This document provides guidance on studying the book of Galatians using a 3-step method: observe what the text says, interpret what it means, and apply what should be done. It then analyzes several key questions about Galatians, including when and where Paul wrote it, who he wrote to, why he wrote it, an outline of what he covers, and key terms he uses like justification. The document concludes by offering tips for reading Galatians slowly, prayerfully, and perseveringly.

1. 3 Steps for Bible Study:
•Observe: What does it say?
•Interpret: What does it mean?
•Apply: What should I do?

2. GALATIANS

3. When did Paul
write Galatians?

4. Considerations:
•When did Galatians 1:18-24 happen?
•When did Galatians 2:1-10 happen?
•How do we relate these to Acts 15?

5. Conclusions:
•Galatians 2:1-10 does not seem to be
describing the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15.
•Paul never mentions the Council in the book of
Galatians, which seems like a big omission.
•The visit of Galatians 2:1-10 is more likely to
be identified with Acts 11:29-30.
•This places Galatians shortly before the
Jerusalem Council in AD 49.

6. Where did Paul
write Galatians
from?

7. Considerations:
•Paul seems to have written prior to the
Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, but after his
missionary efforts in Galatia.
•Thus he likely wrote from Antioch, during the
time described in Acts 14:28.

8. Who did Paul write
Galatians to?

9. Considerations:
•Paul wrote to multiple churches in the region
of Galatia (1:2)
•Galatia was a region in modern-day Turkey,
and included such biblical cities as Pisidian
Antioch (Acts 13:14-50), Iconium (13:51-14:7),
Lystra (14:8-19), and Derbe (14:20-21).

11. Why did Paul write
Galatians?

12. Considerations:
•Men known as “Judaizers” had infiltrated the
Galatian churches.
•They preached a different gospel (1:6-7).
•They attacked Paul’s apostleship and his gospel
message (1:10-12).
•They were teaching that all Christians must not
only believe in Jesus, but keep the Old Testament
law of Moses as well.

13. What did Paul
write about in
Galatians?

14. Outline:
1.Personal: Paul and his gospel (chs. 1-2)
A. Greetings and a rebuke (1:1-9)
B. Paul’s self-defense (1:10-2:21)
2.Doctrinal: What it means to be justified (chs. 3-4)
A. Paul’s defense of justification (ch. 3)
B. Paul’s illustrations explaining justification (ch. 4)
3.Practical: Living out our justification (chs. 5-6)
A. Freedom in Christ (5:1-15)
B. Life in the Spirit (5:16-25)
C. Loving one another (ch. 6)

15. What are some key
terms Paul uses in
Galatians?

16. Justification:
“an instantaneous legal act of God in
which he (1) thinks of our sins as
forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as
belonging to us, and (2) declares us to
be righteous in his sight”
– Wayne Grudem –

17. Circumcision:
•A physical act performed by Jews to
identify as God’s covenant people.
•Traces its origins to God’s dealings
with Abraham in Genesis 17:9-12.
•Used in Galatians to signify one’s
desire to keep the whole law (5:3).

18. Allegory:
•A text intended to convey a meaning
other than its literal one.
•Paul uses this in Galatians 4:24.
•He is not saying that the text itself is
an allegory, but that he is building an
allegory based on the text.

19. Three More:
•Gospel: A proclamation of good news,
esp. of how we can be saved
•Law: The Old Testament, especially
the first five books of the Bible
•Gentiles: Non-Jews

20. Tips for reading…

21. • Read slowly
• Read prayerfully
• Read multiple times if necessary
• Ask questions
• Don’t forget the steps: Observe-Interpret-Apply
• Each day, write down something you learned, or
something that confused you, or something that
encouraged you—just write down something.
• Persevere. Remember, Galatians is a tough book. If
you get through it, you can get through anything
Paul wrote!