I wonder if someone could help me with a question related to Galatians. Right at the beginning of chapter 3, Paul’s outburst begins:
“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?”
This first line seems to me to clearly presuppose that the Galatians were actually denying the crucifixion took place, (rather than just its saving efficacy); that’s what is suggested by the insistence that ” Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified” before the Galatians’ eyes. There is plenty of other nearby material in which Paul insists on the salvific efficacy of the crucifixion. Here, however, Paul’s wording seems to be designed to insist on the reality of the crucifixion; and this makes sense only if the Galatians denied the crucifixion altogether as well as adhering to the Law.
No commentator points this out, to my knowledge; so what exactly I am missing?
Thanks!
I don’t think you can look at that one verse in isolation. One of the points that Paul is making in Galatians is salvation through Jesus rather than adhering to Mosaic Law. In chapter 2 Paul relates the incident with Peter concerning eating with Gentiles. This is another major point of Galatians: that Gentiles do not need to follow the Law (were the Galatians gentiles or Jews? I don’t think it’s known since there isn’t agreement on exactly where Galatia was). Verse 3:1 is not Paul suggesting that the Galatians don’t believe that Jesus was crucified. He’s saying “you’ve been taught that Christ was crucified” and by implication that this crucifixion is the means to salvation. The reading you give for that verse is a strange one compared to various other readings. You quote the New American Standard Bible which I’m not familiar with. If you look at some of the other translations on biblehub.com I think the intent might be made more clear. That said, the phrasing of this verse is indeed odd.
Anyway, back to my point, if you look at verse 3:2 Paul further chastises the Galatians by asking them if they received the Spirit by following the Law or by believing what they had been taught regarding the crucifixion [by Paul or who ever was responsible for first preaching to them]. This is why I say you can’t view 3:1 in a vacuum. By reading it in the broader context of chapters 2 and 3 it’s meaning should become more clear.
BDEhrman
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