Christopher L. Scott

An Introduction to Galatians

by

The book of Galatians was a cornerstone in the Protestant Reformation. It’s known as a “short Romans” and has been called the “Magna Carta” of Christian liberty or the “Emancipation Proclamation of Christianity.” It is a “declaration of liberty and Christ.” As perhaps the first New Testament book written, it provides a glimpse into the doctrine and ministry not just of the apostle Paul, but the early church. If I was to assign a one-word description to the book of Galatians it would be “freeing” or “liberating.”

BIG IDEA. God’s grace is seen in the doctrine of justification by faith and liberty against legalism.[1]

KEY VERSES. I believe Galatians 2:16 is the key verse of this letter: “nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (NASB).[2] However, Galatians 3:16–7 and Galatians 5:1 could also be seen as key verses too.

AUTHOR. Galatians tells us that Paul was the author (Gal 1:1; 5:2; 6:11). Paul tells his original readers that they should know that he wrote this letter because the “large letters” he uses matches what they know about him (Gal 6:11).  

            Galatians is the least challenged among Paul’s letters for him being the author. Galatians is part of what’s called the hauptbriefe, which is a list of letters in the New Testament that almost all scholars accept as written by Paul. The book of Romans, 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, and Philemon are all seen as authentic letters written by Paul (even liberal scholars admit this). Galatians has been accepted as a letter of Paul by virtually everyone. FC Baur, who was the father of the famous Tubingen School, regarded Galatians as a letter Paul wrote. Louis Berkof writes, “The authorship of the Epistle need not be subject to doubt, since both the external and the internal evidence are very strong.”[3]

            With that said, there are various elements of both “internal” and “external” evidence that supports Paul as the author. Let’s look at both.

Internal Evidence. Galatians 1 and Galatians 2 are highly biographical and harmonize well with Acts. The theology of the book of Galatians is also consistent with Paul’s sermons recorded in the book of Acts. Here’s some other internal evidence that leads us to believe Paul was the author of this letter:

-The author of Galatians is the founder of the churches and is their spiritual father (Gal 4:19–20)

-The author of Galatians has experienced illness (Gal 4:13)

-The author of Galatians has impaired eyesight that required him to write in large letters (Gal 4:15; 6:11)

-The author of Galatians has outstanding credentials that were well known (Gal 1:13–14)

-The author of Galatians has a special calling to minister to the Gentiles (Gal 1:1; 2:7)

-The author of Galatians was violent against Christianity early in his career (Gal 1:23)

-The author of Galatians has physical scars of persecution because of his belief in Christ (Gal 6:17)

External Evidence. The Bible Knowledge Commentary states, “No doubt existed in the early church that this letter was written by Paul, and no doubt should exist today.”[4]

            In the second and third centuries Irenaeus (AD 140–202), Clement of Alexandria (AD 150–215), and Origen (AD 185–253) all said that Paul wrote Galatians.

            Galatians is quoted or alluded to in 1 Peter, Epistle of Barnabas (likely dated to AD 70–132), 1 Clement (AD 70–96), Polycarp’s letter to the Philippians (Polycarp lived AD 69–155), Justin Martyr (AD 100–165), Irenaeus (AD 140–202), Clement of Alexandria (AD 150–215), and Origin (AD 185–253).[5]

            I love this quote from Timothy George, “Jerome once said that when he read the letters of the apostle Paul he could hear thunder. Nowhere in the Pauline corpus is such stormy dissonance more evident than in the Epistle to the Galatians.”[6]

AUDIENCE. Paul was writing to believers in “South Galatia” within Asia Minor. It was a “region” of people. Paul had planted the church there in Acts 13—14, then wrote this letter back to them between his first and second missionary journeys. Paul addresses his audience in Galatians 1:2, “and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia.” With that said, the audience of this letter likely were Gentile readers.

            When reading the book of Galatians it’s clear that there has been a disruption in the church because of the teaching of the Judaizers. These Judaizers were enslaving the people in legalism to the Law of Moses. However, the audience of the letter might change slightly depending on the “destination” of this letter. We encounter a problem because the word “Galatia” had two distinct meanings in the New Testament era.

            As we look at the “north” and “south” audiences, it’s important to note that Paul’s ministry took him to both regions at different times which resulted in different outcomes. The two different locations does not necessarily affect the topic of Paul’s writing, but they do change the time of his writing and the place of the Jew-Gentile controversy as described in Acts 15.

“North” Ethnic (People) Geographical Region. If Paul uses “Galatia” for the northern region then he used the word to refer to the “people” that lived there. This is called the “ethnic geographical region” label. If this destination is correct, Paul would have written the letter from Corinth during his third missionary journey in approximately AD 55 or AD 56. This is commonly called the “North Galatian Theory.” If this is true, then the visit described in Galatians 2 corresponds to Acts 15.

            The “Celtic” people lived in the “north” region. These Celtic tribes moved there from ancient Gaul. They attacked and nearly destroyed Rome in 390 BC. They called it the region of “Galatia” from the word “Gaul.” (Makes sense, right?) These people were located in the mountains in the north. It had no major cities and no Jewish population (if any, it was very small). According to Acts, Paul did not visit this region until the beginning of his second missionary journey (Acts 16). On this visit, they only traveled through Phrygia and Galatia (Acts 16:5).  

            This “north” view was the traditional view of the church for many centuries, but is less popular today.

“South” Political Region. In 189 BC the Gauls were conquered and the area became a province of Rome. This process of conquest and assimilation was completed in 25 BC because Augustus declared the region an official Roman province and called it “Galatia.” Thus, it was the “province” of Galatia, not just the people. This “province” extended to the south and incorporated parts of Lycaonia, Phrygia, and Pisidia. This was the location of Paul’s first missionary trip to the Gentiles that’s described in Acts 13—14 which occurred in AD 47–49. It’s important to note that Paul’s first and second missionary journeys were separated by three years as one was before the Jerusalem council (Acts 15) and the other was after the Jerusalem council.

            If we were to focus on the “political” meaning of the word “Galatia” we could also include the cities of Lystra, Derbe, and Iconium. Paul had visited these cities on his first missionary journey. If this view is correct, then the Jerusalem visit recorded in Galatians 2 is not the same Jerusalem visit recorded in Acts 15. Instead, Galatians 2 records an earlier visit Paul made to Jerusalem (either Acts 9:26 or Acts 11:30) before we read what occurred in Acts 15.

            Sir William Ramsey did extensive archaeological work that led to this view. This “south” view is the predominant view today among evangelical protestant scholars.

DATE. Galatians was likely written during the three years between Paul’s first and second missionary journeys. Paul likely wrote Galatians from the city of Antioch (see Acts 14:28) before the Jerusalem council (Acts 15), but after Paul’s visit to Jerusalem in AD 46–48 (Acts 11:30). The date of Galatians is a complex topic. Let’s examine the different views below.

An Introduction to the Proposed Dates of Galatians. Three possible dates for the writing of Galatians are proposed by G. W. Hansen, “The dating of Galatians is a notorious and for some a fascinating historical puzzle. But the outcome of the protracted debate about the date has little if any effect on the interpretation of the major themes of the letter” One date is A.D. 53-57 (if letter was written after the second missionary journey of Acts 18:22). A second option is A.D. 49 (if letter was written immediately after the first missionary journey but before Jerusalem Conference). A third option is A.D. 50-57 (if Gal 2:1-10 = Acts 15:1-20, after the Jerusalem conference).”[7]

            I have several pages of hand-written notes on the date of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Here’s my best attempt to summarize the different views on the date of this letter. Earlier in this work I’ve listed the “north” and “south” views briefly based on the audience intended for the letter. Here I will attempt to list the support for and weaknesses of each view. I hope this is helpful for you.

South Galatia “Political Province” View: AD 49.[8]

Support

  1. A trip traveling to and establishing churches in south Galatia matches Paul’s practice of strategically traveling to influential and well populated cities that had significant Jewish populations. The north Galatia area was smaller, more obscure, and had less Jews.
  2. The book of Galatians contains descriptive details that match details of Paul’s first missionary journey recorded in Acts 13—14 throughout Galatia. First, reception of Paul as an “angel of God” might match the attempted worship of Paul and Barnabas at Lyionian cities of Lystra and Derbe (Acts 14:6–18). Second, the physical mark of suffering (Gal 6:17) might reference the scars Paul received by being stoned (Acts 14:19–20).
  3. Galatians 2:1–10 addresses an issue which the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 would have solved. The logical conclusion is that Acts 15 was after Galatians 2. Additionally, Galatians 2 indicates a private conversation, while Acts 15 was a public assembly.
  4. Galatians 2:1 says Paul went “again” to Jerusalem, which suggests this was at least Paul’s second visit. That second (or third) visit could be after the first (or second) visit as described in Acts 11:30. Acts also records a visit in Acts 9:26 which could have been the first.
  5. Barnabas is mentioned three times in Galatians (Gal 2:1, 9, 13) in a way that suggests the audience was familiar with him. This could only be true if Paul had went to the Galatians on his first missionary journey because Paul and Barnabas had split up before the second missionary journey began.
  6. If Paul was suffering from an illness in Galatia (Gal 4:13) and was there to recover, then the “North Galatia” theory is unlikely. North Galatia was far north, it was off the beaten path, and it was a difficult place to travel.
  7. It is possible, that Paul never went to the northern Galatian region. If Acts 16:6 and Acts 18:23 are referring to a political region instead of a geographical region, then Paul (according to Acts) never went to North Galatia.
  8. The word “Galatians” was the only word that would describe the people in Antioch, Lystra, Iconium, and Derbe.

Weaknesses

  1. The main weakness of this view is that it does not have church history behind it. For most of church history, the “north Galatia” view was prominent. This is a personal struggle for me and must not be overlooked. According to Donald Guthrie, “Since the nineteenth century many scholars have advocated this view, but it was Sir William Ramsay who popularized it and gave it its most cogent expression.”[9]

North Galatia “Ethnic Geographical Region” View: AD 55–56.[10]

Support and Strengths

  1. This is perhaps the most natural meaning of “Galatia” or “Galatians” as used in Galatians 1:2 and Galatians 3:1. This was the geographical region in north Asia Minor. The people that lived there used those terms.
  2. Luke tends to describe places in Acts according to geographical region instead of political province. Examples of this are Pamphylia (Acts 13:13), Pisidia (Acts 13:14), and Lycaonia (Acts 14:6) which are geographical terms. Thus, it’s likely that Paul used “Phrygian and Galatian region” in Acts 16:16 as a geographical region too.
  3. If Paul visited the geographical districts of “north” Galatia in Acts 16:6 and Acts 18:23, then he went there twice and possibly established churches there, which he could write letters to.
  4. The natural reading of Galatians 2:1–10 is to refer to Acts 15.
  5. No other view existed until Sir William Ramsay introduced his “south” Galatia view in the nineteenth century.

Weaknesses

  1. While no other view was held in the church until the nineteenth century under Sir William Ramsay, it is not surprising that patristic, medieval, and reformation commentaries assumed Paul wrote his letter to the Northern region because southern Galatia was reduced in size and significance by the Roman government in AD 74, 137, and 197.

ACCEPTANCE INTO THE CANON. The book of Galatians was accepted into the Canon very early in the history of the Christian church. There are references to it (as I’ve shown above) in Barnabas, 1 Clement, Polycarp, and Justin Martyr. There was no dispute about the book of Galatians’ genuineness in early times.

            The theologian Louis Berkof writes, “There has never been any serious doubt respecting the canonicity of this Epistle. It was received as authoritative in all sections of the Church from the very earliest times. There are allusions to its language in the apostolic fathers, Clement of Rome, Polycarp and Ignatius. Justin Martyr, Melito and Athanagoras seem to have known it; and some of the heretics, especially the Ophites, used it extensively. It is found in Marcions canon, is named in the Muratorian Fragment, and the Syriac and old Latin versions contain it. From the end of the second century the quotations multiply and increase in directness and definiteness.”[11]

THE “JUDAIZERS” IN GALATIANS. The people whom Paul identifies as his opponents and enemies in this letter probably came from Jerusalem. They likely were Jews who claimed to be Christians and wanted Christians to submit to the authority of the Mosaic Law.

            Often I called these “Judaizers” as the “Legalizers” when preaching to a congregation. In Galatians 6:12–13 Paul gives a good commentary on these people. He says that what the Legalizers (Judaizers) were doing describes the human effort of worldly people. The Legalizers believed they were saved through their merit instead of through God’s mercy.

According to Paul, the Legalizers were only interested in pleasing men. Paul writes that they wanted “to make a good showing in the flesh” (Gal 6:12a). That good impression came from getting the Galatians circumcised (Gal 6:12b).

According to Paul, the Legalizers were afraid of persecution. The passage continues, “so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ” (Gal 6:12c). To avoid persecution seems a little odd. But if we think in their time, requiring people to be circumcised prevented persecution from two groups of people: Jews and Romans. Having everyone get circumcised pleased the Jews because it meant that the people weren’t joining a competing faith or a new faith. Instead they were submitting to the old established religion of the times. Faith in Christ for salvation that included circumcision appeased the rules, regulations, and restrictions of the rabbis of the established Jewish system of that time.[12] The Romans had accepted Judaism as a legal religion in the Empire. Any Gentile that was circumcised would fall under the category of Judaism and wouldn’t experience persecution. To reject circumcision and take the name of a “Christian”  would mean you weren’t protected under the legal umbrella of Judaism in Roman law. So the Legalizers did have a valid point: to get circumcised greatly reduced the chance of persecution.[13]

According to Paul, the Legalizers wanted to boast because of the number of converts they had. Paul writes, “they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh” (Gal 6:13c). The Legalizers wanted to claim the Galatians as their own. “They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast of their success in recruiting you to their side” (The Message). The Legalizers wanted to point to the Galatians as their “catch” much like a bass angler or big game hunter that wants to display the big fish or the big elk. For the Legalizers their big catch was this group of Galatian believers that Paul had evangelized, but now they were getting “caught” up in their teaching about the Law and how they needed to follow the Law.

According to Paul, the Legalizers had built their teachings around four key beliefs. Paul was surprised to learn that the Galatians had deserted his teachings for a false gospel (Gal 1:6). Based on what we read in Galatians (not cultural speculation), I think we can identify four key teachings of the Judaizers. One, that righteousness comes through obedience to the Law (Gal 2:15-21), two that the Holy Spirit came through works of the Law (Gal 3:1-3), three that righteousness comes through following the Jewish calendar’s festivals and events (Gal 4:8-11) such as Passover, Pentecost, Purim, etc., four that favor comes from God through circumcision (Gal 5:2-6; 6:12-13).

Conclusion about Judaizers. This is a long but important quote from FF Bruce,“Galatians was plainly written to converts of Paul’s who were in imminent danger of adulterating the gospel of Christian freedom which he had taught them with elements of Jewish legalism. Among these elements circumcision took a chief place; they also included the observance of the Jewish calendar (Gal. 4:10) and possibly Jewish food-laws. The ‘churches of Galatia’ had evidently been visited by Judaizers who cast doubt on Paul’s apostolic status and insisted that, in addition to the faith in Christ which he inculcated, it was necessary to be circumcised and to conform in other respects to the Jewish law in order to attain salvation. When news of this reached Paul he wrote this letter in white-hot urgency, denouncing this teaching which mingled grace and law as a different gospel from that which he had preached to them in Christ’s name—in fact, no gospel at all—and entreating his readers to stand fast in their new-found liberty and not place their necks again under a yoke of bondage.”[14]

THEMES. I believe there are four themes woven throughout this letter. Each of the themes relates to a “correction” Paul is trying to make with this audience.

Correcting the Misunderstanding of Paul’s Life. Paul wanted the Galatians to know about his past life as a Jew but also how he prepared for ministry. Based on my study I believe there are ten different “biographical sections” in Galatians that often begin with the first-person personal pronoun “I” (Gal 1:1, 10, 13–14, 16–19, 21–24; 2:1–2, 7; 4:12–14; 5:11; 6:17).[15] Timothy George comments, “Galatians contains one of the most important autobiographical reflections anywhere in the writings of Paul.”[16]

Correcting the False Gospel. Paul had taught the Galatians the correct gospel, but they had been led astray by Judaizers. The word “gospel” is used ten times in Galatians (Gal 1:6, 7, 8, 9, 11; 2:2, 5, 7, 14; 4:13).

Correcting the False Interpretation of the Law. Paul validates the purpose of the Law and how it has been fulfilled through Christ. The word “Law” is used twenty-nine times in Galatians (Gal 2:16 [2t], 19 [2t], 21; 3:2, 5, 10 [2t], 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 21 [3t], 23. 24; 4:4, 5, 21 [2t]; 5:3, 4, 14, 18; 6:13).

Correcting the Significance of Jesus’s Death. If the Law had been fulfilled, it was because of Jesus’s perfect substitution. In Paul’s letter he tells us that Jesus Christ gave himself for our sins (Gal 1:4a), Jesus Christ has rescued us from this world (Gal 1:4b), and that was a gift from God (Gal 1:4c).

OUTLINES OF GALATIANS

I. FOLLOWING GOD’S LAW (Gal 1—3)

A. Paul’s Past in Religion (Gal 1).

1. Substance of the Gospel (vv. 1-10). These ten verses are Paul’s groundwork for this letter and most of what he will write in the New Testament. In this section we learn about how the gospel is described and defended (vv. 4, 6) and we learn about the gospel defectors (vv. 6–9).

Greetings (vv. 1-5)

Good News (vv. 6-9)

Goal (v. 10)

2. Source of the Gospel (vv. 11-24). The Gospel message, according to Paul, was not according to man (v. 11), was not received from man (v. 12a), was not taught to him (v. 12b), but it was revealed to him by Jesus Christ (v. 12c).

From Jesus (vv. 11-12)

From Judaism (vv. 13-14)

From Jehovah God (vv. 15-17)

From Jerusalem (vv. 18-20)

From Judah (vv. 21-24)

B. Paul’s Preparation for Ministry (Gal 2)

1. Meeting with Church Leaders (vv 1-10)

Agreement from Leaders (vv. 1-3)

Disagreement from False Brothers (vv. 4-5)

Encouragement from Leaders (vv. 6-10)

2. Meeting with the Church Leader (vv.  11-21)

Peter’s Conforming (vv. 11-13)

Peter’s Confrontation (vv. 14-16)

Peter’s Correction (vv. 17-21)

C. Paul’s Preaching on Religion and Faith (Gal 3).[17] While Galatians 1—2 describes the ministry of Paul, Galatians 3—4 describes the ministry of the Law. Galatians 1—2 have focused on Paul and the Law, now we will read about Christ and the Holy Spirit in Galatians 3—4.

1. Abraham’s Faith: Saved Because of Faith (vv. 1-9). Notice the various questions Paul asks after he assesses the situation (v. 1): The Spirit Question (v. 2) – “How did you receive the Holy Spirit?” The Sanctification Question (v. 3) – “How are you growing in your Christian walk?” The Suffering Question (v. 4) – “Did you suffer in vain?” The Supernatural Question (v. 5) – “How did God perform miracles in and among you?”

2. Abraham’s Seed: Saved Because of One Man/Father (vv. 10-18)

3. Abraham’s Descendants: Saved Because of One Son (vv. 19-29)

II. FOLLOWING GOD’S SON AND SPIRIT (Gal 4—6)

A. Christ’s Children (Gal 4).

1. At One Time (4:1-11)

Slaves to this World (vv. 1-3)

Slaves Freed by the Son (vv. 4-7)

Slaves to Other gods (vv. 8-11)

2. At Paul’s Time with Them (4:12-20)

Free from the Law (vv. 12-13)

Free to Do What is Right (vv. 14-16)

Free from False Teachers (vv. 17-20)

3. At Abraham’s Time (4:21-31)

Abraham’s Two Sons (vv. 21-23)

Abraham’s Two Women (vv. 24-27)

Abraham’s Two Descendants (vv. 28-31)

B. Christ’s Freedom and the Holy Spirit’s Power (Gal 5). We could also call this chapter “Christ’s Fruit.” While Galatians 1—2 describes the ministry of Paul and Galatians 3—4 describes the ministry of the Law, now in Galatians 5—6 we read about the ministry of Christ. Galatians 1—2 have focused on Paul and the Law, Galatians 3—4 have focused on Christ and the Holy Spirit, now Galatians 5—6 focuses on Christians and the church. I like the one-word descriptions by Warren Wiersbe for Galatians as “Personal” (grace and the gospel in chapters 1—2), “Doctrinal” (grace and the Law in chapters 3—4), and “Practical” (grace and the Christian life in chapters 5—6).

1. Old vs. New (5:1-6)

Through Christ (v. 1)

Through Circumcision (vv. 2-4)

Through the Spirit (vv. 5-6)

2. Past vs. Present (5:7-15)

Their Struggle (vv. 7-10)

Paul’s Striving (vv. 11-12)

Our Goal/Target (vv. 13-15)

3. Flesh vs. Spirit (5:16-26)

The Goal (vv. 16-18)

The Deeds of the Flesh (vv. 19-21)

The Duty of the Spirit (vv. 22-24)

The Way We Live (vv. 25-26)

C. Christ’s Harvest (Gal 6)

1. Giving Help to Fallen Brothers (6:1-5)

Be Gentle (v. 1)

Be Realistic (vv. 2-3)

Be Focused (vv. 4-5)

2. Giving Help to Believers (6:6-10)

Giving to Teachers of the Word (v. 6)

Sowing Good (vv. 7-9)

Giving to Those in the Household (v. 10)

3. Giving Help to the Gospel (6:11-18)

Personal Appeal (v. 11)

Position of the Gospel (vv. 12-16)

Passion for Christ (vv. 17-18)

A couple other simple ways to outline the book would be:

I. THE MINISTRY OF PAUL (Gal 1—2)

II. THE MINISTRY OF THE LAW (Gal 3—4)

III. THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST (Gal 5—6)

I. PAUL AND THE LAW (Gal 1—2)

II. CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT (Gal 3—4)

III. CHRISTIANS AND THE CHURCH (Gal 5—6)

I. PERSONAL (Gal 1—2). In these two chapters we see lots of the word “I”, “me”, and “my”. Those words described Paul’s transition from following the Law to following the Liberty provided in Christ.

II. DOCTRINAL (Gal 3—4). In these two chapters we see lots of Old Testament quotations, references, and allusions that described how saints used to live under the Law, but now were saved by their faith in Christ.

III. APPLICATIONAL (Gal 5—6). In these two chapters we see lots of verbs, commands, and words like “you” that describe what we’re supposed to do with that freedom.

APPLICATIONS

  1. Let go of legalism. It’s human nature to want to “work for things.” And that’s what the Galatians were starting to think. Paul’s message to them was to let go of legalism and accept God’s grace. We as Christians need to be cautious of false teachers that overly emphasize the Law and festivals of the Old Testament more than the free gift of grace and salvation of the New Testament. It should not surprise us, that even in our evangelical churches, that legalistic people sneak in and try to impose their will on us (see Gal 2:3–5 where false brethren were brought in to spy out the true liberty that Christians have [v. 4b] and to put the true Christians in bondage under the Law [v. 4c]). Pastor Charles Swindoll writes, “The Christian life is not about working as hard as we can to live right; it’s about allowing Christ Himself to live out His life through us.”[18] And that’s based on faith. One commentary asserts, “The church of Jesus Christ needs the message of Galatians now as much as perhaps any time in its history. Alternative gospels abound within the realm of Christendom. Western Christianity in particular is at times shallow and individualistic, cast in terms that are more anthropocentric, existential, and serendipitous than being explained biblically in terms of self-denial and taking up one’s cross.”[19]
  2. Let God’s Holy Spirit guide your life. The Law no longer guides our lives. Now we follow God’s Son and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is mentioned fifteen times in this short six-chapter book. We bear fruit for God because the Holy Spirit lives in us and because the Holy Spirit leads us. Robert Rapa writes, “The simplicity of the truth of the person, word, and work of Jesus Christ is today under siege in various places and in diverse ways. The premise of Galatians—salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ—must be reclaimed as the church’s indispensable bedrock on which to stand and to build.”[20]

SOME OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES ON GALATIANS

Max Lucado, “The reason the letter of Galatians is in your Bible is because Paul couldn’t stomach diluted grace.”[21]

            Donald Campbell, “Galatians, though one of Paul’s shorter epistles, is highly esteemed as one of his greatest and most influential.”[22]

            Robert Rapa, “The book of Galatians stands out in Christian history—and thus in the history of the Western world—as of major importance. This little book (149 verses) helped to launch the Protestant Reformation, as in it was rediscovered by Martin Luther and others the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone. As a result of its message and its influence, it has been called “the Magna Carta of Christian Liberty,” and this expression sums up well the theme of the book.”[23]

            Timothy George, “During the Protestant Reformation, Galatians and Romans became the bedrock of a Pauline renaissance as Luther, Calvin, and other Reformers rallied around the doctrine of justification by faith over against a compromised theology of grace in the prevailing Roman Catholic systems of the day.”[24]

            Louis Berkof, “The purpose of the author in writing this Epistle was, of course, twofold. In order that his words might be effective, it was necessary, first of all, that he should defend his apostolic authority by proving that God had called him and had imparted the truth of the gospel to him by means of a direct revelation. And in the second place it was incumbent on him that he should expose the Judaeistic error by which they were led astray, and should defend the doctrine of justification by faith.”[25]

Sermon Series from Galatians: “Gospel Groundwork”

  1. A Hill Worth Dying On (Gal 1:1–10)
  2. One Source for Many Stories (Gal 1:11–24)
  3. A Gospel Get Together (Gal 2:1–10)
  4. When a Leader Loses His Way (Gal 2:11–24)
  5. Faithful Faith (Gal 3:1–14)
  6. When God Follows Through (Gal 3:15–29)
  7. Kingdom Inheritors (Gal 4:1–10)
  8. Freedom Fighters (Gal 4:12–20)
  9. The Bible Tells Me So (Gal 4:21–31)
  10. Love and Liberty for All (Gal 5:1–15)
  11. Your Walking Companion (Gal 5:16–26)
  12. We That Are Spiritual (Gal 6:1–10)
  13. Living It and Loving It (Gal 6:11–18)

Articles from Galatians

Christopher L. Scott is a pastor and author of the book, Walking Straight When Life Goes Sideways: Essential Christian Truths for Enduring Life’s Trials (Wipf and Stock). He provides hundreds of free articles, videos, and Bible study resources at his website ChristopherLynnScott.com.

[1] Another big idea might be: Salvation is available to every person only by faith in Jesus Christ without obedience to the Law.

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] L Berkhof, New Testament Introduction (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans-Sevensma Co., 1915), 178.

[4] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 187.

[5] This list is adapted from Daniel Wallace, “9. Galatians: Introduction, Argument, and Outline,” Bible.org, June 27, 2004, https://bible.org/seriespage/galatians-introduction-argument-and-outline.

[6] Timothy George, Galatians, vol. 30, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 21.

[7] G. W. Hansen, “Letter to the Galatians,” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, edited by Gerald Hawthrorne, Ralph Martin, Daniel Reid (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 328-29.

[8] Much of the material in this section is adapted from Daniel Wallace, “9. Galatians: Introduction, Argument, and Outline,” Bible.org, June 27, 2004, https://bible.org/seriespage/galatians-introduction-argument-and-outline. Also see Donald Guthrie, New Testament Introduction, rev. ed. (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity, 1996), 466-72; D. A. Carson and Douglas Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2005), 458–61.

[9] Donald Guthrie, New Testament Introduction, 4th rev. ed., The Master Reference Collection (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 468.

[10] Much of the material in this section is adapted from Wallace, “Galatians: Introduction, Argument, and Outline,”; Guthrie, New Testament Introduction, 466-72; Carson and Moo, New Testament Introduction, 458–61.

[11] Berkhof, New Testament Introduction, 187.

[12] Charles Swindoll Insights on Galatians, Ephesians, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary, vol. 8 (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2015), 144.

[13] Swindoll Insights on Galatians, Ephesians, 144.

[14] F. F. Bruce, “Galatians, Epistle to” in New Bible Dictionary (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 392–393.

[15] Galatians 1 and 2 are largely biographical. Galatians 1:1 tells us that Paul was a true apostle appointed by God, not man. “Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),” (Gal 1:1). Apparently there were people in Galatia teaching that Paul was not a true apostle/messenger of the Gospel because his authority was appointed by men. And because he was getting that information from men, it was not correct. Paul makes it clear he says what he says and does what he does not to earn the approval of men, but to please God (Gal 1:10).

[16] George, Galatians, NAC, 23.

[17] Perhaps another way to outline this section: 1. The Law and Faith in Christ (3:1-14): a) Belief Brings the Holy Spirit (1-5), b) Belief Gives Righteousness (6-9), c) Belief Removes the Curse (10-14). 2. The Law and God’s Promise to Abraham (3:15-29): a) What Promise Was Given to Abraham (15-18), b)          Why the Law Was Given (19-23), c)  Who God’s People Are (24-29).

[18] Swindoll Insights on Galatians, Ephesians, 54.

[19] Robert K. Rapa, “Galatians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans–Galatians (Revised Edition), ed. Tremper Longman III & Garland, David E., vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 550.

[20] Rapa, “Galatians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans–Galatians, 550.

[21] Max Lucado, In the Grip of Grace (Dallas, TX: Word Publishing, 1996), 136.  

[22] Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, 587.

[23] Rapa, “Galatians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans–Galatians, 549.

[24] George, Galatians, NAC, 68.

[25] Berkhof, New Testament Introduction, 185–186.