5. The Epistle to the Galatians 91 questions

The Epistle to the Galatians was addressed to a group of churches in the region of Galatia by the apostle Paul, from the city of Corinth. The historical period of this epistle dates from approximately the year 49 to 53 after Christ. Galatia is located in the center of what is now Asia Minor. It includes the Antioch cities of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. During his missionary travels, Paul preached in Galatia. As a result of his ministry in that region, many churches were established. The purpose of the epistle was to deal with the false doctrines brought by the teachings of the Judaizing legalists. This error, called Galatanism, taught that one is saved by grace, but we must maintain salvation through the works of the law. This makes our salvation depend on our works, and not on the grace of God. This error existed because some Christian Jews were still captive to the bonds of the law (circumcision, observing certain days, dietary laws, etc.) and sought to drag the Gentiles under the same captivity. The success of these efforts was such that Paul saw the need to write this epistle. The theme of Galatians is salvation by grace – through faith – with nothing to add.