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Connecting Statement:
Paul reminds the believers in Galatia that God gave them God's Spirit when they believed the gospel by faith, not by their doing God's law.
General Information:
Paul is rebuking the Galatians by asking rhetorical questions.
Who has put a spell on you?
Paul is using irony and a rhetorical question to say that the Galatians are acting as though someone has put a spell on them. He does not really believe that someone has put a spell on them. AT: "You behave as if someone has put a spell on you!" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-irony and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)
put a spell on you
"done magic on you" or "done witchcraft on you"
It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly displayed as crucified
Paul speaks of his clear teaching of Jesus being crucified as if he had put on public display a picture of Jesus being crucified. And he speaks of the Galatians having heard his teaching as if they had seen the picture. AT: "You yourselves heard the clear teaching about Jesus being crucified" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
This is the only thing I want to learn from you
This continues the irony from verse 1. Paul knows the answers to the rhetorical questions he is about to ask. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-irony)
Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard?
Translate this rhetorical question as a question if you can, because the reader will be expecting a question here. Also, be sure that the reader knows that the answer to the question is "by believing what you heard," not "by doing what the law says." AT: "You received the Spirit, not by doing what the law says, but by believing what you heard." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)
Are you so foolish?
This rhetorical question shows that Paul is surprised and even angry that the Galatians are foolish. AT: "You are very foolish!" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)
by the flesh
The word "flesh" is a metonym for effort. AT: "by your own effort" or "by your own work" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)