The Epistle to the Galatians by the Apostle Paul is a book of the New Testament that Paul addressed to the Christian community of Galatia that he established during his missionary journey.
Galatia is a region of Asia Minor, originally inhabited by the Greeks, but then assimilated by the Gauls (Celtic tribes). In 26, Galatia became a Roman province. It was a prosperous province, so these lands attracted Jews - immigrants from Judea.
Read the Epistle to the Galatians.
On the website you can read or listen to Paul's Epistle to the Galatians chapter by chapter.
There are 6 chapters in total:
The topics discussed in this letter are similar to Romans.
Compositionally, the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians can be divided into:
- Preface. Greetings and introduction by Pavel. The author outlines the main themes of the message.
- Protective part. The Apostle defends his Apostolic dignity from the attacks of false teachers.
Paul responds to the following accusations against him:
- Paul never saw Jesus Christ.
- Paul learned the gospel doctrine from the other apostles.
- Paul composed his own doctrine about the uselessness of the Law of Moses.
- When meeting with other Apostles, Paul deliberately did not show his differences with the apostolic teachings.
- Doctrinal part. Paul's discussions about the Old and New Testaments, about the Mosaic Law.
- Moral part. Revealing the foundations of Christian morality.
- Conclusion. Further instructions. Apostolic blessing.
The Apostle Paul preaches love and freedom
Two important categories for the Apostle Paul are love and freedom. This is what he writes about freedom:
“Stand fast therefore in the freedom which Christ hath given us, and do not be subjected again to the yoke of slavery.”
(Gal. 5:1)
Man is complete in God, he does not need anything more:
“Do I now seek favor from people or from God? Do I try to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
(Gal. 1:10)
This is freedom from false laws, sin and everything that burdens a person’s spiritual path. A person who accepts this freedom does not renounce all obligations, but chooses only the most important ones. What is the most important thing in a person’s life? Of course, love:
“You are called to freedom, brethren, so long as your freedom is not a pretext for pleasing the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is contained in one word: love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be destroyed by one another.”
(Gal. 5:13–15)
So freedom is not permissiveness, but the rejection of unnecessary restrictions in a person’s life, his natural state in love and God. We see that these are the most general and abstract conclusions that can be drawn from the words of the apostle.
The message focuses on the dispute between Jewish law and Christianity.
Why is that? It's simple. After all, the main idea of this message is to contrast Christianity with Jewish laws. Paul does not set out to teach the entire Christian world. His task is local: to distance himself from the heritage of Judaism, to show the autonomy of the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, of course, these episodes had the greatest semantic content for the contemporaries of the Apostle Paul. Important issues about righteous religious life were resolved here. To circumcise or not?
Epistles of the Apostle Paul
Can a non-Jewish person be devout? This is what the Apostle Paul first of all writes about.
Authorship, time and place of writing of the Epistle to the Galatians.
The fact that the authorship belongs to the Holy Apostle Paul was almost never doubted by anyone, unlike the time of writing. Some researchers believe that the Epistle to the Galatians is the very first letter of Paul and it was written in Antioch around 48. Others are sure that the Epistle was written no earlier than 56, when the apostle was in Ephesus. We share this point of view, since the test of the Epistle contains references to Paul's first and second visits to Galatia. The Epistle to the Galatians, unlike, say, the Epistle to the Romans, was written by Paul in his own hand.
There is no doubt that the Apostle Paul himself laid the foundation for Christian communities in the cities of Galatia. You can read about this in the Acts of the Apostles, as well as in the text of the Epistle to the Galatians. The text suggests that Paul spent more time in Galatia than he originally planned due to some “sickness of the flesh.” Paul's long stay in Galatia allowed him to persuade a large number of local residents to believe in Christ.
Faith and Works: Galatia and the Galatians
The Epistle to the Galatians can be called one of the most emotional texts of the New Testament. The Apostle Paul practically does not hide his indignation, and even twice calls the addressees of the letter foolish (see: Gal. 3, 1, 3). For what? The apostle had reasons for this.
It must be said that in ancient times Galatia was a vast region, the center of which was the Greek city of Ancyra. Now this is Ankara, the modern capital of Turkey. The peoples who inhabited these territories were called Galatians (hence the name of the area). It is interesting that the Galatians are related to the European peoples - the Celts and Gauls (inhabited the territories of modern France, Northern Italy, Belgium, Germany), and came to Galatia from the Balkan Peninsula. It was to these European settlers that the apostle preached.
The Apostle Paul reports that he personally preached to the Galatians, although he was in the weakness of the flesh (Gal. 4:13 ), that is, sick. But it was in illness that he learned the love of those to whom he preached. The Galatians accepted him as an Angel of God, and even more - as Christ Jesus (Gal. 4:14 ). It may seem strange that the Apostle Paul compares himself to Christ. In fact, there is nothing strange in these words, but the meaning of this comparison will be discussed in more detail below.
Further, the apostle writes that the Galatians were so imbued with love and care for him that if it had been possible, they would have plucked out their eyes and given them to me (Gal. 4:15 ). But something happens that makes the Apostle Paul change (not forever) his opinion about the Galatians.
What happened?
The apostle does not give detailed descriptions of the causes of the conflict. But even from brief remarks in the first chapter we can conclude that after the Apostle Paul left the Galatian region, some preachers came, disturbing and wanting to “pervert” (that is, pervert) the gospel of Christ (Gal. 1 :7). The Galatians, as if forgetting about Paul’s sermon, accept a different gospel (cf. Gal. 1 :6). The Apostle Paul speaks out about this unequivocally: even if... An angel from heaven were to preach to you a gospel different from what we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so now I say again: if anyone preaches to you anything other than what you have received, let him be accursed (Gal. 1 :8-9). This does not mean that the apostle rejects any other gospel except his own. Not at all. He opposes preaching that leads people away from Christ. Another gospel consisted of the requirement to comply with the provisions of the Mosaic Law, in particular, the adoption of circumcision and compliance with food prohibitions. In fact, the preachers who came to Galatia taught that it was not enough to simply believe in Christ as the Savior. To become part of God's people, it is necessary to accept circumcision of the foreskin (as a symbol of cutting off the passions and a sign of belonging to God's chosen people), and also to observe regulations regarding food. But the Apostle Paul was outraged not by the very fact of such preaching, but by the fact that the Galatians accepted such ideas.
It is no coincidence that the apostle wishes the Galatians peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins in order to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father (Gal. 1: 3-4) and speaks of this that they were called by the grace of Christ (Gal. 1 :6). Suddenly it turned out that the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ was not enough to save a person. The grace of God, calling and sanctifying, is not enough either. Needs to be trimmed. The Apostle Paul gives detailed reasons for his position. He proves that salvation is possible through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the works of the law (that is, the regulations of the Law of Moses) no longer play any role in salvation.
Salvation by Faith
The Apostle Paul gives six (although this division is rather arbitrary) reasons for his position. First, he reminds the Galatians that Jesus Christ was predestined before them, as if he were crucified among you (Gal. 3 :1), and asks: Did you receive the Spirit through the works of the law, or through the instruction of faith? (Gal. 3 :2) Secondly, Paul testifies that God, who assisted Peter in his apostleship among the circumcision, also assisted me (Paul in preaching) among the Gentiles (uncircumcised) (Gal. 2 :8). Then, as a third justification, the Apostle Paul gives the example of Abraham, who believed God, and this was counted to him as righteousness (Gal. 3 :6). And the promises were given to Abraham and to his seed. It is not said: and to descendants, as if about many, but as about one: and to your seed, which is Christ (Gal. 3:16 ). Apparently, by the seed of Abraham, supporters of observance of circumcision understood the Israeli people specifically. The Apostle Paul refutes this understanding, pointing out that we are talking about Christ. Here we can recall the words of Christ Himself about the descendants of Abraham, addressed to the Pharisees and Sadducees - who were proud of their descent from Abraham: Do not think to say to yourself: “We have Abraham as our father,” for I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham (Matt. 3 , 9).
The fourth argument of the Apostle Paul points to universal sinfulness: Scripture has concluded everyone under sin, so that the promise might be given to those who believe through faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:22 ). The purpose of the Mosaic Law was to prepare the people for the meeting with the Savior promised by God: the Law was for us a guide to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith; after the coming of faith, we are no longer under the guidance of a teacher. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus; all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is no longer Jew or Gentile; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise (Gal. 3 :24-29). In Christ, all receive equal grace and righteousness, regardless of origin, social status, or gender. Therefore, there is no need for anything additional. The Lord Jesus Christ grants salvation to everyone.
The fifth argument of the Apostle Paul sounds like a question: Having known God, or, better, received knowledge from God, why (you Galatians) return again to the weak and poor material principles and want to enslave yourselves to them again? (Gal. 4 :9) That is, having received the Divine truth about the salvation of all in Christ, the Galatians, accepting a different gospel about the need for circumcision, refuse saving grace, placing hope in external action, thinking to be saved through it. The Apostle even fears - was his preaching among them in vain? (see: Gal. 3 , 11)
In his final argument, the apostle Paul returns again to Abraham and his faith. Apparently, supporters of circumcision also referred to the example of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar (see: Gen. 16 , 1–16). For them, Hagar, Sarah's handmaiden, was a symbol of the pagans. And only the descendants of Abraham from his legitimate wife Sarah (the Jews) could be considered the true people of God. The apostle rejects such an explanation. Hagar is not a symbol of the pagans who did not know circumcision and legal birth, but a symbol of slavery to the law, a symbol of earthly Jerusalem: Abraham had two sons, one from a slave, and the other from a free woman. But he who is of a slave is born according to the flesh; and the one who is free, the one according to the promise. There is an allegory in this. These are two covenants: one from Mount Sinai, begetting into slavery, which is Hagar, for Hagar means Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, because he and his children are in slavery; and Jerusalem above is free: she is the mother of us all (Gal. 4 :22-26).
What should Christians do?
The Apostle appeals to the Galatians: Stand in the freedom that Christ has given us, and do not again be subjected to the yoke of slavery. Behold, I, Paul, say to you: if you are circumcised, you will not benefit from Christ at all... You, who justify yourselves by the law, are left without Christ, have fallen from grace, but we in the Spirit expect and hope for the righteousness of faith (Gal. 5 :1 –2, 4–5). Having received righteousness and freedom through sincere faith in Christ, Christians should not renounce this, should not place their hope of salvation in something else. Because Christ is the Savior of absolutely everyone. Therefore in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has power, but faith working through love (Gal. 5: 6).
The works of the law, chief of which was circumcision, did not give man saving righteousness. Now believers receive righteousness in Christ. Therefore, the only works that Christians should strive to accomplish are the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, mercy, faith, meekness, self-control. There is no law against such (Gal. 5: 22-23). What is important for a believer is not external circumcision - a symbol of cutting off passions, but spiritual victory over one’s own passions. Therefore, the Apostle Paul writes: Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts (Gal. 5:24 ). The only law that weighs on Christians is the law of love: Brothers! If a person falls into any sin, you who are spiritual, correct him in the spirit of meekness, each one watching himself, so as not to be tempted. Bear each other's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6 :1-2).
Of course, now there are no longer any preachers among Christians who convince us of the need to accept the Law of Moses for salvation. But this does not make Galatians any less relevant or outdated. The message reminds us of the One in whom our hope is and through whom we receive salvation. And if we really believed in Christ as the Son of God and Savior, then no one and nothing should overshadow Him in us. Nowhere else should we look for hope for righteousness.
Newspaper "Orthodox Faith" No. 5 (529)
Galatians: Interpretation
The Epistle to the Galatians is directed against what is commonly called “Judeo-Christianity,” which called for observance of the Mosaic Law in general and in particular for the performance of various rites of the Old Testament Jewish religion (circumcision, etc.). The author in his message is trying to convey the idea that newly converted believers from pagan circles and Jewish believers are equal in the eyes of God. The author says that true salvation is determined only by faith.
Paul's opponents considered his reading of religion to be fundamentally incorrect and explained his desire to “dismiss” the Old Testament foundations only as attempts to gain love among the converted pagans. Many Galatians adopted the ideas of the Judaizing heretics. In the Epistle, the Apostle Paul convinces the Galatians of their error, denouncing the seducers.
Theologically, Galatians is important as an affirmation of love for one's neighbor and the sharing of the fruits of the flesh and the spirit.
In the autobiographical part of the work, Paul defends himself against the attacks of false teachers by saying that he received his knowledge of the Gospel teaching not from Jesus, but from the other Apostles. Paul talks about how he was initiated into all the mysteries of Christian teaching by the Lord Himself in multiple appearances. He also says that at the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem it was decided that it was not obligatory for Christians to observe the rites of the Mosaic Law, and that Paul’s gospel received the approval of the elder Apostles at the council. The apostles recognized that Paul was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter was entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised.
Reason and purpose of writing the message
When Paul left Galatia, the churches were actively invaded by the Judaizers. They proclaimed to the Galatian inhabitants the need to observe the law of Moses, because only in this way would they have access to eternal bliss after death. According to them, Paul did not give them the full teaching of the gospel. But the interesting thing is that the Jews did not force certain provisions of the Mosaic Law to be fulfilled. The most important thing was circumcision and observance of Jewish holidays.
Paul's authority as an apostle was actively discredited. False teachers accused him of not having been chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ himself and having never seen him. All the best that is in his teaching comes from the first apostles called by Christ, everything else is just a figment of his own imagination. There were beliefs that Pavel was capable of deceiving his listeners and was simply looking for popularity.
Information about the country called Galatia
Galatia was the name given to the Asia Minor region, located almost in the middle of Asia Minor and surrounded from the north by Bithynia, Paphlagonia and Pontus, and from the south by Phrygia, Lycaonia and Cappadocia. This country was originally inhabited by the Greeks, but in the third century BC, the ancient Gauls (one of the Celtic tribes), who invaded Macedonia and Greece from the banks of the Rhine River and then moved to Asia Minor (in 280), settled in it. and told her their name was Galatia, or Gallo-Greece. In 189 BC, the Roman consul Manlius subjugated this country to the power of the Romans, leaving it with its own administration. In 26 AD, Augustus converted Galatia into a Roman province. Having settled here, the previously warlike Gauls turned to peaceful pursuits and arts and began to cultivate their fertile and flourishing country. Gradually they mixed with the local Greeks, adopting their customs and language. The rich Galatian country began to attract Jews, who, since the time of Alexander the Great, had been forced to move from Palestine to various other areas. Emperor Augustus declared his special patronage to the Jews moving to Galatia, as reported by the Jewish historian Josephus.
Interpretation of Scripture
There are different points of view regarding the meaning of this text. Most of them are based on personal subtleties of worldview and attitude towards the world around us. To correctly explain all the subtleties, it is necessary to study clearly other holy texts. It is in them that we can find answers to most of the questions that interest us.
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The representatives of Galatia did not know the rules of belief. They were greatly influenced by the observance of the rules by the most zealous representatives of the faith - the Jews. In this letter, Paul once again recalled who was their first leader in faith. From this point of view, the interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians by the Holy Apostle Paul should be considered as a confrontation against religious bigotry, Christianity as it should be, as well as the beliefs of those people who only bear such a name, and did not understand the essence of the faith itself.
The main goal he pursued was to prove his teaching, as well as strengthen the faith of the Galatian Christians.
