Paul talked about "being BEWITCHED"...what in the world is THAT?

Being Bewitched

The Apostle Paul described the Galatians as being bewitched. To be bewitched means to have a spell cast over you, to be completely captivated or entranced, and placed under a power as if by magic.

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?

Obviously, every Bible believer knows that scripture condemns the practice of witchcraft (i.e. Deuteronomy 18:10-12). One of the most fascinating accounts about witchcraft in the Bible is in I Samuel with Saul and the witch of Endor.

I Samuel 28:7-11 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

What do witches do, and what was the witch of Endor doing in this account? One of the things that witches do is attempting to cast a spell and use magic to conjure up the dead, and in essence bring back to life (here on earth) someone that died. Saul and the witch of Endor sought to bring Samuel back. So how does this witch and witchcraft relate to Galatians and Paul telling the Galatians that they were bewitched?

Galatians 2:18-21 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

What were the Galatians doing? The Galatians were putting themselves back under the law. The Galatians believed that keeping the law somehow kept them righteous and kept them justified (i.e. kept them saved).

Through Paul, what do we know our position is with the law?

Romans 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Christ made us dead to the law, free from the law, and redeemed us from the curse of the law. Through Christ, we are justified by grace, positionally made righteous, and eternally secure. Instead of being under the law, we are now under grace. By calling the Galatians “bewitched,” Paul was telling the Galatians that they were trying to bring back to life something that God already said was dead. They were rebuilding what Christ already destroyed. Instead of living by grace, they were living by the law, which “frustrates” grace. The Galatians were not living as who they were in Christ. By putting themselves back under the law, the Galatians became “bewitched.” Like the Galatians, someone today is “bewitched” when they believe that keeping the law is what keeps them justified or keeps them righteous. This type of person is under a “spell.”

The following passage draws a comparison equating the sin of witchcraft with rebellion against God.

I Samuel 15:23 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.

When Paul tells the Galatians that they were bewitched and not obeying the truth, in essence he is telling them that they are living in a state of rebellion against God, by putting themselves back under the law.

This account of the Galatians also demonstrates a practical example on the correct Berean (Acts 17:11) approach to studying the Bible, and the absolute need to “rightly divide the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15).

What was the broad error of the Galatians?

The broad error of the Galatians was not that they were being unscriptural. They were definitely being scriptural, because the law is obviously of scripture. Their error was that they were scriptural, but they were not being dispensational.

The Galatians were putting themselves back under God’s program from a prior dispensation, and attempting to give life to something that God already said was dead.

By being scriptural, but not dispensational, the Galatians became “bewitched.”