Galatians Intro = February 21

INTRODUCTION

AUTHORSHIP

Paul is the author of the epistle of Galatians (Galatians 1:1).  The early church was unanimous in its teaching that Paul was the author of this epistle. Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian all agree Paul wrote this epistle. 

DATE OF WRITING

This epistle is the most difficult to date of all of Paul’s epistles.  The suggested dates range from A.D. 49 to A.D. 63. There is not much internal evidence to date the epistle.  

The most crucial factor in dating the letter to the Galatians is the relationship between the journey of Paul to Jerusalem mentioned in Gal. 2:1 and the Jerusalem Council mentioned in Acts 15 (see “Conference in Jerusalem” at Acts 15:1). If the decision of the council in Acts 15 had been common knowledge when the letter was written, Paul would surely have used the council’s decision in defense of Gentile freedom and especially in his rebuke of Peter (Gal. 2:11–13). It is, therefore, possible that Galatians is Paul’s earliest letter, and was written by A.D. 49 just prior to the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15. Those who associate Paul’s account in Gal. 2:1–10 with the Jerusalem visit mentioned in Acts 18:22 date this letter to about A.D. 53, and thus after the Thessalonian letters.

In studying the epistle of Galatians and the life of Paul, it would appear Paul wrote the epistle of Galatians on his second missionary journey.  If this is so, it would have been written around A.D. 52. One must not be dogmatic in dating this epistle.

PLACE OF WRITING

Since the exact time of the writing of the epistle to the Galatians is uncertain, it is difficult to determine the place from where it was written.  If it were written on Paul’s second missionary journey, it may have been written from Corinth after Paul had written First and Second Thessalonians.

PURPOSE OF WRITING

Judaizing teachers were in the churches in Galatia.  The Judaizing teachers were Jewish Christians who taught that Gentile Christians needed to be circumcised and to keep the law of Moses in addition to the Christian teachings.  After the first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas had gone to Jerusalem and discussed this issue with the elders of the church in Jerusalem and the twelve apostles (Acts 15).  Paul understood that the law of Moses had been "nailed" to the cross and taken out of the way (Colossians 2:14-17).  Christians are no longer under the law of Moses.  They are not required to be circumcised or to keep the ordinances of the law.  Paul reported at the Jerusalem conference that they had converted many Gentiles on their journey.  These Gentile Christians had believed in Jesus, repented of their sins, confessed their faith in Christ and had been baptized by immersion for the remission of their sins.  They were not required to be circumcised or keep the law of Moses.  The elders of the Jerusalem church and the apostles agreed with Paul and Silas and gave them the right hand of fellowship.  However, the Judaizing teachers did not give up easily. This was one of the battles Paul had to fight during his lifetime as a preacher.  Faith in Jesus, obedience to the gospel and faithful Christian living is all that is required of a Christian.  The law of Moses is not binding upon God’s people in the Christian age.  Christians are saved by faith, not by the works of the law of Moses. 

Paul had to defend his apostleship.  Jesus Christ called Paul to be an apostle.  He was not made an apostle from men.  Paul received the gospel message from Jesus.  He and the twelve apostles taught the same message.  It was difficult for many Jewish Christians to understand that the law of Moses was "nailed" to the cross and was not binding upon God’s people in the Christian age.  By the end of Paul’s life, truth had triumphed.

CHURCHES OF GALATIA

The destination of this letter to Galatia was a group of churches that Paul himself had founded (Galatians 1:2, 8, 9; 4:19). His close relationship with them is reflected in 4:11–14. Until the 18th century most readers understood “Galatia” to be the territory in the heart of Asia Minor whose boundaries included Bithynia and Pontus on the north, Phrygia on the southwest, and Cappadocia on the east. However, the Book of Acts offers no record of Paul evangelizing in this “North Galatian” area, apart from brief hints (Acts 16:6; 18:23).

The epistle of Galatians was addressed to the churches of Galatia, a Roman province in the north-central part of what is called "Turkey" today.  Galatia received its name from the Gauls of Central Europe. Some of these warriors had come to Greece and then to this area of the country around 278 B.C.  This area became a Roman province in 25 B.C. This letter is not written to one church, but to all of the churches in Galatia.  These churches would include the churches in the cities of Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.   

The “South Galatian” theory understands Galatia to refer to the Roman province of Paul’s day, which included Pisidia, Lycaonia, and parts of Phrygia and Cappadocia. Also included were the cities of Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, and Iconium which Paul visited on both his first (Acts 13; 14) and second (Acts 16) missionary journeys.

 

OUTLINE OF THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS

I.          The Authority Of Paul’s Apostleship And Gospel,                                            1:1-2:21

            A.         Opening Salutation                                                                                 1:1-5

            B.         The Only Gospel                                                                                    1:6-10

            C.         Paul’s Gospel Derived Not From Men, But From God                                1:11-24

            D.         Paul’s Apostleship Recognized In Jerusalem                                            2:1-10

            E.         Paul’s Rebuke To Peter                                                                          2:11-14

            F.         Justification And Union With Christ By Faith                                             2:15-21

II.         The Doctrine Of Justification By Faith In Christ                                               3:1-4:31

            A.         An Appeal To Experience And Scripture                                                   3:1-9

            B.         The Curse And The Blessing                                                                   3:10-14

            C.         The Real Function Of The Law                                                                 3:15-23

            D.         In This Area Of Faith Christians Are Sons Of God                                     3:24-4:7

            E.         The Foolishness Of Wishing To Be Again In Bondage                               4:8-11

            F.         A Call To Remember Their First Reception Of The Gospel                          4:12-20

            G.         The Allegory Of Abraham’s Two Sons                                                      4:21-31

III.        There Is Freedom In Christ                                                                              5:1-6:18

            A.         A Call To Hold Fast To Freedom                                                              5:1-12

            B.         The Works Of The Flesh And The Fruit Of The Spirit                                 5:13-26

            C.         Burden Bearing                                                                                      6:1-5

            D.         Sowing And Reaping                                                                              6:6-10

E.         Conclusion                                                                                            6:11-18

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