Galatians 1:1-3

Background

The audience

Facts to be used later

Galatians (1) Hebrew Religion

The Pharisaic Judaism of Palestine, to which Paul was committed heart and soul, was especially known for its aggressive proselytism

Just like culture today tries to proselytize us, so Judaism tried to proselytize

Matthew 23:15 ESV

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

Are we winning people to the good news or are we just trying to get them to follow our laws?

Galatians (2) North or South Galatia?

On balance, however, the weight of evidence falls strongly in support of the view that Paul addressed his letter to the congregations in South Galatia that he and Barnabas established on their first missionary journey.

Galatians (3) The Date of Galatians

It has been said that “the date of Galatians is one of the most knotty problems in Pauline studies.”

Galatians 3. The Problem in Galatia

Still, perhaps no one in the New Testament was more belligerent in his denunciation of opponents than the apostle Paul. And nowhere was he more “bad tempered” than in Galatians

Why is Paul so angry in this book? Well, when something is serous you get loud. Think about this - if your baby sibling grabs your toy and you scream STOP RIGHT NOW! You would be said to be rude for raising your voice. This is because the severity of your sibling grabbing your toy does not warrant the severity of your response. But if your friend tries to cross the street and there is a bus racing towards him and you yell “STOP RIGHT NOW”. You would not be in the wrong. In fact, in that case if you whispered “you should probably stop” you would be in the wrong. This is because the severity of the situation has changed. Losing a toy is not a big deal, but getting hit by a bus is.

Paul’s harsh language here shows the severity of the situation. See, it is very serious thing to believe a wrong Gospel.

And some of you here are being pulled toward a different Gospel and you are getting out of center. That is serious, Paul is telling you “STOP IT” the GOSPEL IS IMPORTANT.”

How are we similar to the church in Galatia?

Do I want to use Paul’s conversion?