Who Bewitched The Galatians?

In my reading of Galatians, I’m realizing that Paul had a tight relationship with these fellowships. He really loved and respected them.

His love is seen in how he calls them “my little children” and in the tone of his writing. Although he uses tough words like “Who bewitched you,” ^LKM, you can still sense affection behind every line. He reminds them of the time when they received him warmly even in his sickness — so warmly that they would have traded their own healthy eyes for his unhealthy ones. That might explain why he says, “See with what large letters I write to you” — That tells you something about their bond. It also explains why Paul, though struggling with poor eyesight, had to personally write this letter—in large letters—rather than dictating it. He wanted them to see his handwriting, to know he still cared and that he was improving. That’s a mark of a true shepherd: love expressed even in weakness. Not as a flex, but as proof that he was improving and still deeply connected to them.

He respected them enough to be transparent. The whole of chapters 1 and 2 sound like a testimony mixed with a CV — how he received the gospel, how he learned it, who he met, and how many years it took. It’s as if he’s standing before a jury, presenting his case before friends he doesn’t want to lose. ‘Nisikizeni manzee.’ is how I hear him.

All this builds up to the most famous line: “O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you...?”

Now pause.

Umepause ama tuite Willy Pozze?😀

Was there a witch behind their downfall? 🤔 Was it a cousin from the Coast, Ukambani, or Kakamega? 😅

Not quite.

The word bewitched here (from the Greek baskainō) means to cast an evil eye, to charm, to deceive through fascination. Paul wasn’t talking about sorcery but about spiritual manipulation — that subtle, sweet-talking influence that makes you trade God’s grace for human effort.

The Galatians had fallen for what looked holy — following Jewish rituals to prove they were “really saved.” But in doing so, they had lost sight of the cross. Paul’s cry was not just anger; it was heartbreak. In modern terms, he might have said: “Who has sweet-talked you into abandoning grace? Which gospel influencer did you subscribe to that made you forget the Cross?”

And that question still stands. Many today have traded the simplicity of faith for the sophistication of religion. We know how to introduce people to our church, our fellowship, our man of God — but not necessarily to God Himself. #‘Pastor kuja uombee huyu anataka kuokoka, ni mgonjwa, etcetera.’ we hear them say.

Paul’s concern was not that people were not active in church — it’s that they were active in everything except grace. They were zealous, but for the wrong reasons. He wasn’t against structure, but against any structure that overshadows the Savior.

So the next time you hear that question — “Who bewitched you?” — don’t imagine a witch in a hut somewhere. Karumanzira and friends. Think instead of any influencer that makes you forget that salvation begins and ends with Jesus.

The key to God’s Kingdom remains one and one only: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved.

Not by works, not by appearances, not by denominational branding—just Jesus. Anything else is a distraction, even if it looks holy or fascinating, it's just a charm(or chama?). 🤑

So as you read through Galatians, slow down and listen to the tone between the lines. Paul isn’t angry—he’s heartbroken. He’s a pastor watching his brethren wander into deception and is saying to them, “go home to grace.”