January 15 - Galatians

January 14 - Paul's Letter to the Galatians

There is actually some question as to when this letter was written, but scholars generally assume that it was written during the years Paul lived in Ephesus. He identifies part of the timeline by telling us about his time in Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-13, Galatians 2:1-10). If you read the first verse, Paul seems to be alone, so neither Timothy nor Silas were with him.

At the beginning of his third journey, he passed through Galatia before arriving at Ephesus. The two cities are not that far apart, so his astonishment in Galatians 1:6 seems to be warranted.

Galatia is a region in southern Asia Minor that became part of the Roman Empire in 25 bc. Antioch, Lystra, Derbe and Iconium were major cities in this province.

This letter was written to deal with teachers that were insisting on a Jewish model for Christianity. These teachers influenced the people into believing that Paul had taught them incorrectly. They called into question the very essence of his teachings. These Jewish teachers would come into newly formed churches and begin insisting that they conform to Jewish ways of life - they were called "Judaizers." Gentiles were told that to become perfect Christians, they first had to become perfect Jews.

To contradict this, before he taught on anything else, he let them know that the authority by which he taught came directly from Jesus Christ. There are three sources of authority that he offers to them: Galatians 1:1-2 - his ministry. He was an apostle and though many called this into question, he flattened them with the fact that it came directly from Jesus Christ. He had also founded the churches in the region. Teachers were trying to draw the church away from his teachings about Jesus Christ by creating legal regimens, so as to draw them back to Judaism. Galatians 1:3-4 - his message. These teachers were trying to change the message of Jesus Christ. Paul insists that Jesus Christ was a person who paid the price to accomplish a purpose. Bondage versus liberty. Galatians 1:5 - his motive. In Galatians 6:12-14 we see Paul admonishing these teachers for doing things purely for selfish reasons. The only thing that Paul wanted to do was to glorify Jesus Christ.

One of the commentaries I have read says that Galatians is the "Magna Carta of Christian Liberty." Paul wanted people to know that they did not have to take an extra step to become a follower of Christ. Simple belief in Him and his death on the cross was all that was necessary for salvation. Following Jewish rules could not add to what Jesus had done for us.

Take some time today to read quickly through this book, keeping all of this in mind. It will give you a greater appreciation for the passion with which he wrote this letter. Imagine his fury as he received the report of what was happening in the churches in Galatia. Now, imagine him calling on the Lord to give him the words to say to these people. Not only was he angry with the Judaizers, but with the people in the church for not having the strength to stand up for themselves and the message they knew was true!

Galatians 1:1-24
Galatians 2:1-21
Galatians 3:1-29
Galatians 4:1-31
Galatians 5:1-26
Galatians 6:1-18