Galatians 3:1
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.
The are two main verbs in this verse "bewitch" and "portrayed. Strong's Lexicon defines "bewitch" as
βασκαίνω -- I give the evil eye to, fascinate, bewitch, overpower. (Strong's Lexicon)The Galatian's rejection of the gospel was so surprising that Paul compared their falling away as the Galatians being bewitched or hypnotized. What they were rejecting was spelled out in the following paragraph: they rejected salvation by grace alone. They started to believe that even though they were saved by faith, their continued salvation demanded a righteousness earned by acts of the flesh, which was exemplified by circumcision. They were rejecting the core of the Gospel.
The Galatians surprised Paul because he worked hard at portraying Christ through his preaching and writing. Portray is a powerful word. It is defined in Thayer's Expanded Definition as
προγράφω -- to depict or portray openly ..., before whose eyes was portrayed the picture of Jesus Christ crucified (the attentive contemplation of which picture ought to have been a preventive against that bewitchment), i. e. who were taught most definitely and plainly concerning the meritorious efficacy of the death of Christ, Galatians 3:1. Since the simple γράφειν is often used of painters, and προγράφειν certainly signifies also to write before the eyes of all who can read (...), I see no reason why προγράφειν may not mean to depict (paint, portray) before the eyes; ...(https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/greek/4270.html)
Two signficant preachers expand upon the application of this verse.
Martin Luther quotes Galatians 3:1c and then comments
"Before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you." As if he said, no painter with his colors can so lively set out Christ unto you as I have painted Him by my preaching; yet you remain most miserably bewitched. What did I then paint? Even Christ Himself. How was that that done? In this way, that He is crucified in you or among you."
(Commentary on Galatians: Modern-English Version, p. 128)
John Piper:
This “portrayal” came with words, not pictures. But it was so real, and so vivid, that Paul said it was an appeal to their eyes—“before your eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed." They saw the peculiar glory of Christ in the preaching of the gospel. (Reading the Bible Supernaturally)
In 1 Corinthians 2:2, Paul wrote:
For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.(ESV)The goal of Paul in his preaching and writing is to make Christ and his cruxification known to his audience. To get the message across, Paul took time to make Christ's life and death on the cross vivid and real. U. S. Presidents hire artists to paint their Presidentail portrait. The goal of the painter is to make the president known to the viewers. However, painters take license, planning, and effort to portray the personality of the president and the perception of the president by the public. A portrait is more than a mere photograph. The painter wants the viewer to interact with the painting in order to clarify the viewers' inderstanding of the person of the president and the meaning of his presidency. The want the viewer to grok the president.
Paul realized that portraying Christ as crucified was necessary to keep the Galatians from heresy. Paul continued in the rest of his letters to carefully explain the beauty of Christ and the work he accomplished on the Cross.
In the modern day, if our preaching does not exalt Christ through portraying Him crucified before eyes, we have diminished the office of preacher. Our preaching needs to be carefully crafted with this intention in mind. As receivers of the Word, we must demand better if the preachers are not preaching with proclaiming Christ alone as their goal. Heresy is a misunderstanding of who Christ is. Preaching is the main weapon to combat heresy.
