Overview
Galatians defends the gospel that Gentiles are justified by faith in Yeshua the Messiah, against the claim that Gentile believers must be circumcised as proselytes in order to belong to the covenant people. Paul sets out the source of his apostleship and explains the promise to Abraham and life according to the Spirit.
Theme Gentiles made children of Abraham through faith in the Messiah
Historical background
Views on the date depend on whether the recipients were in southern Galatia, visited on Paul's first missionary journey, or in northern Galatia. On the southern view, the letter may be the earliest of Paul's letters, written shortly before the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15). It reflects a central first-century debate in the ekklesia concerning the status of Gentile believers.