Paul, an apostle (not
from men nor through man,
but through Jesus
Christ and God the Father
who raised Him from
the dead), and all
the brethren who are
with me,
to the churches of
Galatia:
Grace to you and
peace from God the Father
and our Lord Jesus
Christ, who gave Himself
for our sins, that He
might deliver us from
this present evil
age, according to the will
of our God and
Father, to whom be glory
for ever and
ever. Amen.
Galatians 1: 1 -- 5
Before we
launch out into the study of this letter, it is important that we come to know
and understand the background, or the historical aspects, that Paul faced when
he brought to these people the Gospel.
It is important for any study to know the historical aspects, and it is
important to know how to study by using correct knowledge and tools. Although there are similarities between
driving a car, a truck, a motorcycle, flying an airplane, or piloting a ship,
or boat, the similarities are that a person pilots or drives a certain
vehicle. Anyone can steer a vehicle but
this does not make a good driver or pilot.
A good pilot or driver knows about the vehicle, and has studied, and
come to understand the functioning parts.
Furthermore, it comes to a sense and feeling as to the operation of the
vehicle he is steering. It takes more
than an simple understanding and requires that a person fully understands, and
least as much as possible, all there is to know about a subject. This is true as we study the Bible and the
writings of the various men who wrote letters and books. Remember, that the foundation for our study
is found in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who will guide us in our
study. It is like someone learning to
drive and has a driving mentor teaching him/her the finer points in the good
driver must know. That is true as we
continue to study the Bible and we do have a mentor the Holy Spirit. Albeit that we have a mentor is still our
responsibility to study deeply what we are attempting to learn so that we can
be a faithful witness in to grow in our own faith. So let us take time to understand this book written by Paul to
the Galatians.
Who were
the Galatians and why did Paul and we need to write a letter to them?
HISTORY:
Ancient
Galatia was located in the central regions of modern-day Turkey inhabited by
the Phyrgians and then came to be controlled inhabited by the Celtic
tribes. You may have heard of the
Celtics but may not fully understand who they were and how they came to be in
Galatia. And adding to our historical
understanding we must know something about this group that was a diverse group
of tribal societies. We can
historically see where peoples of the iron age in Europe and had a large range
of lands is far west as Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula as far east as
Galatia otherwise known as central Anatolia and as far as north as
Scotland. Sometime around 400 B.C. we
find the languages of the Celtics we study a tax upon Rome in 387 B.C. and the
Celtics had already become separate in many languages and spread all over
Central Europe, the Iberian peninsula, Ireland and Britain. So how did the Celtics come to be in
Anatolia? Somewhere around 270’s B.C.
the Celtics were invited to come to Anatolia to serve as warriors and
mercenaries. This term ‘Galatia’ was
used by the Greeks to denote these Celtic tribes. Once the Celtics were in Anatolia they became the preeminent
power of the region and they were raiders into the nearby provinces. Eventually the Galatians were defeated and
they settled down in Central Asia minor although they continued to periodically
launch raids in campaigns into the surrounding lands. Somewhere around 25 B.C. there was a Roman annexation and now
moment in influence and power came to this territory. Little is really known of the Galatians except that which has
been discovered in archaeology but we do know of the government of
Galatia. The Galatians adopted many
aspects of the Greek culture and the Celtics were later known as the
Gallogracians. The Celtic people became
a mixed race and among them were for freed slaves of the area. So, the Roman influence and power affected
the Galatians and was that which poll also would be forced to face as he taught
them the Gospel. The Celtic people, or
the Galatians is a word now known retained it features of the Gaulish culture
and language in Paul's day. In the Acts
of the apostles a record shows that Paul traveled to the region of Galatia and
Phrygia, a city that laid immediately to the west of Galatia and it may also be
true that Paul founded the churches of Galatia at (Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium,
Lystra
and Derbe)
(Acts 16:6;
Galatians.1:8;4:13;4:19). These people seem to have been composed
mainly of converts from paganism: "But
then, indeed, when you did not know God, you serve those which by nature are
not gods" (Galatians 4: 8). It
seems that after Paul's departure the churches were led astray and were
proposing another gospel. These
Galatians seem to appear to have been receptive to the teaching of these
newcomers and were willing to turn from Paul's teaching.
The next
blog will delve into the other part of the question as to why Paul had need to
write to them as he did. My hope is
that this historical study will give you better understanding of why and what
Paul was instructed by the Holy Spirit to write and how that writing also may
apply to us in our present day.
For all those things My hand has made,
and all
most things exist,
says the LORD. But on
this one I will look:
on him who
is poor and of a contrite spirit,
and who trembles at My word.
Isaiah 65:2
Today glorify the LORD
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