A slide about Paul writing an epistle to the Galatians, its origin, authorship, date of writing and the Christian doctrine integrated in it.

1. Epistle of Paul To

2. Date of Writing:
circa 56 A.D
• Closely connected to the destination of the epistle is its
date. In fact Guthrie says that the “date of the epistle
depends on the decision regarding its destination.
Generally speaking those who hold to a North Galatia
theory, date the book on or about the time of Paul’s
Ephesian ministry, circa 56 A.D. On the other hand,
those who hold to the South Galatia theory generally
date the book either before or after the Jerusalem
council of Acts 15. This view is generally expressed as a
date around 48, 49 or 56 A. D., the latter date
corresponding generally to that proposed under the
North Galatia theory.
• Galatians is likely the first New Testament book to be
written, composed sometime soon after AD 49.

3. Author: Apostle Paul
Galatians 1:1 clearly identifies the apostle Paul as the writer of the epistle to the
Galatians.

4. AUDIENCE:
It is a letter from Paul the Apostle to a number
of Early Christian communities in Galatia.

5. Purpose of Writing:
The churches in Galatia were comprised of
both Jewish and Gentile converts. Paul’s
purpose in writing to these churches was to
confirm them in the faith, especially
concerning justification by faith alone, apart
from the works of the Law of Moses.

6. Purpose of Writing:
Galatians was written because the churches of that
region were facing a theological crisis. The essential
truth of justification by faith rather than by human
works was being denied by the Judaizers — legalistic
Jews who insisted that Christians must keep the
Mosaic Law. In particular, the Judaizers insisted on
circumcision as a requirement for Gentiles who wished
to be saved. In other words, convert to Judaism first,
and then you are eligible to become a Christian.
When Paul learned that this heresy was being taught
to the Galatian churches, he composed an epistle to
emphasize our liberty in Christ and to counter the
perversion of the gospel that the Judaizers promoted.

7. Connection With other Books

8. Connection to old Testament
Throughout Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, saving grace—the gift of God—is
juxtaposed against the Law of Moses, which cannot save. The Judaizers urged
a return to the Mosaic Law as the source of justification, and they were
prominent in the early church. Even Peter was temporarily drawn into their
web of deceit (Galatians 2:11–13). The themes connecting Galatians to the
Old Testament center on Law vs. grace: the inability of the Law to justify
(2:16); the believer’s deadness to the Law (2:19); Abraham’s justification by
faith (3:6); the Law’s bringing not God’s salvation but His wrath (3:10); and
love as the fulfillment of the Law (5:14). Believers are the spiritual children of
Sarah, not Hagar—that is, we are children of the freewoman, not children of
the slave; we have more in common with Isaac, the son of promise, than with
Ishmael, the son of human effort (4:21–31).

9. Galatians and James
The books of Galatians and James deal with
two complementary aspects of Christianity.
Galatians highlights the gospel of grace that
produces righteous living (Galatians 3:13–
14). James highlights the righteous living
that proves faith. There is no conflict;
James, too, emphasizes the new birth
through the gospel (James 1:18), and
Galatians spends its final two chapters
applying the doctrine of sola gratia to
practical Christian living.

10. Practical
Application

11. One of the main themes of the book of Galatians is found in
3:11: “The righteous shall live by faith.” We must stand firm in
this truth. Any compromise with legalism or the mixture of
human effort and the grace of God for salvation leads to heresy.
If we could be saved through the keeping of the Law, then Jesus
did not need to die (Galatians 2:21). Trying to save ourselves
nullifies grace.

12. Not only are we saved by faith (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8–9),
but the life of the believer in Christ—day by day, moment by
moment —
is lived by and through that faith (Galatians 2:20). Not that faith is
something we conjure up on our own—it is the gift of God, not of
works (see Ephesians 2:8–9)—but it is our responsibility and joy to
exhibit our faith so that others will see the work of Christ in us and
to grow in our faith by the application of spiritual disciplines (Bible
study, prayer, obedience, etc.).

13. Jesus said we would be known by the fruit of our lives
(Matthew 7:16), which should give evidence of the faith
within us. All Christians should be diligent in striving to
build upon the saving faith within us so that our lives with
reflect Christ and others will “glorify your Father who is in
heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NKJV)

14. Key Verses:
Galatians ii:xx
"I have been crucified with Christ and I
no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
The life I live in the body, I live by faith
in the Son of God, who loved me and
gave himself for me."

15. Key Verses:
Galatians ii:xvi
“Know that a man is not justified by observing the
law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have
put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be
justified by faith in Christ and not by observing
the law, because by observing the law no one will
be justified.”

16. Key Verses:
Galatians iii:xi
“Clearly no one is justified before God
by the law, because, ‘’The righteous will
live by faith.’’

17. Key Verses:
Galatians iv:v-vi
“…to redeem those under law, that we
might receive the full rights of sons.
Because you are sons, God sent the
Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the
Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’"

18. Key Verses:
Galatians v:xxii-xxiii
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-
control. Against such things there is
no law.”

19. Key Verses:
Galatians vi:vii
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be
mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”

20. Sources:
Bridgeway Bible Commentary, Bridgeway Publications
MHWBC – Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary
The Interpreter's Bible: the Holy Scriptures in the King James and
Revised standard versions with general articles and introduction,
exegesis, exposition for each book of the Bible, New York, Abingdon-
Cokesbury Press
JFB - Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary, by Andrew Robert
Fausset, Alexander Cruden, Daniel P. Brown, Robert Jamieson,
Zondervan