Galatians (Paul and Circumcision)

What does Paul do in Galatia (region w/in Asia)

• Evangelized (not sure whether northern or southern tho)

• Significance: No jews in northern Galatia (very few in the south) meaning no jews among Galatian audience

• Paul converts gentiles and leaves instructors in his place

Types of Jewish People

• Jews

• God-Fearers

• Proselytes

Jews

Born of 2 jewish parents or 1 jewish father

God-fearers

• Gentiles

• Interested in the Jewish god and religion

• Uncircumcised 

Proselytes

• Jewish “Converts”

• Converted by undergoing circumcision, abandoning their native gods, renouncing their former ethnicity (original gentiles)

Is ethnicity correlated to religion in the ancient world

yes, 100%

“The Teachers”

• Group of traveling Jewish-Christian evangelists come to Galatia (likely Proselytes) 

  • Preached slightly differently than Paul

• Claim connection to the Jerusalem church and James

• Became so popular in Jerusalem and Antioch, they exerted influence over Peter causing him to abandon table fellowship w/ Gentiles (Paul called him out in public for being a hypocrite!)

  • Led to Paul’s authority to be called into question 

• Taught that Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved (only jews can be saved, so you must become one)

Requirements for gentile salvation

• debated by the Teachers and instructors Paul left behind

• Teachers begin to convince the Galatians (since they didn’t know how to refute it )

• Instructors are unsure of what to say or do, with he increasing popularity of the “Judaizing” Teachers 

Why was the letter Galatians written

• Prompted by the instructors asking Paul to request help w/ the Teachers situation

When was Galatians written

ca. 52-55

Structure of Galatians

• Greetings (1:1-5)

• Body (1:5 - 6:10)

• Closing (6:11-18)

• Missing: Thanksgiving

Chapter-by-Chapter breakdown

1. Defense of Paul’s apostleship 

2. The Antioch Incident

3. Spirit and Abraham

4. Galatian Enslavement 

5. Freedom, enslavement, works

6. Exhortation and conclusion

Defense of Paul’s apostleship

“I was appointed by Jesus, not the Jerusalem apostles!”

The Antioch Incident

• Peter stopped eating w/ gentiles once “men from James” arrive.

• BUT gentiles are saved by faith - not “works of the law.” 

• Works of the law ≠ good deeds.

  • Doesn’t mean they don’t have to do anything. 

  • Believes grace is free, but God expects obedience 

• Works of the law = idiom to refer to distinctively Jewish cultural practices, like sabbath-observance, food-laws, and circumcisions

Spirit and Abraham

• You received God’s spirit not by becoming Jewish and observing the law but by participating in the faith of Abraham, thereby becoming his spiritual descendants

Galatian Enslavement

Galatians were formerly enslaved to false gods/elemental spirits (stoicheia); now, they’re re-enslaving themselves by submitting themselves to the jewish law as gentiles

Freedom, enslavement, works

Freed from slavery to stoicheia, if you submit to the law (via circumcision), you will have to obey all of it (impossible for a gentile) But since you are free, yes that freedom to serve your fellow believers → fruit of the spirit

Exhortation and conclusion

• Bear one’s burdens, restore others where possible

  • Don’t get circumcised

  • Goodbye