Paul likely wrote this epistle (1:1) after the Council of Jerusalem (a.k.a., Apostolic Council) of A.D. 50 (2:1), where the reputed church leaders approved of his teaching and ministry to the Gentiles (2:7-10). Paul’s letter was circulated in a province in the Roman Empire known as Galatia (1:2), in what is today, south-central Turkey.
His purpose in writing this letter was to address the controversy (1:6-7; 2:4; 5:7-10) incited by the Judaizers (4:17; 5:12), an extremist Jewish-Christian sect that insisted it was mandatory for Gentile Christians to observe Jewish laws and traditions, such as circumcision, in order to be saved (3:1-5; 5:1-6,11; 6:12-13,15).
Paul taught that salvation, for both Jews and Gentiles, is by God’s grace through faith (3:8-9,14,24-28), not by our own effort (3:3). We are saved through a sincere faith and devotion to God, not by mechanical compliance to religious laws and traditions to justify ourselves (2:16).
The Mosaic Law holds us hostage, condemning us as prisoners of sin (3:22-23), because no one is capable of perfect obedience to its every statute (3:12). But now that faith has come through Christ sanctifying us, we are led by the Holy Spirit, no longer under the supervision of the Jewish Law (3:25; 5:18).
Christ is the Seed (singular; one person) through whom the promise of faith bygrace comes to his spiritual heirs (3:6-9,14-19,22; 4:7,28). If this is difficult to understand, consider this, the seed of an orange always carries the promise of becoming an orange, nothing else. Paul emphasized that we, who are one in our belonging to Christ through faith are of Abraham’s sanctified seed to illustrate how it is only in Christ that we are saved and inherit his blessings (3:26-29).
God does not endorse sin (2:17), so we are never free to sin (5:13). Christ has set us free by his righteousness (5:1,5). Now, we are “free” to live without fear of judgment from the Law of Moses and “free” to choose to live by the Law of Christ (i.e., love; 5:6,13-14; 6:2). The curse of the Law is judgment leading to death, but the cure is Christ’s justification through faith bringing sanctification by the Spirit and eternal life (3:10-14; 6:8).
In baptism, the Father cleanses us from sin with the holy water of his righteousness and sends the Spirit of his Son into our hearts (4:6), clothing us anew in his holiness (3:27). When we live by the Spirit (i.e., Christ lives in us), we live for God by bearing the fruit of the Spirit (5:16-18,22-26) and doing good (6:8-10).
Walking with Jesus Series, Refl. #134, Mar. 2026
Copyright © 2026 by Christopher Clark