A Critical Tone

Paul began this letter with a critical tone against false teachers who had arisen in the church at Galatia. The Galatia region was the southern part of present-day Turkey, where Paul had established churches during his first missionary journey (Acts 13-14).

Paul's First Letter

This could be the first preserved letter Paul wrote, and he wrote it to address false teachers who had risen quickly in the church and were seeking to make Jewish proselytes out of the new believers. They were basically convincing these new believers to become Jewish through circumcision.

There is some debate concerning where Paul was when he wrote the letter, but one of four places is suggested:

• Corinth in the period of Acts 18:1-17

• Antioch in the period of Acts 18:22

• Ephesus in the period of Acts 19:1-41

• Macedonia or Achaia in the period of Acts 20:1-3

With Paul’s stay in Ephesus being so lengthy, many scholars believe Paul wrote it from Ephesus around A.D. 55.  

Motives of False Teachers

The motives of the false teachers were obvious: they sought the best of both worlds—honor in the church as believers and leaders and honor among Jewish leaders for proselytizing Gentiles back into the Jewish religion and culture. The effect of their teaching was clear; they were neutralizing followers’ faith in Jesus (6:12-13).

The Dawn of the King Jesus Age

Paul saw it all for what it was—a severing of faith in Christ, which would ultimately lead the Galatians to the eternal damage of their souls (5:3-4). As is obvious in his tone throughout the book, Paul considered these false teachers as “troublers” and distorters (1:7). Paul countered their teaching with straight talk about Jesus' death and Resurrection, bringing to Earth the dawn of the King Jesus age and, with it, a new covenant (3:23-26; 4:4-5, 24).

Paul was straightforward: followers of Jesus would not need to become Jewish by undergoing certain rituals and ceremonies in order to be a part of this King Jesus age and the new covenant Christ had made with the whole world (2:3, 11-12, 14).

The Result of Embracing Judaism 

In truth, to embrace the Jewish way of ceremony and ritual would cause the Galatians to deny the gospel, lose their faith, forfeit their place of acceptance with God by faith (2:16), and in the end, become disconnected from the life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit (5-6).

Paul's Message to the Galatians

So, Paul's message to the Galatians (and us) is clear: by faith, acceptance with Christ is gained and formed (2:16), freedom is the result of being in Christ (5:1), and their (and our) purpose in Christ is to deliver Christ's gracious love to the world (5:13).