Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word.
This week's question:

God was performing many miracles at the hand of Paul in Ephesus, "so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out." (Acts 19:12). Some Jewish exorcists, namely the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, attempted to cast out evil spirits by saying, "'I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches. And seven sons of one Sceva, A Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, 'I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?' And the man , in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of all; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the name of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing." (Acts 19:13-20).

That brings us to our question, "Why does Paul say the Galatians are 'bewitched'?. Why were the people of the Galatia region being put under a spell? We begin our answer as we read, "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-10). So we can see that these people are changing and distorting the teaching of Jesus, the Word, although there is only one faith (Ephesians 4:4), yet they are developing other faiths, still speaking of Jesus by the way, but distorted, and will find themselves accursed because of it! Paul then tells them, concerning the Old Testament Law, "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified." (Galatians 2:16).

And so to find our answer to turn to read, "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain? Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith? Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying "All the nations shall be blessed in you." (Galatians 3:1-8).

So the Galatians are bewitched as they are striving to turn back to the Old Testament by the words of the flesh to be justified, instead of holding to the "Law of faith" (Romans 3:27), the New Testament word! Paul says "And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." (Colossians 2:13-14).

We return to the book of Galatians were Paul once again explains to them the changing of the Old to the New, "Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if the Law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on Law. But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the Law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Galatians 3:21-27).

Let us look to the Law of faith for life and not distort the gospel in any manner, "And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed form Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by Law; you have fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:3-4).