BIBLICAL BRIEFS 26
Paul is rather disheartened with the unwise believers who allow themselves to be easily side-tracked by being fascinated by all kinds of false spiritual, fake news and false doctrine. Some of the commentaries explain the word “bewitch” as “some kind of evil enchantment or fascination” or “that which is embodied in the popular superstition of the evil eye”. In this respect he specifically refers to Christians who suddenly fall back into Jewish customs, laws, and doctrines, and redirect their lives according to those. Through this false hype they are “bewitched” and kept away from the true doctrine and sound gospel. Therefore, get away from those who compel you to feed on scary stories on social media, alarmist articles, secret reports, revelations, announcements of dangerous situations that threaten the world, political unrest, human intrigues, emerging crises of imaginary proportions, economic recessions and the fall of monetary systems, conspiracy theories, pointing out of antichrists, especially if it involves Israel, and the United Nations, political leaders and the pope, any speculations regarding the mark of the beast, 666, implantations and subsequent to that, control and brainwashing, the state of planets, blood moons and stellar constellations, tsunamis, the increase of wars or earthquakes or fires, thuggery and organised crime, increasing drug abuse, the rapture, the great tribulation, the terrifying increase of terrorism, the threat held by Muslims, and secret Jewish organisations, and Satanists (especially those who meet at Centurion’s water organ, if it still operates), spiritual sensation seekers who feed on the yolk of fear, spiritually masked people, who make a good living as end-time preachers prophesying piffle. Paul says – “You are poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you…? “(Gal. 3:1, Amp). A tree is known by its fruit – those people, like Num. 13:32 says: “they spread a negative report”! Job (24:13) states, “They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.” Elsewhere Paul also adamantly states: “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.” (1 Tim. 6: 3-5). Let every true son of God being born again into a living hope (1 Pet. 1:3) only answer these questions – is there any LIFE in anything mentioned in the list above? Does the study thereof assist you to increase in your identity in Christ, and in your intimacy with God? Does it help you to think on the things above? Does it clothe you with Christ? Does it set you free and does it bring about truth in your life? Does it change you into the image of God? Does it fill you with Godly wisdom, spiritual insight and understanding, justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit? Does it add an inch to your full measure in Christ, your authority? Does it weave your mantle? Is it true, but not necessarily the Truth? Isa. 52: 2 – “Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.”
Dr. Tom Gouws
