Galatians, Epistle to

The Epistle to the Galatians is one of Paul's most passionate and theologically significant letters, written to counter the influence of Judaizers who were requiring Gentile believers to be circumcised and observe the Mosaic law as conditions of full standing before God. Paul defends both his apostolic authority — received directly from Christ, not from Jerusalem — and the doctrine of justification by faith alone apart from works of the law (Galatians 1:8). The letter opens without the customary thanksgiving and moves immediately into rebuke, indicating the urgency of the situation.

The letter's theological argument draws on Abraham's justification by faith before circumcision (Galatians 3:6–9), the temporary and pedagogical role of the Mosaic law as a guardian until Christ came, and the freedom believers now enjoy as adopted sons rather than slaves. Paul's allegory of Hagar and Sarah (Galatians 4:21–31) and his catalog of the fruit of the Spirit versus the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19–23) round out the letter's practical and theological argument. Galatians is widely regarded as the charter of Christian liberty and a foundational text for the Reformation's recovery of justification by faith.