I was pacing through the house, determined to get my 10,000 steps. Unfortunately I had been so excited about working that I hadn’t moved as much as I should. So at the end of the day, I had over 4000 steps to complete. This meant pacing and sending audionotes to my husband as I contemplated life.

It was while I was recording one that I felt the Lord tell me that He wanted me to get back in His Word. Not just read it, but write about it. Specifically the book of Galatians.

Getting Back into the Bible

I finished my bachelor’s in Bible Exposition about a month ago and I hadn’t been in the Bible much since. I had sporadically gotten into it for my own Bible time, but not truly studying. The weight of conviction grew but, as I’m embarrassed to admit, I ignored it. I was so overwhelmed with life that spending time with God, let alone pursuing my calling, got put on the backburner. Honestly, it had reached the point that I had forgotten about it altogether. But I have felt Him pulling me back and when He lovingly pushed me back to the Word, I couldn’t resist.

So that brings us to today. Every day I’ll be posting about my study in the book of Galatians. Before we get started, I want to point out that this is my specific way of studying the Bible. I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed. God’s desire is for us to get to know Him and we start by diving into the Word that He gave us. With that being said, get into your Word.

Don’t take what I say as gospel. In fact, don’t believe a single word that I say. Get into the Bible on your own. Share your takeaways with me in the comments or in the Me and Jesus group. Now it’s time to dive in.

Understanding the Context of Galatians

Every good study begins by understanding the context of the book as a whole. Who wrote it, why it was written and what was going on at the time. When it comes to letters like Galatians, it is also important to understand why it was written at all. So this is where we’re going to start. The two sources that you’re going to find here is the ESV Study Bible Commentary and the Bible Knowledge Commentary. These are some of my favorite study resources and highly recommend them both. All Scriptures referenced will be in the ESV translation.

When was it written?

It is commonly accepted that Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians, probably sometime around A.D. 48. However, as the ESV Study Bible Commentary says, “determining dates in Paul’s life is always somewhat uncertain.” The main theme of this letter is that “Christ’s death has brought in the age of the new covenant.” This covenant means that believers of Jesus do not have to become Jews nor do they need to “follow the outward ceremonies of the Mosaic law.”[1]

In the short time between Paul helping to plant the church and leaving, false teachers had begun preaching a false gospel. Their goal was to “win approval from the Jewish authorities by showing how effective they are in converting Gentiles to a form of Judaism” This gospel taught that circumcision was required. Not only was this wrong, but it caused division within the church. It’s pointed out that Paul is far more critical of the people in this letter to the Galatians than to any other letter and even calls them foolish in Galatians 3:1.[2]

Who was it written to?

There is some debate as to which Galatians this letter was written to. “There was a people group of Galatians that lived in the northern part of what is now Turkey” and “there was a Roman province called Galatia that extended into Southern Turkey” With that said, the letter is probably to “those in the Roman province, especially the southern part, because Paul did much less in the way of missionary activity in the north and he usually refers to places by their Roman imperial names.”[3]

While this letter is written like the rest of ones Paul wrote, this one contains no thanksgiving. This “indicates Paul’s agitation and alarm over the theological situation in Galatia.” It also contains no reference to the audiences’ faith, hope or love. Within this letter, everything “is related to Paul’s defense of justification by faith alone.” Specifically “it contains a clear statement of justification by faith and builds on that foundation a defense of Christian liberty against any form of legalism.”[4]

Galatians 1:1

Now that we’ve laid a solid foundation for the study of this letter, let’s get into it.

In Galatians 1:1, Paul refers to himself as an “apostle.” This “indicates Paul’s authority as one commissioned by God and entrusted with the sacred deposit of the gospel.” Paul was right to include it here specifically because the false teachers that came to the church started questioning Paul’s apostolic status. This is why Paul says that he is an apostle “not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God, the Father” (Gal. 1:1). “Though not one of the original Twelve, Paul claimed equality with them as an apostle. The word apostolos connotes authority and refers to a person who has a right to speak for God as His representative or delegate.” His emphasis on this is making a bold claim that it isn’t by his own desire but God’s will that he is an apostle at all.[5]

Also in this verse, Paul points to the faith that God is the One who “raised [Jesus] from the dead.” The work that Jesus did on the cross is at the front of Paul’s mind and he wants to make sure it is on theirs, too. “This is the only direct mention of the resurrection of Christ in the epistle. It emphasizes the importance of that event to Paul’s apostleship, for he was not called during the earthly ministry of the Lord but by the resurrected Christ.”[6]

The Good Stuff

I want to point out that this is simply the very first verse in this letter to the Galatians. It is incredibly easy to pass over a verse like this quickly, thinking that it is simply an introduction that leads to “the good stuff.” The truth is that this is good stuff. Looking at the verse and really understanding each word gives incredible amounts of context as to what was happening at the time of writing and what Paul was feeling.

I used to wish (and honestly, sometimes still do) that emojis were included in Scripture or at the very least expressive words. “Paul rolled his eyes.” “Peter sighed dramatically.” “Martha stared in indignation.” What I realized, however, is that by slowing down and reading Scripture methodically gives us that ability to do just that, to slow down and understand more of what was going on in the minds of the authors.

Galatians 1:2

In verse two, Paul adds “all the brothers who are with me” at the end of the verse. “These were the apostle’s fellow workers, perhaps Barnabas as well as the prophets and teachers with whom Paul ministered in Antioch. Mentioning these co-laborers emphasized the fact that the teachings of this epistle were not peculiar to Paul but were held in common with others.” He is saying clearly that “the Galatians are mistaken if they accept the false gospel that demands circumcision for salvation.”[7]

Galatians 1:3–5

In verse three, Paul gives the typical greeting, saying “grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Again, Paul is emphasizing that Jesus Christ is Lord over all things. He continues in verse 4 saying, “who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” Again, Paul is focusing on Christ’s work on the cross and what He has done. “Jesus not only saves Christians from their sins but also sets them free from being slaves of this world.” “Paul had already drawn the lines of battle by touching on two vital concerns. He had affirmed his own apostleship and had declared that the basis of man’s salvation lies solely in the work of Christ and not in any human works.”[8]

Slow Down

This is not something to gloss over. It is important that in the modern day we do not take this lightly. Christ’s work on the cross feels like something that happened so long ago but it is just as relevant, as epic, as it is today. We should count our blessings that we did not have to witness the brutal torture and death of Jesus Christ and yet we still get to reap the benefits of what Jesus went through and the pain He took on our behalf.

Finally, in verse 5, Paul says, in reference to God, “to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” This phrase “is not just a formulaic expression but reveals Paul’s concern to defend and preserve this central truth of Scripture: that God chose Israel and the church for his own name’s sake, redeemed his people in Christ for his praise and glory and calls believers to declare his majesty in the world.”[9]

Key Takeaways

Through five short verses, we get a taste of what’s to come. Imagine being the Galatians and receiving this letter. They must have been so excited to hear from Paul only to notice the tone in the beginning. I’m sure they already felt the tension that was brewing. I wonder if, as Paul wrote, drops of sweat landed on the page. Did he write angrily or was he calm and able to express his thoughts clearly? I wonder if he went through several drafts before finally completing the letter that was to be sent. These are the questions that I ask myself while reading the Bible and I’m so grateful that we have the opportunity to be this curious.

While I urge you to study this on your own, here are my key takeaways from the first portion of this letter:

• Paul’s authority is made clear and his words should be heeded.
• We are to believe no other gospel other than the one that was given to us in God’s Word.
• Jesus Christ took the weight of my sin so I could live forever with Him.
• God wants us to slow down and study His Word, not simply reading it, to better understand what was actually being communicated and how we can apply it to our lives.

Final Encouragement

After studying, spend some time in prayer. Ask God what He wants you to learn from this passage and how you can apply that to your life today.

My goal with this series is simply to, firstly, be obedient to what God has asked me to do, but also to encourage you to study the Word of God on your own and build your relationship with Him. I ask that you would pray for me, that I would continue to walk in obedience and that this would reach the right people. I love you. God loves you. Now go get in your Bible💙.

Footnotes

[1] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2241.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid., 2242.

[4] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 587.

[5] Crossway Bibles, ESV Study Bible, 2243; Campbell, “Galatians,” 589.

[6] Campbell, “Galatians,” 589–590.

[7] Campbell, “Galatians,” 590.

[8] Crossway Bibles, ESV Study Bible, 2243; Campbell, “Galatians,” 590.

[9] Crossway Bibles, ESV Study Bible, 2243.

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