THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE GALATIANS Introduction
Title
The Galatians where those from the region of Galatia in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). The Epistle was written to the various churches in the area. Of note, it is the only Epistle Paul addressed specifically to churches in more than one city.
Author and Date
The Apostle Paul indicates his authorship within the letter itself (1:1; 5:2). Paul was from Tarsus, a city near Galatia. He received training as a Rabbi and a Pharisee under the famous rabbi, Gamaliel (Acts 23:6). He was Judaism’s rising star of the day (1:14; Phil. 3:5-6), and a chief persecutor of a fledgling Jewish sect (known as “The Way”) of followers of the recently crucified Jesus of Nazareth, a man who claimed to be the Son of God and the Jewish Messiah (Christ).
While on his way to persecute this sect in Damascus he had a dramatic encounter with the risen, glorified Christ (Acts 9). As a result, he was converted into a dedicated missionary and prolific New Testament author. His three missionary journeys and trip to Rome turned the small Jewish sect into a Roman Empire wide movement that has survived to this day.
Paul attended a Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) that scholars believe took place about A.D. 49. The letter to Galatia would have been written shortly after (Acts 16).
Background and Setting
The Galatian people were Celtic who migrated from Gaul (modern France) in the third century B.C. The Romans conquered the Galatians in 189 B.C. but allowed them to maintain some independence initially. Galatia eventually became a Roman province around 25 B.C. Paul founded churches in the southern Galatian cities of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe (Acts 13:14-14:23).
Paul’s purpose for writing the Epistle to the Galatians was a response to the false teachings that undermined the central Christian doctrine of Justification by faith (Rom. 3:23-26). In addition, the false teachers demanded that Gentiles first become Jewish converts and submit to all the Mosaic Law. Shocking to Paul was the Galatians’ willingness to consider the damning heresy (1:6). Paul wrote this letter to defend justification by faith and to warn the churches of the consequences of abandoning the essential doctrine. Galatians is Paul’s only letter that does not contain commendations for his readers. It is an urgent letter of warning and re-instruction.
Theological Themes
Paul defends the doctrine of justification by faith. Like most of the newly founded churches of the 1st century, false teachers had infiltrated and began teaching the heresy that more than God’s grace is required for salvation. Much like the letter to the Romans, Paul builds his case for grace; that God’s Law only brings God’s wrath as it convinces us of our sinfulness; that the just live by faith; that believers are baptized into Christ and are adopted as God’s spiritual children; that love fulfills the Law; walking in the spirit; and the importance of believers bearing one another’s burden.
Finally, many claim that Paul erased that line between Israel and the Church when he identified the church as the “Israel of God” (6:16)