Bible Commentaries
Galatians

Galatians is closely related to the epistles of Romans and Hebrews, since some of the same themes are found in all three books. Particularly the theme of "liberty" is predominant in this epistle. Commentators have thus referred to Galatians as the "Bill of Rights of the Christian Life," the "Magna Carta of Christian Liberty," and the "Emancipation Proclamation" that frees us Christians from all legalism and bondage.^(F1) Martin Luther, the great reformer who set millions free from the bondages of religion, said of this book, "the little book of Galatians is my letter; I have betrothed myself to it; it is my wife."^(F2)

We might ask "who were the Galatians anyway?" History tells us that they were a branch of the Celts who moved from Central Europe and invaded Anatolia or Asia Minor around 270 BC. In Latin, this group was called Gallus, possibly referring to their characteristics of power, strength, boldness and ferocity. It is from this name that we get "Galatians." Both the Greeks and Romans respected their military skills and they were often hired as mercenaries for the many battles of that era.

The Gauls or Galatians settled originally in the north-central area of Asia Minor. They were defeated by Rome in 189 BC. Yet they later supported Rome in the Mithridatic Wars, after which they were set free. In a later settlement (64 BC) Galatia became a client-state of Rome.^(F3) Soon afterward, the Romans added several colonies to Galatia and made the whole area into a larger Roman province. This province included several cities of the south with such names as Psidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. These were the cities that Paul and Barnabas visited on their First Missionary Journey (c. AD 46-47).

There continues to this day to be some debate among scholars as to the identity of the people who received the epistle of Galatians. Until the modern era many thought that the epistle was surely sent to the Galatians in the original northern area of settlement. The cities in the north would have been Pessinus, Ancyra and Tavium. However, scholars in recent times are pretty much agreed that Galatians was written to the southern churches in the province of Galatia, the very churches Paul and Barnabas visited.^(F4)

Since Galatians was probably written to the southern churches and not the northern ones, the date of the epistle may be very early, soon after the First Missionary Journey. Depending upon the actual dating of Galatians it is entirely possible that this was Paul's earliest epistle.^{David Guzik's Commentaries on the Bible, Galatians, comment of verses 1-2. John Grassmick comments, "The weight of evidence seems to favor a southern Galatia location and an early date of AD 49, making Galatians the first NT letter Paul wrote." John D. Grassmick, The Bible Knowledge Word Study, Acts – Ephesians, p. 368.">(F5)} If so, that would make it one of the earliest books in the New Testament. The jury is still out on the exact dating so we will have to wait on an answer from the scholars.

The jury is not out on the content of this little book. There is not another like it in the New Testament. It is a book we need to go back and reread quite often. Galatians will help us stay free from the bondages of legalism that seem to stick to the church just as barnacles stick to a ship.