At a glance
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorship | Paul |
| Date | ~48-55 AD (debated, possibly Paul's earliest letter) |
| Audience | Galatian churches (Asia Minor) |
| Genre | Epistle |
| Purpose | Defend gospel of justification by faith against Judaizers |
| Chapters | 6 |
Outline
| Section | Chapters | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | 1-2 | Paul's apostolic authority and gospel from Christ |
| Doctrinal | 3-4 | Justification by faith and slave-to-free progression |
| Practical | 5-6 | Christian liberty and walking in Spirit |
Main themes
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| Justification by faith alone | Against works of the Law |
| Christian liberty | Free from Law's curse |
| Walking by the Spirit | Galatians 5:16-25, fruit of Spirit |
| Crucified with Christ | Galatians 2:20 |
| Abraham as faith-father | Galatians 3 |
Key passages
- Galatians 1:8, anathema on other gospels
- Galatians 2:16, justification by faith rather than by works of the law
- Galatians 2:20, "crucified with Christ"
- Galatians 3:13, Christ redeemed from curse
- Galatians 3:28, all one in Christ Jesus
- Galatians 5:1, the freedom for which Christ set us free
- Galatians 5:16-25, walk by Spirit; fruit of Spirit
- Galatians 6:7-8, sowing and reaping