Galatians: No other gospel

Where Galatians sits

In the story

Act VI, Church · The Journeys, c. AD 48–57

In the Bible

New Testament · Letters · book 48 of 66

Before it in the story

James

After it in the story

1 Thessalonians

Paul's first letter, written on the eve of the Jerusalem council: the gospel of Acts 13–15 defended for Gentile churches, and the seed of the fuller argument of Romans.

Galatians summary

Paul writes in alarm to the churches of Galatia, which he had planted, because teachers have come telling Gentile believers they must be circumcised and keep the law to belong to God's people. With no thanksgiving he declares that there is no other gospel and calls a curse on anyone who preaches one (1:1–10). He then defends his gospel: he received it by revelation from Jesus Christ, not from men; the apostles in Jerusalem added nothing to it and gave him the right hand of fellowship; and at Antioch he opposed Peter to his face when Peter drew back from eating with Gentiles, because no one is justified by works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ (1:11–2:21). Next he proves it. The Galatians received the Spirit by hearing with faith; Abraham was counted righteous by believing, and those of faith are his sons; the law brings a curse, which Christ bore on the tree so that Abraham's blessing might come to the nations; the promise was made to Abraham's one Seed, Christ, and the law that came 430 years later was added because of transgressions until the Seed came, a guardian until Christ. In the fullness of time God sent His Son to redeem those under the law and His Spirit to make them sons; so they must not go back to slavery. The two sons of Abraham show two covenants: Hagar is Sinai, bearing slaves, but the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother (3:1–4:31). Finally he calls them to stand firm in the freedom Christ won, not to use it for the flesh but to serve one another in love, walking by the Spirit, bearing one another's burdens and sowing to the Spirit (5:1–6:10). In his own hand he closes: he will boast only in the cross, for what counts is a new creation, and he pronounces peace and mercy on all who walk by that rule, the Israel of God (6:11–18).

Galatians in context

Written by

Paul the apostle (1:1; 5:2), writing with “all the brothers with me” (1:2) and taking the pen himself for the close (6:11); among the least disputed of his letters

Written to

The churches of Galatia (1:2): on the view taken here, the mostly Gentile churches of south Galatia that Paul and Barnabas planted on the first journey, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe (Acts 13–14)

Setting

Probably written from Syrian Antioch after the first journey, amid pressure to require circumcision for Gentile believers (2:3–5; 5:2–4; compare Acts 15:1–2) and before the Jerusalem council met to settle the question

When

c. AD 48–49, before the Jerusalem council (Acts 15), which makes it Paul's earliest surviving letter. Many date it AD 53–57, from Ephesus or Macedonia, to the ethnic Galatians of the north (see contested).

Why

To recall the Galatians from a different gospel that added circumcision and the law to faith in Christ: to show that Paul's gospel came from Christ and was confirmed by the apostles (1–2), to prove from their own experience and from the Scriptures that God justifies by faith and gives the Spirit and Abraham's inheritance to all who are in Christ, with the law set in its place as a guardian until Christ (3–4), and to call them to stand firm in freedom and walk by the Spirit in love (5–6).

Themes of Galatians

• One gospel
• Justified by faith
• Christ crucified
• The promise to Abraham and the one Seed
• The law's place
• Sons by adoption, with the Spirit
• Two covenants
• Freedom in Christ
• Walk by the Spirit
• A new creation

Key verses in Galatians

• Galatians 1:8

  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse!

• Galatians 2:16

  know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

• Galatians 2:20

  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 up for me.

• Galatians 3:8

  The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”

• Galatians 3:13

  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

• Galatians 3:16

  The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.

• Galatians 3:24

  So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

• Galatians 4:4–5

  But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

• Galatians 5:1

  It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.

• Galatians 5:22–23

  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.

• Galatians 6:14

  But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Galatians chapter by chapter

Part 1 · No other gospel 1:1–10

Part 2 · The gospel from God, not from men 1:11–2:21

1. 1
   Galatians 1: I received it by revelation

   There is only one gospel, and Paul received it by revelation from Jesus Christ, not from men.

2. 2
   Galatians 2: Justified by faith in Christ

   Jerusalem's leaders confirm Paul's gospel; at Antioch he defends it: no one is justified by works of the law.

Part 3 · Sons of Abraham by faith, heirs of the promise 3:1–4:31

1. 3
   Galatians 3: Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise

   Those of faith are Abraham's sons; the law, added until Christ, the Seed, cannot annul the promise.

2. 4
   Galatians 4: No longer a slave, but a son

   God sent His Son and His Spirit to make slaves into sons; the children of promise belong to the free woman.

Part 4 · Stand firm in freedom; walk by the Spirit 5:1–6:10

1. 5
   Galatians 5: Walk by the Spirit

   Stand firm in the freedom Christ won: not circumcision, but faith working through love, by the Spirit.

2. 6
   Galatians 6: A new creation

   Bear one another's burdens and sow to the Spirit; boast only in the cross, for what counts is a new creation.

Part 5 · In his own hand: the cross and the new creation 6:11–18

See the outline of Galatians