Gálatas 3:1

Gálatas 3:1. O senseless Galatians, to think that righteousness comes through the law, and thus virtually to deny the necessity and efficacy of Christ's death (Gálatas 2:21). No reference to natural dullness or stupidity (for the Galatians, like all the Celtic races, were bright and intelligent), but to spiritual folly. The same word is used by our Lord of the disciples of Emmaus (Lucas 24:25).

Did bewitch you, fascinate with his evil eye. The relapse from the freed om of the gospel to the slavery of the law is so absurd that it seems only explicable on the assumption of magical agency. The Greek word (βασκάνειν), originally referred to witchery by spells or incantations, then to the blighting influence of the evil eye (especially on children), according to a common belief still prevalent in Egypt and throughout the East, also in Italy (‘occhio cattivo'), and among the Celts in Brittany. It implies the envious spirit of the false teachers and their baleful influence on the Galatians. [1]

[1] Coleridge (Lady Ckristabel):

‘So deeply had she drunken in

That look, those shrunken serpent eyes,

That all her features were resigned

To this sole image of her mind.'

Before whose eyes Jesus Christ was evidently (or, conspicuously) set forth. This signifies the life-like, pictorial vivacity, and effectiveness of Paul's preaching of Christ and Him crucified, who by his death delivered us from the curse and slavery of the law and reconciled us to God. The Greek verb is used of placarding public notices and proclamations. More freely we might translate: ‘You, before whose very eyes was held up the picture of Jesus Christ on the cross.

' Faithful preaching is the best painting. Paul intimates that the actual sight of Christ's death could not have affected them more powerfully than his preaching. ‘When the church has such painters, she needs no longer dead images of wood and stone.' (Calvin).

Among you, lit. ‘in you' (omitted by some of the best editors) may be connected either with the verb ‘set forth,' as a redundant phrase (not only by letter from a distance, but by my own personal presence and preaching), or with ‘crucified,' in this sense: The crucifixion has been so graphically described to you as if it had occurred in the midst of you and in your very hearts. The former is preferable on account of the order of words.

Crucified is emphatically placed at the end, as in 1 Corintios 1:23: ‘We preach Christ, and him crucified,' and 1 Corintios 2:2. The perfect participle implies the permanent character and result of the crucifixion. Christ crucified is the greatest conqueror, and draws all hearts to him. Comp. Juan 12:32.