Galatians

Galatians is Paul’s earliest letter that he wrote just before the Council of Jerusalem in AD 50. Paul had just recently planted these churches in the South Galatians region, when to his surprise, false teachers entered these churches after he left in order to turn these new believers from grace to legalism. In Galatians, Paul argues for his apostolic authority and for grace over law.

Authorship

Paul claims to be the author of this letter (Gal. 1:1; 5:2), and hardly anyone contests this claim. Even the highly critical Tübingen School of F.C. Baur of the 19^th century believed that this letter was genuine. Baur wrote that Galatians bears “so incontestably the character of Pauline originality, that there is no conceivable ground for the assertion of critical doubts in their case.”^[1] Today, even “extreme critics agree that it was written by the apostle Paul,”^[2] and it is the “best authenticated”^[3] of Paul’s letters.

Date

Since we adopt the South Galatian theory (see below), we can date this letter just before the Council of Jerusalem. Carson and Moo write, “If the council [of Jerusalem] is rightly dated A.D. 48, then this is the date of Galatians.”^[4] Paul probably wrote Galatians in Acts 14:28. During this time, Paul was resting in between his first missionary journey and the forthcoming Council of the Jerusalem (Acts 15). He must have written this letter almost immediately after he planted the churches in the Galatian region, because he writes that the believers had so “quickly” deserted the gospel (Gal. 1:6).

Scholars claim that Paul was converted on the Damascus Road sometime between 1-3 years after Jesus’ resurrection. Presuming that we date Christ’s death to AD 33 (see Dating Jesus’ Death: April 3, AD 33), we can know that Paul’s letter was written at least fourteen years after his conversion. This would put us around AD 48 for his visit to Jerusalem.^[5] This means that this letter could not be written earlier than AD 48, because he mentions this fourteen-year gap in his letter:

Most commentators do not believe that we should add the three years of Galatians 1:18 with the fourteen years of Galatians 2:1. Instead, both figures are dated from Paul’s conversion: Three years after his conversion he went to Jerusalem, and fourteen years after his conversion he went up again to Jerusalem.

Paul tells the Corinthians that he instructed the Galatians to give to the poor (1 Cor. 16:1). And yet, when we read Galatians, Paul doesn’t mention this to them, even though he does mention ministering to the poor in general (Gal. 2:10). This means that Paul likely spoke to the Galatians after this letter was written but before 1 Corinthians was written. Most scholars agree that 1 Corinthians was written sometime around AD 55.^[6] Therefore, Paul must have written Galatians before this time. Thus, R. Alan Cole,^[7] Ronald Fung,^[8] and Timothy George^[9] date the letter sometime around AD 48-49, right before the Council of Jerusalem. Consequently, many scholars believe that Galatians is arguably the earliest NT letter. If this is the case, then this is Paul’s first letter,^[10] and maybe the earliest letter in the NT (though compare with the letter of James).

Where was Paul writing? North or South Galatia?

Over the last two centuries, scholars have debated whether Paul was writing to the region of North Galatia or South Galatia. While we hold to the South Galatian view, let’s consider both theories.

North Galatia?

Under this view, Paul wrote to the churches that he reached on his second missionary journey. These people were the ethnic Galatians (or “Gauls”), who occupied the territory of Asia Minor. According to this theory, Paul visited these cities (e.g. Ancyra, Tavium, Pessinus) in between his work in Pisidian Antioch and Troas (Acts 16:6). This view was held by almost all interpreters up until the 18^th century, and it has been affirmed by J.B. Lightfoot,^[11] James Moffat,[12] and James Montgomery Boice.^[13]

South Galatia?

Under this view, Paul wrote to the churches he reached on his first missionary journey (Acts 13-14). These were not the ethnic Galatians, but rather, the people who inhabited the Roman province of Galatia. These would include those who lived in “Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, ‘Pisidian’ Antioch, and doubtless other small places whose names are unrecorded.”^[14] This view was most powerfully defended by Sir William Ramsey[15] and F.F. Bruce.^[16] Other NT scholars have also adopted this view, such as Ben Witherington,^[17] Timothy George,^[18] Ronald Fung,^[19] R. Alan Cole,^[20] D.A. Carson, and Douglas Moo.^[21] Indeed, the majority of modern scholars affirm this theory. Several lines of evidence support this perspective:

First, Acts does not explicitly mention that Paul ever went to North Galatia. Even though Acts 16:6 and 18:23 might allude to Paul going to Northern Galatia, it doesn’t explicitly say that he did.^[22] Luke could’ve mentioned these churches in North Galatia in a single sentence in Acts 16:6-7, and we might even expect him to mention a movement of this caliber. But he doesn’t. By contrast, the movement in Acts 13-14 seems to match what we read in Paul’s letter to the Galatians.^[23]

Second, Barnabas was on the first missionary journey—not the second. Paul mentions Barnabas three times in Galatians (Gal. 2:1, 9, 13), which implies that this people knew Barnabas well. Yet, Paul and Barnabas split up in Acts 15:39, because of their dispute over John Mark. Why would Paul mention Barnabas to the North Galatian churches, if Barnabas had never been there? Moreover, why would the North Galatians be surprised by Barnabas’ hypocrisy, if they had never met him? (Gal. 2:13)

Third, “Galatians” was a broad term. Paul didn’t have a term to describe all of the peoples in Antioch, Lystra, Iconium, and Derbe. Therefore, calling this group the “Galatians” was the best term to include all of these people who were reached in Acts 13-14. Luke generally used ethnic names to describe the provinces of Galatia, while Paul apparently used proper names in describing them (2 Cor. 8:1; 1 Cor. 16:19; 2 Cor. 1:1).^[24] The fact that Acts 18:23 says that Paul strengthened the disciples seems to imply that he had already been there (i.e. on his first missionary journey).

Fourth, we have no history of any churches in the North Galatian region. Even proponents of the Northern Galatian theory admit this key point.^[25]

Fifth, if Paul went into North Galatia, it would have been a massive detour.^[26] Paul would have needed to have gone northeast and then backtracked west to get to Troas, which would’ve been entirely out of his way.^[27]

Sixth, in addition to this detour, Paul was sick when he made the trip. In order to get to North Galatia (from Pisidian Antioch; Acts 16:6), Paul would have needed to cross a thick mountainous terrain. This is unlikely because Paul said that he was sick when he came to Galatia (Gal. 4:13). This would have been a further deterrent, and far less likely.

Seventh, it’s difficult to believe that Judaizers would have followed Paul this far north. Not only is it unlikely that Paul would have travelled through this out-of-the-way territory, but it is also unlikely that the false teachers would have followed him through this. As Carson and Moo poignantly ask, “How fanatical were they?”^[28]

Eighth, the persecution by Judaizers fits with the South Galatian theory nicely. On Paul’s first missionary journey (in South Galatia), Luke records, “The Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district” (Acts 13:50). Other Jewish religious leaders had Paul stoned on this first missionary journey (Acts 14:19). This would fit with Paul’s statement, “I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus” (Gal. 6:17).

Audience: Studying Acts 13-14

Now that we know that Paul was writing to the South Galatian region, read Acts 13 and 14. Record your observations about what Barnabas and Paul encountered when they founded these churches on their first missionary journey.

Acts 13

First, the Jewish leaders allow Paul and Barnabas to speak in the synagogue (v.14-15). At this point in Christian history, the Jews were friendly to the open teaching of the gospel. Thus, Paul, a Jewish rabbi, was invited and even encouraged to speak.

Second, Paul recaps the story of Israel, and he presents Jesus as the final culmination of the story (v. 16-41). Paul gives the story of Jesus from the Old Testament Scriptures, and he portrays Christ as the culmination of this story. Paul saw the story as seamlessly being fulfilled in Jesus.

Third, the ‘God-fearing’ Gentiles were excited to hear that they were a part of the God’s plan in human history. This is what incited the Jewish contingent to become jealous and angry. Later in Romans 11, Paul writes that the salvation of the Gentiles would cause jealousy in the Jews, but this would hopefully draw them to faith in Jesus (Rom. 11:11, 14).

Fourth, Barnabas is the “encourager,” who gets Paul to speak. Barnabas’ name means “the son of encouragement.” Without an encourager like Barnabas, Paul might not have been the powerful speaker that he became.

Fifth, Paul is “sent” at Antioch. In Galatians 1:1, Paul says that he was not sent from men. In Acts 13:1-2, we read that it was the Spirit of God who publicly called him forward to serve. Paul got a private calling directly from Jesus in Acts 9; he got a public calling directly from the Holy Spirit in Acts 13.

Acts 14

First, the Jewish religious leaders chased Paul and Barnabas to the next city, because they were jealous of their influence. Paul understood this, because he himself had done this before he came to Christ (Acts 9).

Second, the Jewish people were jealous because the Gentiles were coming to faith. This also matches with Galatians, where we discover a controversy between the Jews and Gentiles. The Jews resisted Paul and Barnabas’ message (v.2).

Third, the Galatians were largely a Gentile church plagued by opposing religious teachers. We learn that this was a church that was filled with Greeks (v.1).

Conclusion

In the Acts 13, many Jewish people were upset that the God-fearing, uncircumcised Gentiles were able to come to faith. This, of course, is the major controversy in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. After Paul leaves the Galatian churches, the false teachers enter, and try to get the Gentile believers to become circumcised. Paul gets word of this false teaching, and he is furious! This is the setting of Galatians: A battle for grace!

Audience: Studying Galatians

A close reading of Acts 13-14 fits like a hand in a glove with Galatians. In this letter, we get a window into what was happening in these churches. Specifically, we discover Judaizers (i.e. a hybrid of Jewish-Christian teachers) who were infiltrating the church, and spreading false teaching about legalism through the church.

(Gal. 1:6-7) “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; there are some who are disturbing [tarassō] you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”

This passage teaches three things. First, the members of the church in Galatia were abandoning the gospel. Second, there were false teachers coming into the church, who were motivating the members to do this. Third, this had happened “quickly” after Paul left. The word for “disturbing” (tarassō) is the same term used of the false teachers coming from James’ church: “We have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed (tarassō) you with their words, unsettling your souls” (Acts 15:24). In both cases, these false teachers came from James’ church—even though he didn’t agree with them (Acts 15:24; Gal. 2:12).

(Gal. 2:4) “This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.”

The NASB/NLT say that these false believers were brought into the church. These false believers must’ve been pretending to be believers, but in reality, they were spreading false doctrine.

(Gal. 2:14) When I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

This is where we get the term “Judaizer.” Paul uses the verbal form of the word “Judaizer” in this verse (Greek Ioudaizein, “live like Jews”). Peter was falling prey to this temptation to “Judaize” Gentile converts.

(Gal. 3:1) You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

The false teachers had entered into this church, deceiving the Christians. Absolute horror fills Paul’s words. He was just with them, and they were just recently liberated by the grace of God. But now? They have been “bewitched”! Paul wants them to realize that there are false teachers, and he wants them to learn discernment in being able to spot them.

(Gal. 4:10) “You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years.”

The false teachers were spreading Jewish formalism, trying to get these new believers to obey holy days.

(Gal. 5:2-3; 8) “Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law… ⁸This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.”

The false teachers were preaching circumcision for the purpose of sanctification. Paul says that these men were using “persuasion” to steer people away from the gospel. We can piece together their arguments by reading Paul’s letter.

While this Jewish formalism and legalism was clearly unbiblical, we need to sympathize with their thinking. Many of these traditions had been held as sacred for over 1,500 years!^[29] It must have been difficult for them to drop these overnight for God’s new and fulfilled work in the Cross. By appealing to tradition, these Judaizers must have been persuasive when arguing for formalism and legalism.

(Gal. 6:12) Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

There was apparently a deep desire to conform to the established legal religion of Judaism. Since Christians were taking a radical divergence from Judaism in the new covenant, persecution quickly followed.

Consulted Commentaries

Ronald Y. K. Fung, The Epistle to the Galatians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1988).

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

R. Alan Cole, Galatians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 9, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989).

James Montgomery Boice, “Galatians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 10 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976).

^[1] Ferdinand Christian Baur, Paul: His Life and Works (1875) 1:246. Baur was actually referring to all four “capital letters,” namely, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Galatians.

^[2] R. Alan Cole, Galatians: An Introduction and Commentary, volume 9, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 19.

^[3] F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1982), 1.

[4] D.A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament (2^nd edition, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 464.

[5] Ben Witherington, Grace in Galatia: A Commentary on St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 1998), 9.

[6] Craig Blomberg, From Pentecost to Patmos: An Introduction to Acts through Revelation (Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2006), 164. W. Harold Mare, 1 Corinthians: The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976), 180. Leon Morris, 1 Corinthians: an introduction and commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 35.

^[7] R. Alan Cole, Galatians: An Introduction and Commentary, volume 9, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 36.

^[8] Ronald Y. K. Fung, The Epistle to the Galatians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1988), 28.

^[9] Timothy George, Galatians, volume 30, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 48.

[10] See I. Howard Marshall, New Testament Theology: Many Witnesses, One Gospel (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004), 209.

[11] J.B. Lightfoot, The Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians (1865).

[12] James Moffatt, Introduction to the Literature of the New Testament (1911).

[13] James Montgomery Boice, “Galatians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, volume 10 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976), 412.

^[14] R. Alan Cole, Galatians: An Introduction and Commentary, volume 9, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 24-25.

[15] W. M. Ramsay, A Historical Commentary on Saint Paul’s Commentary to the Galatians (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1965).

^[16] F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1982), 3-19.

[17] Ben Witherington, Grace in Galatia: A Commentary on St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 1998), 5.

^[18] Timothy George, Galatians, volume 30, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 46.

^[19] Ronald Y. K. Fung, The Epistle to the Galatians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1988), 3.

^[20] R. Alan Cole, Galatians: An Introduction and Commentary, volume 9, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 24-25.

[21] D.A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament (2^nd edition, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 464.

[22] Carson and Moo write, “The apostle visited the southern area on his first missionary journey (Acts 13-14), but he never explicitly said to have visited the northern area—though many think that this is what is meant in Acts 16:6 and 18:23.” D.A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament (2^nd edition, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 458.

[23] Ben Witherington writes, “It is in order to point out that there is no clear evidence even in Acts that Paul ever evangelized the cities of the northern part of Galatia. At most there might be a reference to his passing through the region and strengthening existing converts in the area, but even this conclusion is doubtful.” Ben Witherington, Grace in Galatia: A Commentary on St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 1998), 5.

[24] Ben Witherington writes, “The phrase found in Acts 16:6 can indeed refer to one region, not two, the Phrygian part of Galatia. In other words Luke means that Paul passed through the territory already covered (including presumably the city of Pisidian Antioch).” Ben Witherington, Grace in Galatia: A Commentary on St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 1998), 6.

[25] Boice writes, “We know of no churches at all in the north at this early date, either as mentioned in the New Testament or outside it, and what information we do have seems to point to the establishing of churches (which, moreover, remained relatively weak) fairly late in early church history. By contrast, we do have a record of the founding of the strong, important churches of the southern region, into which all that Paul tells us about his initial preaching to the Galatians fits nicely.” James Montgomery Boice, “Galatians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, volume 10 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976), 415.

[26] Gundry writes, “A traversing of North Galatia would have required an unlikely wide detour to the northeast.” Robert Gundry, A Survey of the New Testament (4^th edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 2003), 353.

[27] Ben Witherington writes, “It is not really feasible to argue that Paul detoured some 200 kilometers north and east out of his way in order to pass through old ethnic Galatia on his way between Lystra dn Ephesus.” Ben Witherington, Grace in Galatia: A Commentary on St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 1998), 5.

[28] D.A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament (2^nd edition, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 459.

[29] Howard Marshall observes, “It would be difficult for Jewish Christians to shake off centuries of avoiding such occasions and also to stand up to the criticism that would inevitably come their way from non-Christian Jews who might be prepared to tolerate their eccentric beliefs about Jesus but who drew the line sharply at their non-Jewish practices.” I. Howard Marshall, New Testament Theology: Many Witnesses, One Gospel (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004), 211.