Bewitched!

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth . . . (Galatians 3:1).

Paul’s question, “Who has bewitched you?” carries a strong second meaning. He was upset with those who taught falsehoods, but he was astounded at the Galatians, who were so easily fooled. Paul might have also rebuked the twentieth-century church.

When believers are swept into cults and heretical teaching, who is to blame? Poor leadership or lack of clear doctrinal teaching may be partly at fault, but consider an even more basic reason. Jesus warned his disciples, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16 NIV). Too often, Christians act a though they are little more than sitting ducks! They lack thought and discernment. Their faith is characterized by naive assumptions, intellectual laziness, and practical shallowness. Instead of being alert sheep, watching for danger, they wander in ignorance. Are you shrewd and wise, or is your faith largely secondhand and rarely analyzed—vulnerable to the slightest challenge? Have you thought through your faith, or are you susceptible to every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14-16)? Can you stand against the charming anti-Christian arguments?

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.