Content reworked from Matt Zowada’s class on Galatians at Ethnos360 Bible Institute
Edited and formatted by Eliza Field
Galatians Overview
Paul’s epistle to the Galatians is a deeply heartfelt yet strongly worded letter. He had a very close relationship with the believers there since he planted their churches. The relationship was almost that of a father and his children. Because of this close relationship, Paul was devastated when he heard there were false teachers trying to sway them from the truth. These teachers were challenging Paul’s authority since he wasn’t one of the twelve original apostles. They were also teaching a false works-based gospel. Paul wrote this letter to implore the Galatians to come back to the true gospel message that he received from Christ then passed on to them.
Timeline of Paul and the Galatians
Literary Genre of Galatians
Epistle (a letter written to someone)
Date Galatians was Written
48/49 AD, likely right before the Jerusalem Council.
Who Wrote the Book of Galatians
The author of this book is Paul, the apostle. Read more about Paul’s background and life here.
Galatians Audience
Paul wrote Galatians to the churches in the Roman province of Galatia. This region in Asia Minor included the cities of Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. He planted these churches during his first missionary journey, so he knew the people well. He may have visited there three times throughout his life, two for sure (Acts 16:6 and 18:23). The churches in Galatia were made up predominantly of Gentile believers.
Themes in Galatians
- Paul’s Testimony
- The True Gospel
- Freedom in Christ
Key verse of Galatians
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.”
The Purpose of Galatians
Paul’s purpose for this letter is to defend the gospel. False teachers had come into the churches of Galatia and were giving a false message. Their message was “believers still need to follow the Old Testament law”. These teachers had impure motives. Their goal was to draw a following and show “how good they were”. They brought charges against Paul saying his message was from men. Paul argued against that in this letter. He brought up how he received the gospel through revelation from Christ. These opponents were likely non-believing Jews who considered themselves to be Christians. The way they wanted to add Jewish tradition to Christianity as perquisites of acceptance before God and means of spiritual growth was similar to the pharisees.
Galatians Outline
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- Introduction 1:1-10
- Salutation 1:1-5
- Purpose Stated 1:6-10
- Personal: Truth of the Gospel 1:11-2:21
- Conversion and Early Ministry 1:11-24
- Apostles in Jerusalem 2:1-10
- Peter in Antioch 2:11-21
- Doctrinal: Defense of the Gospel 3:1-4:31
- Argument from the Galatians’ Experience 3:1-5
- Argument from the Life of Abraham 3:6-14
- Argument from Covenants 3:15-25
- Argument from Sonship 3:26-4:11
- Appeal from Relationship 4:12-4:20
- Argument from an Allegory 4:21-31
- Practical: Life of the Gospel 5:1-6:10
- Freedom in Christ 5:1-12
- Life through the Spirit 5:16-26
- Christian Character 6:1-10
- Conclusion 6:11-18
- Introduction 1:1-10
Why should you study Galatians?
This epistle clears up the gospel. It shows that our salvation is solely because of believing the message about Christ, not because of our works. It also conveys how a Christian moves on in their spiritual walk, that it is a product of the Spirit’s work. It’s encouraging in how it shows us that the fruit of the Spirit comes about in us through the Holy Spirit, not through us “trying harder”. It helps us rest in the freedom we get to experience in Christ.
Interested in digging deeper into God’s word?
Does understanding the context of scripture interest you? Here at Ethnos360 Bible Institute, we walk students through the Bible exegetically and chronologically. We dig into the background and find application using careful hermeneutics. Our teachers care deeply about our students. They’re always willing to discuss the Bible and Christian life topics. If this interests you, request a free info packet below!
