Teaching. The great subject of the Epistle is the superiority of the Gospel to the Law. The Jewish teachers, who sought to pervert the Galatians, had themselves embraced Christianity without slackening their grasp of their old religion. To their mind, Jesus was the Messiah and Saviour of the Jewish race, not of the world in general; hence the Gentiles must become Jewish proselytes before they could receive the blessings of Christ. St. Paul's teaching was developed in opposition to this doctrine. He shows that the Law (i.e. the Old Testament revelation with its rules and sanctions) failed to make men righteous (Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:11), because it did not supply a principle of life (Galatians 3:21), but rather paralysed men's hearts by its rigorous demands (Galatians 3:10). At the same time it had its uses, and fulfilled a purpose. It educated and disciplined men for a better revelation (Galatians 3:24); it made them realise their sin (Galatians 3:10); it caused them to feel their bondage (Galatians 4:3); and so prepared them to become sons of God (Galatians 4:5). The Gospel of Christ, on the other hand, brought men a new principle of life. That principle is faith. Through it, the righteousness is obtained which the Law could not give (Galatians 2:16). It unites a man to Christ, whose righteousness is thereby imparted to him, for Christ lives in him, and he in Christ (Galatians 2:20). He is justified by faith in Christ, as he could not be by the works of the Law; indeed, the effort to live by the Law only weakens his spiritual life by slackening his hold upon Christ (Galatians 5:2). The Gospel supplies the spiritual principle, even the moral motive power, lacking in the Law. The impulse derived from the indwelling Christ leads men to love their fellows (Galatians 5:6); to renounce the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:16; Galatians 5:20; Galatians 5:24); to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 4:22; Galatians 4:25).
Besides justification by faith, other great truths of Christianity are mentioned incidentally: the Incarnation in Galatians 4:4 the Crucifixion in Galatians 6:12; Galatians 6:14 the gift of the Holy Spirit, as the experience of the Galatians, in Galatians 3:2; Galatians 3:5; Galatians 5:25.
7· Summary. The Epistle falls naturally into three divisions. (1) An apologetic section (Galatians 1:1 to Galatians 2:21), in which the Apostle defends the validity of his apostleship, by showing that his call was directly from Christ, and that he was absolutely independent of the other Apostles, both as to his teaching and commission. (2) A polemical section (Galatians 3:1 to Galatians 5:12), in which he contrasts faith and works as means of salvation, and proves even from the Old Testament that faith is all-sufficient. (3) A hortatory section (Galatians 5:13 to Galatians 6:18), in which he applies the truth he has been establishing to the different relations and duties of life.
The detailed sequence of thought is as follows:
I.
Galatians 1:1.
Salutation.
Galatians 1:6.
St. Paul's independence of other Apostles shown by the nature of his conversion,
Galatians 1:17.
And by his movements thereafter,
Galatians 2:1.
As well as by the action of the Judæan Apostles at Jerusalem on his second visit,
Galatians 2:11.
And by his reproof of the inconsistent attitude of St. Peter at Antioch.
II.
Galatians 3:1.
That the new principle of life in the Spirit comes through faith is proved by their own experience,
Galatians 3:6.
And by the case of Abraham.
Galatians 3:11.
The Law brings a curse, from which Christ redeems us.
Galatians 3:15 to Galatians 4:7.
The temporary purpose of the Law shown and illustrated.
Galatians 4:8.
An appeal to the Galatians not to turn from liberty to bondage.
Galatians 4:21.
The witness borne by the Law itself to the liberty of the Gospel: an allegory.
Galatians 5:1.
A further appeal to them to keep their liberty.
III.
Galatians 5:13 to Galatians 6:10.
The application of the principle of liberty to common duties.
Galatians 6:11.
A final appeal for the liberty of faith.