Analysis of the Letter to the Galations

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Analysis of Paul’s Letter to the Galatians


It is presumed that Paul’s letter to the Galatians was probably written around 55 A.D. This particular letter deals with question whether gentiles must become Jewish before they can become Christian. The problem came about when Judaizing teachers in Galatia declared that Christians not only had to have faith in Jesus Christ, but also that they were obligated to keep the Mosaic law. Paul insisted that a person only has to have faith in Christ and does not have to perform good works, ritual works, ect.
According to Paul, Jesus appeared to him and told him to preach the good news to the Gentiles (Paul 264). Paul uses scripture to explain why Gentiles should not be required to be circumcised, or obey Jewish Law; however, there are no direct quotes in scripture that say this. One would wonder why Paul, someone who grew-up in a good Jewish family, would not follow in the footsteps of Jewish Christian Missionaries, and require Christian converts to become Jews first. He certainly had to fight to have his belief accepted. Paul tried to follow the example of the original apostles by converting whoever was willing to listen. He must have understood human nature better than the other apostles preaching circumcision to the gentiles. Perhaps he thought that Gentiles would accept Christianity more easily if it were natural to their lifestyle because the thought of circumcision, and strict dietary laws could scare gentiles from converting to Christianity, which would not be good (Ellis!
51-54).
It seems that the "Judaziers" preached a God that was hard to please. Paul's major problem confronted in his letter to the Galatians is the preaching of the Judaziers. Apparently, men who preach circumcision and the Law had been trying to mislead the Galatians, and change their beliefs away from Paul's preaching’s (Paul 264). This angered him that the Galatians are so easily convinced. So, the l...