[BeauBo]

So what is the Cliff Notes version? Why was Galatians written?

[Songcraft]

So that the letter would be read by the Galatian recipients it was targeted to.

(Sorry --- I couldn't resist!)        :-)

[Wissa]

So what is the Cliff Notes version? Why was Galatians written?

Apparently, the members of the congregations of the new churches Paul was setting up were hearing conflicting messages. They were hearing one thing from Paul, and something completely different from "the Judahizers", the followers of the teachings of the Jerusalem church, of which the top guy was James, the brother of Jesus. Paul was arguing his case that he knew more about what it took to be saved than James did.

[pcottraux]

Basically after Paul had planted 4 churches across South Galatia (his first missionary journey), a group of radical Jewish converts had gone behind him and undermined his teaching, telling those young Christians that they had to convert to Judaism and obey all the Jewish laws and customs before they could be Christians. The Galatian churches sent Paul an angry letter wanting to know why he hadn’t told them about the Law, and Galatians is his response.

I will try to be a little less long-winded and repetitive next week (Why James Was Written).