The book of Acts talk about Paul going on his first missionary journey into southern Galatia. This time frame was about 48 or 49 AD. After Paul left the city, he returned back to Antioch and heard about how people (outside preachers) were coming back into town and discrediting Paul. Things like, he is not a true apostle and not to listen to him.
So why did Paul write this letter to the Galatians? After Paul got word of how the Galatians were acting, he decided to write this in about 49AD to deal with the problems of circumcision and Jewish legalism toward Gentile believers. The Galatians were deserting their calling and turning to what Paul called a “different gospel (Soards 59).” Paul explains how the Galatians have moved from their Christian origin in the Spirit to the …show more content…
On one hand you had a self-appointed apostle, who was credited by the actual apostles, preaching and ministering. However, on the other hand, after he left, outside preachers came to deliver a new message about “The Law.” Who do you side with, especially when the preachers and Paul agreed that proper interpretation of the Old Testament provides truth and is essential (Soards 61)? However, in the body of the letter to Galatians, falls into two sections. The first section, Paul is defending his apostleship by focusing on the divine nature of both his calling and the origin of “his” gospel (Soards 63). In the second section, Paul offers arguments concerning the freedom of the Christian from the law. Paul argues that neither Abraham nor the Christians are saved by the workings of the law. In fact, the law cannot save anyone. He tells them to avoid all trappings of the law. In Paul’s, apocalyptic mind, faith and the law are elements in two opposing realms, one potential and the other impotent (Soards 65), and the advice he gives them is basically that there is only “one true” gospel and it is the one he is