It might encourage you a little knowing that your pastor is not out committing great sin, but my keeping the law will in no way excite or manifest the Spirit of God within you.

On the other hand, if by faith I give myself to the Spirit of God, and I tell you about Jesus and what He’s done for me - and what He did for you - that most assuredly can excite and / or manifest the Spirit of God within you!

1 Corinthians 1:17–18 “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

Two things in here:

First, notice that Paul does not include baptism as part of the Gospel. The Gospel isn’t ‘believe and be baptized’, it’s ‘believe’

Secondly, it’s the preaching of the Cross wherein lies the Power of God - Faith in Christ, not the keeping of the Law!

Keeping the Law Yourself doesn’t Manifest the Spirit in Others

Keeping the Law doesn’t Produce Miracles

In the same vein, you’ll not keep one law or every law and miracles will be produced by it.

(Ill.) I’m reminded of some who bargain with God. They say “Oh God, if you’ll just do this ________, I’ll be good, I’ll go to church, I’ll ______” Church, this is not how miracles are produced - they are produced by FAITH

After the disciples couldn’t cast out a demon, they asked Jesus why and we see: Matthew 17:20 “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

Keeping the Law doesn’t produce miracles

Conclusion

Paul asks all these questions - I want to take a moment and answer them:

Faith in the Gospel of Christ brings forth Salvation and the receiving of the Spirit

Faith and the Power of & yielding to the Spirit is what makes us better (perfects us)

Faith & submission to the Spirit is how the Work of God gets done - whether by the salvation of others or the working of miracles