The Book of Galatians

Paul wrote Galatians to the churches in Galatia that he and Barnabas had founded during their first missionary journey.

The main issue addressed in Galatians is the same one that would be debated and resolved at the counsel in Jerusalem. It involved a two-part question: 1. is faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord the only requirement for a person to receive salvation and a personal relationship with God? 2. Or is obedience to certain Old Testament Jewish practices and laws required in order to be spiritually saved an have a right relationship with God? It appears that Paul wrote Galatians before the controversy was formally debated at Jerusalem and the church's official position was confirmed.

Paul had learned that certain Jewish teachers were confusing and unsettling his new Christian converts in Galatia. One of the main laws they were attempting to force upon the new believers was the practice of circumcision. Paul wrote to firmly deny that legal requirements have anything to do with the gift of God's grace and to reaffirm clearly that we receive the Holy Spirit and renewed spiritual life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and not by relying on the Old Testament law.

Four unique features characterize Galatians. It is the most powerful New Testament defense of the basic nature of the gospel - the message that forgiveness, freedom and spiritual salvation are possible only because of God's gracious gift through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is a gift we can only receive by putting our faith in Christ and actively yielding our lives to Him. The tone of Galatians is sharp, serious, and urgent, as Paul deals boldly and firmly with his opponents and rebukes the Galatians for allowing themselves to be so open and accepting of such false teaching. It is second only to 2 Corinthians in the amount of autobiographical references. This is Paul's only book clearly addressed to several churches. It contains a list of the fruit of the Spirit and the most complete New Testament list of the acts of the sinful human nature.