Getting to Know Galatians

Date: Galatians was most likely written between 48-50 AD

Location: Galatians was written to churches in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe (see Acts 13-14); cities that would be located in present day Turkey.

Author: Galatians is one of the earliest, if not the earliest, letter written by the Apostle Paul.

The Apostle’s purpose for writing:
To defend his authority as an apostle, to proclaim the uncontaminated Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to explain the path from bondage to freedom so that Christians can wholeheartedly proclaim, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (v. 2:20).

Two primary accusations made against Paul:
1. He is a Half-Apostle.
2. He is preaching a watered-down Gospel.

Paul’s accusers are Jewish Christians (in theological parlance “Judaizers”) who are spreading a syncretistic distortion of the Gospel. They are requiring all Gentile converts to obey certain elements of the Mosaic Law in order to be saved.