Comments on Galatians

This is a verse-by-verse commentary on Galatians.


The Apostle Paul's Epistle addressed "To the Churches of Galatia" is probably the earliest document found in the New Testament. Paul planted the churches in the Roman province of Galatia during his first missionary journey. Acts records that he preached the Gospel at Pisidian Antioch and then went to Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.  He again visited the churches in Galatia during his second and third missionary journeys.


The problem that called for this epistle was that Judaizing teachers had infiltrated into the churches of Galatia and had taught them that faith in Christ was not enough to be saved. In order to be saved, these false teachers taught the Galatians that they had to obey the Law of Moses, including the rite of circumcision.


Because the Apostle Paul loved these churches of Galatia so much, he wrote this epistle with great passion because many Christians had lost their salvation by following the Judaizing teachers.  In the first two chapters, Paul strongly pointed out this perversion of the Gospel and the consequence of being lost by believing this perversion. Paul then defended his apostleship. In chapters 3-4, Paul gave seven arguments which showed the superiority of faith over the Law of Moses. Finally, in chapters 5-6, Paul outlined the requirements of the Christian life.


It is important for us to see that the high view of our Lord Jesus Christ is clearly portrayed for us in Galatians, the first book written in the New Testament. This includes Christ's deity, His fulfillment of Messianic prophecies, His miraculous works and wonders and signs, His death, His burial, His resurrection, His ascension, and His personal indwelling in the believer. Therefore, the false teaching that the high view of Christ was something manufactured by the church over many decades after His death is clearly false.