Literature. — J. Weiss, art. ' Kleinasien ' in PRE^ ; W. M. Ramsay, art. 'Galatia' in HDB; P. W. Schmiedel, art. ' Galatia ' in EBi. The chief contributions to both sides of the Galatian controversy are given by J. Moffatt, LXT, 1911, pp. 90-92. The important monotjraphs of V. Weber — Die Abfass- ung des Galaterbriefs vor dem Apostelkonzil (1900) and Der heiliqe Pauliis vom ApostelUbereinkommen bis zum Apostel- konzil (1901)— are South Galatian, while those of A. Steinmann — Die Abfassungszeit des Galaterbriefes (1906), and Der Leser- kreis des Galaterbriefes (1908>— are North Galatian.
James Strahan. GALATIANS, EPISTLE TO THE. — 1. The
Apostle, the Galatians, and the Judaizers. — The
'churches of Galatia' to which the Epistle is ad- dressed (1-) owed their Christianity to the preach- ing of St. Paul (P). Humanly speaking, one may say that their conversion was due to an accident. Apparently the Apostle had set out with some other goal in view, but he was led to visit Galatia, or was detained there, because of some bodily ail- ment (4'*). The nature of his malady was such as made him painful to behold (4i'*), but in spite of it the Galatians welcomed him ' as an angel from heaven,' and listened eagerly while he proclaimed to them Christ crucified as the only way of salva- tion (3^). They accepted his glad tidings and were loaptized (3^). They had made a good start in the Christian race (5'), strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit, whose presence within them was visibly manifested in works of power (3^"^).
Once again * St. Paul visited the Galatian churches. A little plain speaking was necessary concerning certain matters of doctrine and con- duct (P 5-1 4^8), yet on the whole it would seem that he found no grave cause for alarm.
Subsequently, however, the steadfastness of the Galatian Christians was greatly disturbed by the appearance of Judaistic opponents of St. Paul (V 3' 5'"), who denied both his apostolic authority and the sufficiency of the gospel which he preached. From the form in which the Apostle cast his de- fence of himself and of his teaching (Gal 1-2, 3-5), it is not difficult to deduce the doctrinal position of these disturbers and the arguments by which they bewitched the Galatians (3').
'The promise of salvation,' said they, 'is given to the seed of Abraham alone (3^- '"• ^^). Gentiles like the Galatians, who wish to be included in its scope, must first be incorporated into the family of
* The implied antithesis to to npoTepov (4^3) is not to SevTepof but TO vvv. The contrast is not between the first and the second of two visits, but between the former happy state of things and the changed circumstances at the time of writing. The expression TO npoTepov has no bearing on the number of St. Paul's visits to Galatia (Askwith, Galatians, p. 73 f.).
GALATIAXS, EPISTLE TO THE
GALATIAXS, EPISTLE TO THE 431
Abraham. This means, not only that they must he circumcised, but also tliat they must undertake to keep the whole of the Mosaic Law (4i"- 21 52 e^^). Only on these conditions, by exact performance of all the works of the Law, can a Gentile win his way to membership in the Christian Church {2^^-'^^). St. Paul was silent about these conditions because he wished to curry favour with you (1"^), yet on occasion even he has declared by his action that circumcision is binding upon Gentile Christians (5"). But it must be remembered that he is not an apostle in the same sense as our teachers, the great apostles of the circumcision, Peter, James, and John. They received their authority directly from Jesus Christ ; his was derived from them. They preach the whole truth, he withholds a part ' (l»-2'^).
The effect of this insidious reasoning was like that of leaven in a lump of dough (5*). St. Paul's authority was undermined, and it seemed likely that his labour would prove to have been wasted (4^^). With amazing rapidity {oihoji rax^ois [I^]) the Galatians were turning aside from the gospel of Christ to the perverted gospel of the Judaizers {V). They were minded to give up the freedom Ciirist had won (5^), and to take upon them the yoke of the Law with all its burdens (4'").
At the time when St. Paul first lieard of their defection, he was for some reason unable to pay a visit to Galatia (4^'^). To meet the needs of the moment, therefore, he wrote a letter to the Gala- tians, denying the insinuations of his opponents with respect to his subordination to the a^iostles at Jerusalem, and pointing out the fatal conse- quences of the error into which the Galatians were being led — an error which, pressed to its logical conclusion, Avas equivalent to the statement that Christ's death was gratuitous and unnecessary (2^^).
To the attack on his personal authority he re- plies by stating the facts of his immediate Divine call to apostlesliip, and of his relations with tlie apostles of the circumcision (P-2'^). In answer to the Judaizers' insistence on the necessity of cir- cumcision and the observance of the Law, he sets forth tlie true position of the Law in God's scheme of redemption. It was a temporary provision, inserted parenthetically between the promise to Abraham and its fulfilment in Christ. The Law itself bears witness of its own impotence ' to jus- tify ' (S**'^^), and now that its purpose is served it has become a dead letter. The gospel of Christ declares that we are 'justified by faith and not by works of law ' (2'^).