GALATIANS 3:1
“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?”
Those are fighting words! Don’t call me a fool! Unless of course you are calling me a fool for Jesus. That is okay. We’ll get to that later. Being called a fool by someone is demeaning. It’s a put down. We don’t like it, do we? So, why in the world would Paul use such language in this letter? Let’s take a look.
You have to remember that in the original letter to the Galatians, there were no chapters and verses. Verse 21 of chapter two ran right into verse 1 of chapter 3. The discourse Paul had just recounted between he and Peter is followed by this statement. He is warning the Galatian churches to not be “bewitched” by those who wanted to deceive them into believing they needed to add anything to God’s grace shown through Jesus. He is literally saying, “Wake up! Don’t you see what they are trying to do?”
APPLICATION
It wasn’t uncommon for the early believers to be called foolish by the world. They were thought to be idiots and unwise because of their faith. I love what Proverbs 12:15 says though, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a person who listens to advice is wise.” The wisest advice you will ever receive is to turn to Jesus. Paul was reminding the Galatians about this.
I need to do something here that I normally would not do. I need to include a long passage in which Paul fully explains this paradox between the wisdom of God and the foolishness of the world. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 says,
“18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: ‘I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE WHO HAVE UNDERSTANDING, I WILL CONFOUND.’ 20 Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than mankind, and the weakness of God is stronger than mankind.”
Did you see what Paul was saying? The world sees us as fools because of our belief, because of our trust in His Word. So, go ahead, be called a fool for Jesus. Wear that like a badge of honor. He will exalt you!
Lord, I will be a fool for You. I will stand true to Your Word when everyone around me berates me.