Paul’s Letter of Freedom to the Galatians
Galatia would be considered something like a state in the country of Turkey. Galatia was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia. Galatia was named after the Gauls who settled there from Thrace. Historically, Thrace is a region in southeast Europe located by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south and the Black Sea to the east. The Galatians (a/k/a Celts) sided with the Roman against the Hellenists and in 25 BC the province of Galatia became a Roman province.
Paul visited this area on all three missionary journeys, and also wrote to his newly found church(es) about their falling into the trap of the Judaizers as they attempted (somewhat successfully) to convince the Greeks that they must also be circumcised and follow the Jewish laws. The Judaizer’s tactic was on three-pronged attack. First, they attacked the apostleship of St. Paul. Secondly, they questioned Paul’s gospel message as omitting other demands of God (vis-a-vis the Law and circumcision). Finally, they pointed out moral dangers which would result from a proclamation of salvation by mere faith (sole fide).
Geographically, the Galatian cities are found in the steppe along the Taurus Mountains in south central Asia Minor. Cities included Pisidian Antioch (as opposed to Antioch of Syria); Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.
Paul’s Journeys and Letter
Paul and Barnabas left their base city of Antioch in Syria ~47-48 AD. He re-visited Galatia on his second journey ~50 AD and then again on his third journey ~54 AD. Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia was written after his first and prior to his third journey. Dates vary on its writing, but is generally accepted to be between 51 and 53 AD. Theologians and historians are unsure from where he wrote the letter.
Paul and Barnabas were commissioned in Antioch and sent off enroute to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. Acts 13 describes their launch as they sailed to Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. From there they sailed from Paphos on Cyprus to Perga in Asia Minor, and then inland to Pisidian Antioch. At Antioch, Paul gave an inspired sermon to the Jews and Gentiles about how Jesus Christ “fulfilled” the Law in its entirety, and then he states, “Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:39). Their reception was incredibly good with both Jews and Gentiles alike seeking more from Paul and Barnabas, but on the next Sabbath, some Jews were filled with jealousy because of the crowds and spoke abusively against Paul. But “The Word of the LORD spread through the whole region.” (v. 49). The Jews continued to stir up the people and expelled them from their region.
From there, Paul and Barnabas move on to Iconium and other cities in Galatia. (Acts 14-15). Their reception in Iconium was more severe than in Antioch as many plotted against them. But they found out and escaped to Lystra and Derbe.
Luke tells us in Acts 14:8ff about a great miracle of healing a crippled man from birth who had never walked. He listened to Paul’s message and believed! Paul having seen his faith, healed the man as he jumped up; and began to walk. The crowds thought they were gods coming down in human form. But Paul and Barnabas pleaded with them that they were only human but acting under God’s grace and mercy and with the power of the Holy Spirit. Jews from Antioch and Iconium followed them, and again stirred up the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city assuming he was dead, but he got back up and went back into the city before leaving the next day for Derbe.
Following Derbe, they retraced their steps and returned to Antioch (Syria) completing their first missionary journey.
The Epistle of Galatians
As with most of Paul’s letters, he opens with greetings but first he attaches his title of “apostle” which will become particularly important as we proceed into the letter itself. Let us begin with definitions of two words that can be confused as synonyms. A “disciple” is a follower that would describe the 12 chosen by Jesus in his three-year earthly ministry. An “apostle” from the Greek means, “one who is sent.” The 12 became apostles as they were commissioned in Matthew 28 as Jesus ascended. In Paul’s opening sentence, he is clear to indicate to his readers that he was sent by Jesus Christ and God the Father, and not any human.
This letter is addressed to multiple churches that were formed during his first journey as described in Acts 14-15. He reminds his readers of God’s incredible grace (sole Gracia) that is only available due to the blood of the Lamb, Jesus, who rescued us from this present age, says Paul.
Paul wastes no time in getting to the point. In verse six, he is “astonished” that they have so quickly deserted the gospel preached by Paul and have adhered to a different message – which is no gospel at all! Confused? Yes, they were. These new Gentile Christians fell prey to the Judaizers who convinced them that “in addition” to Paul’s message, they needed to adhere to the Jewish laws that began with circumcision. In verse nine, Paul calls down an eternal condemnation (Greek: anathema) for having preached another message other than the Good News of Paul and Barnabas.
Called by God
One of the first issues surfaced by the Judaizers was the apostleship of Paul. He points out that he was trained as were the other apostles by none other than Jesus Christ. He admits he persecuted the church but then was called by God on the road to Damascus, where Jesus himself called Paul, to preach to the Gentiles. His training was in Arabia (see also Acts 9:23) for some three years which incidentally was the same amount of time that the “dirty dozen” received their training.
Following his training in Arabia, he traveled to Jerusalem to meet the other apostles (Acts 9), and then again in 14 years (Acts 11), at which time he won the endorsement of the other apostles. This dialogue for the new Christians in Galatia was important to understand that the initial followers of Jesus had accepted Paul’s mission to go to the Gentiles just as Peter and others preached to the Jewish nation. He also reminded his readers that he opposed Peter when he came to Antioch that our justification comes not from the law, but the gospel, which is received in faith by the grace of God (sola fide and sola Gracia).
Perhaps the most famous statement of Paul in chapter two is verse 20ff. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ live in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:20). This text has been preached many times but was used by my mentor pastor in 2003 entitled, “Heart Transplant.” Yes, Paul received the Spirit of Christ in faith, and became an heir of the good news. He concludes this section by saying that if the Law could save, then Christ’s death was in vain.
So, which is it – Faith or the Law?
Chapter three opens with a rather embarrassing statement to the Gentiles. They have been bewitched!
“Did God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you because you observed the law, or because you believe what you heard?” (3:5). Paul then reminds his readers that faith preceded the law. Father Abraham “believed and it was counted to him as righteousness.” By announcing this justification by faith in advance of the Law, the Gentiles can be assured that they are included in the “family of God.” Paul uses O. T. quotes to make his point that the law is a curse if not kept perfectly. (Gen 15:6). Paul quotes the O.T. prophet Habakkuk, “The righteous will live by faith.” (Hab 2:4). This same quote also appears in his letter to the Romans.
Does that mean that the law is not of any value? No, quite the contrary, the law points us (leads us) to Christ (verse 21). From my catechism training, I remember the mnemonic SOS for both the law and the gospel. “Shows our sin” is the purpose of the law, like a curb, a rule, and a mirror. “Shows our Savior” is the SOS for the gospel.
At the conclusion of chapter three, Paul concludes, “You are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ.” That makes us eligible for an eternal inheritance as a son, who is an heir.
Slave or Free?
Paul uses the analogy of the two sons of Abraham with the first born by a slave woman in the ordinary way and the second born of Sarah, his wife, born as a “result of promise.” (4:23). The former woman (Hagar) represents the law covenant, and the latter represents the covenant of promise (Messiah). Abraham and Sarah’s age were beyond conception, but not with God’s promise! All the covenant of promise requires is faith that Jesus died for our sins and rose again for our justification. “Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Freedom in Christ releases us from the “yoke of slavery.” “But in faith, we eagerly await through the Spirit of righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (4:5-6). This statement is where Paul’s letter gets its surname, “Christian Magna Carta.”
The Judaizers are called “little yeast” that worked through the batch of dough. Their message does not bring freedom, rather is a stumbling block.
The freedom of the gospel does not mean they can continue to indulge in sin, rather they should love and serve one another. He elaborates on the sinful nature by listing multiple infractions that do nothing but disinherit them. And to the opposite, he lists the “Fruit of the Spirit,” that begins with love. So, he says, “keep in step,” (Gr stoicheo’) which can be translated as walking in cadence or to walk by rule.
Final Instructions
Chapter six is Paul’s final instructions to his churches in Galatia and to you and me today. I have summarized the five key points:
- Restore a brother (from sin) à forgiven in Christ
- Carry other’s burdens
- Test your actions (Are you keeping in step?)
- Share Good New with others
- Doing good yields an eternal harvest. (Good deeds done in faith).
The grace of our LORD Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
Peace
Connected in Him, I stand
GHR
June 2020
