What Is the Book of Galatians About?

The Apostle Paul wrote the Letter to the Galatians to a group of Christians who lived in the Roman province of Galatia, an area in modern-day Turkey. The letter speaks to the inclusion of Gentiles into the faith community and whether they should adhere to ceremonial Jewish laws.

The authenticity of Galatians is crucial to its interpretation and use. If the letter was written by Paul as it claims (1:1; 5:2-3; 6:11), then it bears apostolic authority. It can be taken as an authentic statement of Paul’s teaching and tactics and as normative for the early missionary church.

Though some scholars dispute the authorship, most believe Galatians is an authentic Pauline work. There is abundant evidence for the Pauline authorship from the epistle itself and the Church Fathers. The date of the letter is less certain. It was written sometime between 48 and 55 CE making it one of Paul’s earliest letters.

The Historical Context

The South Galatia theory posits that the churches Paul addressed in Galatians were in the southern part of the Roman province of Galatia, which included regions like Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. These are places mentioned in Acts during Paul’s first missionary journey. Scholars estimate the date of this journey to be around 48-49 CE, thus about a year before the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1-35). If correct, it would imply that the letter to the Galatians addresses the initial controversy relating to the inclusion of Gentiles into the faith community and their expected compliance with Jewish Law. It would explain the urgency of Paul’s narrative on Jewish Law and circumcision.

The North Galatia theory places the original audience of the letter as a Celtic people in the north of the province. It, however, does not align well with Paul’s first missionary journey detailed in Acts. If this theory is correct, the epistle has a later date, around 53-55 CE. Such a date implies ongoing debates after the Jerusalem Council on which Jewish laws Gentiles should follow.

Whichever date is accepted, the situation was so critical, and the issues raised by the Judaizers so momentous that Paul wrote the letter. It was a contentious issue among Jewish and Gentile Christians that threatened the unity of the fledgling faith.

Other missionaries had started drawing new Christians away from what Christians today regard as the true faith. These missionaries were teaching the new Galatians the gospel of Christ plus Judaic law. They probably also questioned the apostleship of Paul, which was vital to the faith of new converts he reached.

If they were to succeed in their teachings, they had to shake the trust new converts had in Paul. The Judaizers charged Paul with being unfaithful to Christ. Paul preached to evade the Jewish persecution and he believed that no servant of God could escape the cross. The Judaizers, on the other hand, taught that the Christians who were circumcised and observed the Jewish Law were the only true Christians.

Galatians is structured as follows:

Opening and Greeting (Galatians 1:1-5):

Paul starts by sending a greeting in his usual manner, introducing himself as a chosen apostle of Jesus Christ, and extending wishes of grace and peace to the recipients of the letter. Appealing to Christ’s authority for his apostleship, he sets the groundwork for his later justification of his ministry.

Paul’s Rebuke and the Situation in Galatia (Galatians 1:6-10):

Paul scolds the Galatians for straying from the true gospel of Christ and embracing a distorted version, expressing surprise and disappointment. This part highlights the main concern Paul addresses in this letter: the impact of individuals advocating that Gentiles follow Jewish law for salvation.

Paul’s Defense of His Apostleship (Galatians 1:11-2:21):

Paul recalls his conversion and early ministry, emphasizing that his gospel message was directly given to him by Jesus Christ, and does not come from a human tradition. He recounts his experiences in Jerusalem and his relationships with the other apostles. This strengthens his authority as an apostle. The story includes Paul’s clash with Peter (Cephas) in Antioch, showing Paul’s dedication to the message of grace and his resistance to returning to Jewish traditions.

Justification by Faith (Galatians 3:1-4:31):

Paul delves into a thorough theological discussion on the concept of justification through faith. He incorporates logical arguments, references from scripture, and appeals based on personal experiences. He compares faith and works required by the Law, stating that Abraham was considered righteous due to his faith, not for following the Law.

He presents the idea of the Law acting as a “guardian” or “tutor” that leads to Christ, showing that belief in Jesus is the intention of the Law. Paul uses the story of Hagar and Sarah to explain the contrast between the old covenant of the Law (captivity) and the new covenant of faith (liberty), highlighting the freedom believers experience in Christ.

Practical Applications and Christian Living (Galatians 5:1-6:10):

In this section, Paul discusses the practical implications of the gospel of grace, emphasizing freedom in Christ while cautioning against abusing that freedom. He calls on the Galatians to live by the Spirit, not by the flesh, highlighting the “fruit of the Spirit” as evidence of a life guided by faith. He also addresses community life, urging believers to support each other, bear one another’s burdens, and fulfill the “law of Christ.”

Closing Remarks and Benediction (Galatians 6:11-18):

Paul concludes with personal remarks, reiterating his emphasis on the cross of Christ over circumcision and other religious practices. He encourages the Galatians to remain faithful to the gospel and ends with a benediction of peace and grace.

The primary theme of Galatians is justification by faith in Jesus Christ alone, as opposed to justification by the works of the Law. In the first chapter, Paul explains to the Galatians that the gospel they have received is the only true gospel that exists. He felt the need to defend his apostleship because his authority to preach to the Gentiles was constantly under attack from a faction of Jewish Christians who advocated the necessity of adherence to the Mosaic Law. This serves as no little agitation to Paul because the message of faith in Christ alone was what he received by revelation, and the Law had only brought about a curse for those under it, thus it was the antithesis of the gospel.

Theological discussion is one of the strong suits of this epistle. Perhaps the most advanced theological concept is that of the co-crucifixion of the believer with Christ, that the Christian life is no longer one of living but of Christ living in the one who has faith in Him.

The justification of the Gentiles by faith was difficult for Jewish believers to accept. These were people who had lived all their lives believing that they were in special favor with God and that the Gentiles were accursed sinners. It was a blow to Jewish national pride to learn that membership in the people of God was no longer an ethnic matter.

Paul clarifies to all believers, that Jews and Gentiles alike are the spiritual offspring of Abraham and heirs to the promised blessings. The Law was a temporary measure, given because of Israel’s sin, until the fulfillment of the coming of the seed. It was an intermediary which did not revoke the promise.

Paul uses a prison guard metaphor to explain — the Jews were responsible for the inmates, protecting and disciplining them until a time specified by the warden. But now that Christ has come, the Law has fulfilled its purpose and is no longer in effect.

Galatians 3:1-14 is possibly the most significant section of the letter. Paul argues the case for his teaching on faith by asking the Galatians about their experience of God giving the Spirit and working miracles among them. This experience could only have been caused by hearing with faith, not by doing the works of the Law. Paul uses Abraham as an example to further his argument. He refers to the promise made to Abraham and concludes that those who share in faith are sons of Abraham.

The Law came after the promise to act as a temporary mediator, and before Christ came. Paul argues that salvation comes through the promise and that those who are under the Law are prisoners to sin. Christ came to redeem them so that they could receive the promise. This section confirms Paul’s belief that righteousness comes through faith and not by works of the Law.

For the greater picture of Galatians 2:15-4:11, Paul lays out the basic elements of his gospel for the Galatians. At the beginning of this passage, Paul famously simplifies the believers’ shared experience of laying down their lives in Galatians 2:20, stating: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Hereafter, the passage indicates Paul’s belief that Gentiles were justified by faith in Christ, not by adherence to the Mosaic Law. The Law is merely an intermediary step between the promise and the coming of Christ. After faith has come, the Law is no longer needed. The Law couldn’t bring righteousness or life, but faith brings both.

Paul uses his own experience as an example that Jews are no longer under the Law. He states that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law through becoming a curse for us. He concludes by saying that if righteousness were through the Law, Christ died for no purpose.

One of the most significant contributions Galatians makes to contemporary faith is re-emphasizing that salvation comes through faith, not by works. It highlights that the believer’s works do not have merit and cannot contribute to salvation. Only what Christ did by dying on the cross for the sins of all believers carries any merit. Salvation is, therefore, something acquired by faith, not works.

Those who think that by reverting to the Law they are more sure of obtaining God’s favor and blessing, are mistaken; the Law brought a curse, whereas faith in Christ brings the blessing of Abraham to all nations — the gift of God’s Spirit. To go under the Law again to acquire salvation would be to return to the bondage of “elemental spirits”; the dawning of the new age in Christ meant the fullness of time had come, and they were sons and heirs of God.

The Letter to the Galatians is a significant work by Paul that explains the place of the ceremonial Law and the primacy of faith in the salvation of all believers. In a sense, Galatians captures much of the teaching Paul presents in Romans in a more concise form.