Galatians

About Galatians

Galatians is Paul's most fiery letter, written to churches being told they had to keep the Jewish law to be fully God's people. Paul insists that people are made right with God through faith in Christ alone, and that the freedom Christ gives leads not to selfishness but to love shaped by the Spirit. In the Bible's big story, Galatians shows how God's ancient promise to Abraham finally reaches all nations through Jesus.

Written by

Paul wrote Galatians, and his authorship is accepted on all sides.

When

Scholars genuinely differ on the date: some place it around AD 48-49, which would make it Paul's earliest letter, while others date it to the mid-50s.

Themes

• Faith, not works of the law
• Freedom in Christ
• The fruit of the Spirit
• One family in Christ

Key verses

• Galatians 2:20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
• Galatians 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
• Galatians 5:22-23But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.