Introducing the Letter to the Galatians (Part 1 of 3)

Distinctive Features 

1. Unlike the other Pauline letters, Galatians is addressed to multiple congregations [ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις] in a broad geographical region.

2. Unlike the other Pauline congregational letters, these churches are designated provincially (“of Galatia”) without spiritual modifiers like those employed elsewhere.¹ This may be due to the present condition of these readers, having departed from the truth of the gospel (1:6 ff.; 3:1; 4:9-11, 20; 5:4).

 

3. Unlike most other Pauline congregational letters, there is no introductory thanksgiving in Galatians.² The apostle’s frustration at the time with these “senseless Galatians” (3:1) is probably why.

4. Galatians is among the eight Pauline letters that mention one or more co-senders³ but the only one wherein the names are not recorded. In 1:2 the apostle includes with himself “all the brothers with me,” which is most likely a reference to his immediate colleagues as suggested by the fact that in the other letters co-senders are coworkers and by the comparable expression in Phil. 4:21-22, “the brothers with me,” in contrast to “every saint.” 

5. The most extensive supplement to Paul’s standard opening greeting is found in Galatians, to which he has added a long description of Christ’s work, its purpose, and its divine sanction: “… who gave himself for our sins, so that he might deliver us out of the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom [be] the glory forever and ever. Amen” (1:4-5). This “at once thrusts the purpose of the letter to the fore: the issue between Paul and the Galatians is the significance of Christ” (H. N. Ridderbos, Galatia 43).

Authorship

There is no significant dispute over authorship, as the author explicitly identifies himself as Paul (1:1; 5:2) and most NT scholars count Galatians among the principal Pauline letters. 

That secretarial assistance was used is indicated by the author calling special attention to the fact that he is signing off with his own distinctive handwriting (6:11).⁴ The verb ἔγραψα (lit. “I wrote”) appears to be an epistolary aorist, alluding to the subscription that Paul is presently writing (cf. Rom. 15:15; 1 Cor. 5:11; 9:15; Philem. 19, 21). The reference to “large letters” calls attention to his distinctive writing style, but the reason is subject to conjecture, whether it was due to poor eyesight (cf. L. A. Jervis, Galatians117), poor penmanship (A. Deissmann, Light 166), or his desire to particularly emphasize the material at the end of the letter (D. J. Moo, R. P. Martin, and J. L. Wu, Romans Galatians 130).

Allusion to “the brothers” in 1:2 could be suggestive of multiple secretaries, as multiple copies of the letter would have been needed for the plurality of Galatian churches (cf. Acts 15:22-23). But Gal. 6:11 seems more indicative of a single manuscript that would have been circulated. 

These “brothers” were the apostle’s immediate colleagues with whom he no doubt discussed the contents of the letter and perhaps solicited their collaboration in its composition (cf. 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1). Paul was careful to designate the co-senders as “all” the brothers with him, likely to emphasize that he was not alone in what he was advocating and had the solid support of each of his colleagues. It is hard to imagine that those who traveled with Paul as partners in his apostolic work exercised no influence on him whatsoever, even in the writing of his letters. It is much more conceivable that the stimulation was reciprocal and these ministerial colleagues mutually formed a linguistic and theological environment.⁵

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Unless noted otherwise, scripture quotations are the author's own translation. In the other Pauline congregational letters the addressees are described as per the following: “beloved of God, called saints” (Rom. 1:7); “of God … sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints” (1 Cor. 1:1); “of God … with all the saints” (2 Cor. 1:1); “to the saints … and faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1); “to all the saints in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:1); “saints and faithful brothers in Christ” (Col. 1:2); “in God the Father and Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:1); “in God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:1). 

     ² There is no introductory thanksgiving in 1 Timothy or in Titus either, but Galatians is the only Pauline letter addressed to a Christian community that does not begin by thanking God for them or expressing a blessing. 

     ³ Cf. 1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:2; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; Philem. 1. 

     ⁴ Not all scholars, however, concede that this is indicative of scribal aid (cf. G. S. Duncan, Galatians 188-89; R. N. Longenecker, “Ancient Amanuenses” 291). 

     ⁵ See J. A. Loubser, “Media Criticism and the Myth of Paul” 1-16. Divine inspiration cannot be limited to just one person at a time but necessarily operated through anyone and everyone involved in the production of inspired scripture (2 Tim. 3:16).

Related Posts: Studying Romans & Galatians: Part 1, Part 2, Introducing Galatians Part 2, Part 3

 

Image credit: https://thisisthebridge.church/blog/2021/01/13/faith-repentance-and-gospel-in-galatians