We are

Overview

Authorship

Paul is the author - he identifies himself as the author Gal 6:11 “See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.”

Recipients and Destination

Paul addressed his letter “to the churches of Galatia” (Gal 1:2b). The designation “the churches” (αἱ ἐκκλησίαι, hai ekklēsiai), combined with other details of the text (e.g., 3:2–5, 26–29; 4:6–7, 28, 31), indicates that the letter’s recipients are professing believers. They apparently came to faith through Paul’s prior ministry (4:19–20; compare 3:1; 4:13–14). Paul’s descriptions at various points in the letter indicate that the vast majority of these believers had a non-Jewish background (4:8–11)

Southern Galatian Hypothesis. As a political designation, “Galatia” in Gal 1:2b would refer to people living in the Roman province of Galatia, which encompassed a large portion of what is now south-central Turkey. Adherents to the southern theory typically draw heavily on Acts for background details of a historical and geographical nature to fill out the picture of the text of Galatians. According to Acts, Paul and Barnabas worked during their first apostolic mission in the cities of Antioch, Iconium, Derbe, and Lystra, all located in the southern area of the Roman province of Galatia (Acts 13:13–14:26;

Date and Time

if Galatians addresses the Roman province of Galatia (southern hypothesis) and is early, it could have been written before the Jerusalem council, held around ad 48/49 (Acts 15;

Place of Origin

southern Galatian theory and a date prior to the Jerusalem council (before ad 48/49) favor Antioch of Syria. Antioch was an early center for Christianity (Acts 11:19–24). Through the influence of Barnabas, Paul (then called Saul) became involved in ministry there early on (Acts 11:25–30; compare Gal 2:11). Antioch served as a base of operations for Barnabas and Paul’s first apostolic mission (Acts 13:1, 14; 14:19, 21, 26). The city also was a sending base for Paul’s second apostolic mission, after he and Barnabas parted company (Acts 15:22–23, 30, 35). Paul appears to have remained in some contact with Antioch even later (compare Acts 18:22).

Content Overview

Style or Tone: Vigorous, blunt, aggressive, direct, corrective, urgent, brief, righteous anger, strong words

Key theme: Christian liberty in the grace of God

Justification by Faith and not by Works of the Law

Key verse: Galatians 5:1

Purpose and Theology. Theological Themes

Paul’s letter to the Galatians reflects a wide range of theological themes, including the following:

1. God. The letter makes 27–29 references to God (depending on textual variants in 1:15 and 3:21). God is portrayed as:

a. Father (1:1, 3–4; 4:6);

b. the source of grace and peace, along with Christ (1:3);

c. the object of faith (3:6) and knowledge (4:8–9);

d. the sender of His Son (4:4) and the Spirit of His Son (4:6);

e. the universal King (5:21).

2. (Jesus) Christ, using various terms of reference:

a. Lord Jesus Christ (1:3; 6:14, 18);

b. Jesus Christ (1:12; 3:1, 22);

c. Christ Jesus (2:4, 16; 3:14, 26, 28; 4:14; 5:6, 24);

d. Jesus (6:17);

e. Christ (1:6, 7, 8, 22; 2:16c, 17, 20, 21; 3:13, 16, 24, 27, 29; 4:19; 5:1, 2, 3; 6:2, 12);

f. Son (of God) (1:16; 2:20; 4:4, 6);

g. the Lord (5:10; compare 1:3; 6:14, 18);

h. the one sent by the Father, born of a woman and born under the law (4:4);

i. the one who gave Himself up to death on the cross for human sins (1:3; 2:20).

3. Paul’s apostleship (1:1, 15–2:10) and the divine origin of his gospel (Gal 1:11–12).

4. The gospel (εὐαγγέλιον, euangelion; 1:6–7, 11; 2:2, 5, 7, 14), including the work of preaching the gospel (εὐαγγελίζω, euangelizō; Gal 1:8–9, 11, 16, 23; 4:13).

5. The cross (σταυρός, stauros: 5:11; 6:12, 14), including the verb “crucify” (σταυρόω, stauroō: 3:1; 5:24; 6:14).

6. The Spirit (3:2–3, 5, 14; 4:6, 29; 5:5, 16–25, 22, 25; 6:1 [?], 8).

7. Justification (chapters 2–5).

8. Liberty in Christ (2:4; [3:28]; 4:22, 23, 26, 30, 31; 5:1, 13) and obligation in Christ (5:13–6:10), with discussion of specific topics including:

a. law and faith (Gal 3:6–14);

b. the old and new covenants (Gal 3:15–18);

c. the Abrahamic promise and Christ (Gal 3:16; compare 4:1–7);

d. the Abrahamic promise and the law (Gal 3:17–18);

e. the purpose of the law (Gal 3:19–25).

9. Grace (χάρις, charis; 1:3, 6, 15; 2:9, 21; 5:4; 6:18).

10. Faith and/or faithfulness (πίστις, pistis; 1:23; 2:16, 20; 3:2, 5, 7–9, 11–12, 14, 22–26; 5:5–6, 22; 6:10; for discussion, see below: “Translations of πίστεως, pisteōs; (Ἰησοῦ, Iēsou) Χριστοῦ (Christou)” in the section on “Interpretative Questions”).

11. Jew-Gentile relations in Christ (2:11–21) and the inclusion of Gentile believers in the blessings of Abraham through Christ (1:16; 2:2, 8–9, 11–14; 3:1–14, 26–29; 4:1–7)

The significance of the letter

The letter to the Galatians deals directly with the most basic theological question faced by the first Christian generation: How does the gospel of Jesus Christ affect the Jewish/Gentile division? The first Christians were Jewish, and at the beginning it was assumed by them that the special character of their nation, and thus the ceremonial observances related to it, would be continued. When Gentiles began to receive the gospel in significant numbers, those assumptions were challenged, and it took a prolonged period of reflection, adjustment and struggle to understand God’s purposes for Jew and Gentile.

No document is more important to uncover those struggles than Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia. The Christians in that area had become the object of intense missionary zeal by certain ‘Judaizers’ who were convinced that the gospel did not set aside the Jewish ceremonies and that, therefore, the Gentile Christians must become Jews if they were to receive God’s promise given to Abraham. (Originally the Greek word ‘to Judaize’ was used to describe the adoption of Jewish ways by Gentile converts to Judaism.) Moved by the Judaizing arguments, these Galatians, who had initially been evangelized by Paul, began to observe the Jewish ceremonies. The apostle realized that such a turn of events undermined the very essence of the gospel of grace. His letter to them reveals Paul’s deepest convictions. As he develops his arguments in response to the teaching of the Judaizers, the apostle touches on a variety of fundamental questions, such as the nature of apostolic authority, justification by faith, the Abrahamic promise, sonship, the role of the law of Moses, freedom, the work of the Holy Spirit and sanctification. It is not surprising that this letter has played a major role throughout the history of the church, most notably at the time of the Reformation in the sixteenth century, when Martin Luther leaned heavily on Galatians to attack the Roman Catholic doctrine of salvation. While the precise focus of controversy between Paul and his opponents—should the Gentiles be circumcised?—may appear to be a distant concern to most Christians after the first century, the central issue is nothing less than the basis of our relationship to God. The answer given by the Judaizers, on the surface, called attention to the Jewish ceremonies, but their deeper commitment—dependence on ‘the flesh’ rather than the Spirit—can find expression in many other ways.

Basic outline

PERSONAL: GRACE AND THE GOSPEL—chapters 1–2 - Gospel of Grace Defended

Defense of the Gospel

Gal 1:1-2:21

Personal

Autobiography

Paul the

Apostle

(Gal 1:1-24)

Paul's

Authority

(Gal 2:1-21)

DOCTRINAL: GRACE AND THE LAW—chapters 3–4 - Gospel of Grace Explained

Freedom from Legalism

Gal 3:1-4:31

Doctrinal

Accuracy

Justified by Faith not Works

(Gal 3:1-9)

Justified by Faith not the Law

(Gal 3:10-4:20)

Grace and Law Cannot Co-Exist

(Gal 4:21-31)

Position and Practice of Liberty

PRACTICAL: GRACE AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE—chapters 5–6 Gospel of Grace Applied

Freedom to Love and to Serve

Gal 5:1-6:18

Practical

Application

Position and Practice of Liberty

(Gal 5:1-15)

Power of Liberty

(Gal 5:16-26)

Performance in Liberty

(Gal 6:1-18)