Bible Commentaries
Galatians

Gal THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE. Galatians 1:1-5 . EPISTOLARY AND SALUTATION. Galatians 1:6 - Galatians 2:14 . SOLICITUDE. Galatians 2:15-11 . DOCTRINAL CORRECTION. Galatians 4:12-20 . SOLICITUDE. Galatians 4:21 - Galatians 6:10 . DOCTRINAL CORRECTION. Galatians 6:11-14 . SOLICITUDE. Galatians 6:15 . DOCTRINAL CORRECTION. Galatians 6:16-18 . EPISTOLARY AND BENEDICTION. THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. INTRODUCTORY NOTES. 1. As with the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, a large part of this letter is taken up with proofs of the apostle''s Divine authority. The major portion, however, is devoted to refuting the teaching of such as would lead back the Galatians to bondage, for many of them desired to be under the Law. And Paul declared to them that this was a removing unto a different gospel altogether, although, there being in reality no other gospel, it was a perverting of the gospel of Christ. 2. The likeness to Romans is noticeable, and although this Epistle was written before that to the Romans, Paul had taught the Galatians the same truth as he records in the later Epistle. Galatians has been happily likened to a sketch for the finished picture, Romans . In both is maintained the fundamental truth that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile before God. There would be many Jews among the churches of Galatia, for Paul ever went to the Jew first; yet the majority would be Gentiles, apparently too ready to yield to the persuasions of judaizers who taught the necessity of circumcision. Of profound interest to all believers is the record of the apostle''s reception of the gospel which was preached by him. For he received it not from man, nor was he taught it, but it came to him through revelation of Jesus Christ. 3. There is no difference of opinion as to where the churches of Galatia were situated. The province was a central one in Asia Minor, occupied in the northern parts by a mixed race in which the Keltic predominated; and some think that there were no churches at all in that portion of the province, but only in the southern parts, and that they probably included Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Derbe, and Lystra. It may be added that in Galatia proper, the people spoke the Keltic language until at least the time of Jerome, who records hearing the same tongue there as he heard in Treves. 4. DATE. Galatians was most probably written from Macedonia in the winter of A.D. 57, or the spring of A.D. 58. See Appendix-180.