Reject Foolish Teachings – Galatians 3:1-5

Topic: Reject Foolish Teachings

Reading: Galatians 3:1-5

1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? 4 Did you experience so many things in vain? –if it really is in vain. 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

Introduction and Overview

There are many foolish teachings in the church. We have to reject foolish teachings if we are to find and follow the truth. For example, the prosperity gospel in the church says that God wants Christians to be wealthy. If that were true, why aren’t all Christians multi-millionaires? It is a foolish teaching because the focus of the teaching is on money. God doesn’t care about money. Recall that He says, ”For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6:10) And Jesus also said, ”It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25) If God teaches these things about money and wealth, why would He want His people to be rich? It is a false doctrine and we must reject foolish teachings.

Likewise, in this scripture Paul is showing the foolishness of the Galatians church who were seeking to return under the law. Someone had been preaching that they needed to be circumcised and to live under and keep the law. But the truth of Christ is freedom from law. And Paul shows that all of the blessings they had received did not come through the law.

The law is good, but for those who seek to follow Christ it is a problem. In fact, by following the law we are severed and cut off from Christ, as we see in Galatians 5:4. Furthermore, by seeking to be righteous by works of the law, we are cut off from God’s grace. There is only one true righteousness and that comes from God as a free gift through faith.

And it is the same today. When people seek righteousness by works of the law, they are rejecting the truth of Christ. The works of the law are things like fasting, tithing, sacrifices, rejecting certain foods because the law says so, rejecting certain types of clothing because the law says so, following religious rituals, and so on. Such things are of no value in transforming your nature, which can only occur through following Christ. These are all foolish teachings and we should reject foolish teaching.

Key points from reading:

1. The Galatians had been bewitched by some teachers who were preaching false doctrines based upon the Old Covenant law, and Paul called them foolish.
2. Paul compares what the people had received from God based upon the law and based upon the truth of the New Covenant.
3. They are instructed and encouraged to reject foolish teachings.

Discussion:

1. Scripture: Galatians 3:1
   • The Galatians church had been bewitched by some false teachers who were preaching the law. Paul was calling them foolish for accepting such things and instructing them to reject foolish teachings.
   • The Galatians church was a new covenant church. They had received the teachings of Jesus Christ, including baptism, freedom from sin, freedom from the law, receiving the Holy Spirit, walking in the Spirit, and more. But these preachers of law were telling them that they had to be put under and kept under the law. They were instructing them to be circumcised and to follow all the commandments of the Old Covenant law.
   • Despite the fact that they knew about the death and resurrection of Jesus, they were turning away from Him to go back into the law. In fact they were moving towards something worse than simply seeking to live under the law. And it is the same problem much of the church faces today.
   • They would end up with a form of religion that is a mixture of Old Covenant law and New Covenant teachings. But these two do not mix. They are like oil and water that do not mix together. Trying to have a bit of both means they would not have either because they do not and cannot work together.
   • Consider this. The law brings bondage. It binds people to the knowledge of sin and sinfulness if they break the law. But the new covenant brings freedom and sets people free from sin and the law to live to Christ in the grace of God by faith. How is it possible to live in bondage and freedom at the same time? It is impossible to be bound and free at the same time. And yet this is also the situation much of the church is in today too. It is a foolish teaching and we need to reject foolish teachings.
2. Scripture: Galatians 3:2
   • The Galatians had forgotten how it was that they received the Holy Spirit from God. Paul reminded them asking was it through the works of law, or through faith that they received the Holy Spirit? The truth of the matter is that you could not and cannot receive the Holy Spirit by works of the law. It doesn’t matter how well you keep the works of the law, you cannot receive the Holy Spirit through keeping the works of the law.
   • The Holy Spirit is received only through faith in God and in Jesus Christ. The Spirit is only received when we live according to the truth of the New Covenant.
   • Receiving the Holy Spirit is essential if we are to live with God in His eternal kingdom. The law could teach people right from wrong, but it did nothing to change the underlying nature of man that leads to sin. Keeping the law could make for a better life, but it does not give the ability to overcome the desires of the flesh.
   • By contrast, this is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. It is His work to change our nature and give us victory over the passions of the flesh so that we are no longer driven by passion, but are changed into the image of the nature of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit teaches us and opens up the things of the Spirit to us to be able to understand all that God has for us. This is why we have to reject foolish teachings that would keep us under the law where we cannot receive the Spirit and are bound under the power of sin.
3. Scripture: Galatians 3:3
   • Paul is expressing his astonishment that the Galatians could be so foolish as to accept the false teachings that would bind them under the law. The law was about addressing the issues of the flesh to check people when they sought to do wrong. It did not change them or stop them from sinning, but gave them pause to make the right decision.
   • So, the law as addressing the flesh. But the Holy Spirit addresses the spirit of people. It works to rewrite our nature to become like Christ. His work is a work of transformation to bring us into the image of Jesus Christ. The work of the Holy Spirit is to help us overcome the passions of the flesh so that we are not driven by those, but rather are driven to what is right. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we become righteous as Christ is righteous.
   • But this was never possible under the law. And this is the reason why Paul was puzzled. It should also puzzle us today when we see much of the church doing the exact same things; trying to live under the law and Christ at the same time. Paul shows that they were turning away from the Spirit and turning back to the flesh. This is problematic as we must recal the words of Jesus when He said, ”God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) The correct way to worship God is in the Spirit, not by works of the law. It is a foolish belief to think the law will achieve true worship, so we must reject foolish teachings and find the truth.
4. Scripture: Galatians 3:4-5
   • God does not do the works of the Spirit through following works of the law. Paul is asking the people whether all of the gifts they received from God were through the law or hearing with faith through the Spirit. And it is clear that the many miraculous things that took place in those times was by the working of the Holy Spirit.
   • Look at the miracles Jesus did. Look at the miracles the Apostles and disciples did. Were these things as the result of keeping the law, or through the power of the Holy Spirit? And I can personally testify of miracles that I have seen and experienced that they are through the working of the Holy Spirit, not by anything I do under the law. (Check out the testimonies on my other website page freegiftfromgod.com).
   • No, all of these things came through faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. They did not come through the works of the law. And we, today, need to also remember that we are set free from the law in baptism int Christ Jesus, to follow Him in faith and receiving the Holy Spirit. This is where the truth lies. This is where our life lies and we need to reject foolish teachings and listen to the truth.

Prayer Points

1. Pray and ask God to help you see the foolish teachings in the modern church so that you can reject them. Ask Him for the Holy Spirit to guide you into all the truth, which is not based upon works of law but by hearing with faith.
2. Pray that you can stand strong in the face of opposition when you do choose to reject foolish teachings and false doctrines in the church, because you will suffer opposition from those who cannot see the truth.