The Epistle to the Galatians was written around 55 A.D., during the Apostle Paul’s third missionary journey. The letter contains several important autobiographical details about Paul’s early life, conversion, and missionary ministry.
The primary issue addressed in the letter was whether a Gentile must first become a Jew in order to become a Christian. Certain Judaizing teachers had entered the Churches of Galatia, which Paul had established in central Asia Minor (Acts 16:6). These teachers taught that faith in Jesus Christ was not sufficient for salvation and that Christians were also required to observe the Mosaic Law, including its ritual and ceremonial requirements.
Paul strongly rejected this teaching. He emphasizes that a person is justified and made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ, rather than through the performance of good works or the observance of the Law (2:16; 3:24–25; 5:1; 6:12–15). For Paul, the Gospel of Christ brings freedom from the burden of the Law and calls believers to live in the freedom and grace they have received through Christ.
The Epistle can be divided into three major sections:
The message of Galatians is therefore centered on the freedom of the Christian through faith in Christ and the truth that salvation is a gift of God’s grace, not something earned through the works of the Law.