This post was last updated on April 15, 2026

Day 17 (Year 2)

Holding Fast to the True Jesus

“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?” (Galatians 3:1 NASB)

It is marvelous to see Jesus Christ with the eyes of our hearts, but seeing Him according to preachers or the scriptures is equally good. According to the verse above, what Paul emphasized is seeing Jesus’ redemptive work by faith and knowing Him deeply in their hearts. As long as believers experience Jesus’ crucifixion, possibly including His resurrection and ascension, this is already sufficient for us to believe in Him firmly. The phrase “publicly portrayed” comes from the Greek word prographo, which here means “to depict or portray openly.” This word refers to Jesus’ salvation that Paul proclaimed before them.

Indeed, even if people in ancient Israel saw Jesus’ skin color, hairstyle, clothing, and manner of speech with their own eyes, this would not necessarily cause them to believe in Him. On the contrary, those who can understand and remember that Jesus came into the world as a man, was crucified, rose again, and ascended, and who listen to His words, can enter into a state of enduring faith in Him. In other words, it is often the words of God from preachers—the accurate message about Jesus—that must become the foundation of our enduring faith in the Lord.

According to today’s scripture, we who truly know Jesus must pay attention to at least two aspects. First, be alert and refuse to be bewitched. The word “bewitched” in the verse comes from the Greek word baskaino, meaning “to speak ill of one, to slander, to bring evil on one by feigning praise or an evil eye, or to charm.” In the time of the book of Galatians, some believers had accepted the claim that they must observe the Mosaic law, including circumcision, to be saved. This falsely praised the effectiveness of the law and slandered the atoning death of Jesus as being incomplete. Thus, the teachings or things that bewitch believers may appear very good on the surface but be very evil inside.

Second, Paul called them “foolish.” The word “foolish” in the passage comes from the Greek word anoetos, which also means “unintelligible, not understanding, or unwise.” In other words, we who believe in Jesus must seek God’s wisdom and expel all foolishness within. Otherwise, we can easily be bewitched. Besides being well-versed in the scriptures, we must discern between godly wisdom and worldly wisdom, remove worldly things, and seek wisdom and beliefs that benefit our spiritual lives in accordance with God’s will.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you feel you can firmly remember the true Jesus’ atoning death and so on, thereby entering into a strong faith in Him? If you find it difficult, what methods would you use to find the true Jesus?

2) Can you rely on the Lord to discern and stay away from deception, and continually pursue and follow godly wisdom? If you find it difficult, how would you rely on God to resolve it?