Introduction to Galatians (Circumstances of Writing)

[MatthewG]

Circumstances of Writing

Author:

The authors name is Paul, and in his letter he claims to be a an apostle of Christ. (Galatian 1:1) The autobiographical information in the letter is consistent with what is known about the apostle Paul from Acts and his other letters. Theologically, everything in Galatians agrees with Paul's views elsewhere, notably in Romans.​

Background:

It is not certain where the Galatian churches were located or when Paul wrote Galatians. The reason is that, during the NT age/era, term Galatians was used ethnically and politically. If Galatians is understood ethnically, the founding of the Galatian churches is only implied in the NT.

On Paul's second missionary journey, he went "through Phrygia and the region of Galatia" (Acts 16:6) in north central Asia Minor (near the modern capital of Turkey~~ Ankara). His later visit to the same general area is recorded in Acts 18:23 and 19:1. This is where a group of Gaul (modern France) invaded in the third century B.C, and it became known as Galatia.

Understood politically. "Galatians" can refer to those living in the southern part of the Roman province o Galatia. That region included the cities of Pisidian Antioch, and Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, where Paul worked to plan churches, as recorded in Acts 13:14-14:23.​

The view that Galatians was written to the area where the ethnic Galatians lived is called the "North Galatian" theory. The possible dates of writing related to this understanding range from A.d. 52, or A.d. 53 if shortly after the second missionary journey, to A.d. 56, if written about the same time as Romans, to which it is similar theologically.

The view that Galatians was sent to churches in the southern portion of the Roman province of Galatia is known as the "Southern Galatian" theory. Some holding this view date Galatians in the early 50s. But others as early as 48, or 49 A.D., before the Jerusalem Council, which is usually dated to about A.d. 49. If the earlier date here is correct, Galatians is among the earliest of the New Testament books.​

Another key consideration is comparing the basis of contention in the Galatians to the topic of debate at the Jerusalem Council. The problem addressed in Galatians is that "the work of the law" of Moses (Gal 2:16-17;3:2;5:4), notably circumcision (5:2;6:12-13), were added by some teachers to what was required in being justified before God. This is the same issue that Acts records as the reason the Jerusalem Council met (Acts 15:1,5), supporting the idea that existing problem in the Galatian churches was part of the purpose for the Jerusalem Council.

If Galatians was written after the Jerusalem Council, it is highly unlikely that Paul would not have cited the conclusions of the council, which supported his view of the gospel as God's grace received by faith in Jesus Christ. This strongly implies that the Jerusalem Council had not yet occurred when Paul wrote Galatians.​

Message and Purpose:

Galatians was written to clarify and defend "The truth of the gospel" (Gal 2:5) in the face of a false gospel. This was done by (1) Defending Paul's message and authority as an apostle, (2) considering the OT basis of the gospel message, and (3) demonstrating how the gospel message Paul preached worked practically in daily Christian living. Paul choses this approach to correct those in the Galatian Churches in regard to both their faith and their practice related to the Gospel of Christ.​

Contribution to the Bible:

There is much about the life and movements of the apostle Paul that is only known-- or filled in significantly -- from GAl 1:13-2:14 (and the personal glimpse in 4:13-14). Among these factors are Paul's sojourn in "Arabia" (Gal 1:17), and descriptions of two trips to Jerusalem (1:18-19:2:1-10). Paul described a confrontation with Peter (Gal 2:11-14) that is mentioned nowhere else in the NT.

In the middle third of Galatians, certain aspects of the gospels Old testament background are explained in unique ways. Notable are (1) the curse related to Jesus being crucified, as cited from Deut. 21:23 (Gal 3:13); (2) Jesus fulfilling the prophecy of the singular physical "seed" of Abraham (Gal 3:16: See Gen 22:18); (3) the roles of the law as prison (Gal 3:22-23) and tutor (Gal 3:24-25) until Christ, and (3) the extended allegory of the slave and the free sons of Abraham (Galatians 4:21-32).

Galatians tells us so much about the ministry of the the Holy Spirit in relation to the Christian life. After the spirit's role in the ministry of adoption (Gal 3:4-5), believers are twice commanded to "walk in the spirit" (Gal 5:16-25), be led by the spirit (Gal 5:18), as well as sow to the Spirit and reap the related eternal harvest (Gal 6:8). The Moment by moment outcome of that kind of sensitivity to the ministry of the holy spirit is what is meant by "The fruit of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22-23).​

Structure

The book of Galatians follows, the typical pattern for a first century letter, with the exception of the element of thanksgiving: Salvation (Gal 1:1-5), the main body (1:6-6:15), and a farewell (6:16-18).

Contrasting concepts are prominent in the letter : Divine revelation vs human insight, grace vs law, justification vs condemnation, Jerusalem vs Mount Sinai, sonship vs slavery, the fruit of the Spirit vs the works of the flesh, and liberty vs bondage.

Credit : Holman Study Bible NKJV Edition​

 

[Desire Of All Nations]

At no point did Paul contrast God's grace against His laws in Galatians. That is a false premise that "Christians" erroneously read the book with because they think Paul was anti-law. What Paul really contrasted grace against in Gal. 2 was the Pharisees' religion. Peter and Barnabas backsliding into those traditions in Gal. 2 is what prompted Paul to speak against it throughout the rest of the book, which he clearly makes obvious in Gal. 6:12-13:

"As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh."

Considering Paul taught throughout in Romans that biblical Christianity involves grace and law together, it is unwise to believe he told the Galatians that they oppose each other. In v. 13, Paul goes a step further in repeating what Christ often said throughout His ministry: that the Pharisaics didn't keep the Law. Galatians mostly involves Paul addressing the Pharisaical belief that keeping their traditions could make somebody righteous, not him telling people to disregard God's laws. He made it crystal clear with the things he taught in his other letters that they are supposed to be kept.

 

[MatthewG]

The law is righteous and holy. But no man can keep them. You can observe them but it is Christ who fulfills those laws your talking about. It’s by faith you are saved. If it involved works then Jesus died in vain.