Who wrote Galatians, and when?
Paul. About AD 48–55.
Galatians was written by Paul, and even the most cautious scholars agree on that; the letter carries his voice on every page. The date is less certain, because it depends on who the Galatians were. If Paul wrote to the churches in the southern part of the province, founded on his first journey (see Acts 13 and 14), the letter could be as early as AD 48, which would make it his earliest surviving letter. If he wrote to churches further north, founded later, a date around AD 53 to 55 fits better. Christians and scholars hold both views, and the message of the letter does not change either way. Paul seems to have written the closing lines in his own large handwriting (see 6:11).
Who was Galatians written to?
The churches of Galatia in central Asia Minor, Gentile converts being pressured to be circumcised.
The letter went to a group of churches in Galatia, a Roman province in the middle of what is now Turkey. The believers were mostly Gentiles who had come to faith through Paul's preaching and had received the Spirit with real joy. After Paul moved on, other teachers arrived. They said that trusting Jesus was a good start, but to be fully part of God's people a Gentile man must be circumcised and everyone must keep the law of Moses. They also suggested that Paul had watered down the message to please people. The Galatians were wavering. They had begun to observe Jewish holy days and some were considering circumcision. Paul writes to people who are sincere but in danger of drifting.
What was happening at the time?
After Paul left, teachers arrived insisting that Gentile believers must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses to be fully God’s people. Paul is furious. He recounts his own calling and his confrontation with Peter, argues from Abraham that righteousness has always been by faith, and explains that the law was a guardian until Christ. Freedom is not licence: walk by the Spirit.
Why was Galatians written?
To defend the gospel of grace against legalism and to call believers to live by the Spirit.
Paul wrote to stop the Galatians from adding anything to Christ. His argument runs on three levels. From his own story, he shows that his gospel came from Jesus, not from human teachers, and that the other apostles agreed with it. From the Scriptures, he shows that Abraham was counted righteous by faith long before the law existed, so the law was never the way in. From experience, he reminds them that they received the Spirit by believing, not by law-keeping. Then he answers the obvious worry: if the law does not rule us, will people live however they like? No, because the Spirit produces a new kind of life. In the Bible's wider story, Galatians shows how the promise to Abraham reaches every nation through Christ.
How to read Galatians today
Galatians is short and can be read in one sitting, which is the best way to feel its heat. Then go back through it slowly. Chapters 1 and 2 tell Paul's story, chapters 3 and 4 give his argument from Scripture, and chapters 5 and 6 describe life in the Spirit. Watch for the word freedom and ask each time what Paul means by it. Chapter 5:16-26 on the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit is a passage to keep coming back to. Do not force chapter 4's picture of Hagar and Sarah into a rigid system; Paul is using it to make one point. As you read, pray to be freed from any sense that you must earn God's acceptance.
The key verse in Galatians
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Passages worth knowing in Galatians
- Galatians 1:6-10
No other gospel
Paul’s astonishment at their quick desertion.
- Galatians 2:11-21
Paul confronts Peter
Justified by faith in Christ, not by works of the law.
- Galatians 3
Abraham and the promise
All one in Christ Jesus.
- Galatians 5:1
Stand fast in liberty
Do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
- Galatians 5:16-26
The fruit of the Spirit
Love, joy, peace and the rest.
The main themes of Galatians
- Justification by faith
- Freedom in Christ
- Law and promise
- The Spirit
- Sonship
An outline of Galatians
| Section | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Paul’s gospel and authority | 1–2 |
| Faith, not law | 3–4 |
| Freedom and the Spirit | 5–6 |