Historical Study Worksheet Grace Runkle
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Name: Grace Runkle
Date: 3 November 2023
HISTORICAL STUDY WORKSHEET
THE AUTHOR:
The author of Galatians is Paul. Paul was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin
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, brought up in a Jewish family
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. He began in the trade of tentmaking and was sent to Jerusalem to a Pharisaic school. He was a dedicated activist and scholar. Paul, however, was not always a Christian. In fact, he had originally made it his life’s mission to persecute Christians. What changed was solely because of the grace and overwhelming power of our tangible Creator, God. This is demonstrated in Acts 26
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. George writes that, “Paul’s encounter with the risen Christ led him to
modify radically his understanding of salvation”
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. The importance of his words lies in the understanding that Paul walks in the authority of apostleship. This ministry allows him a beautiful place of leadership and authority to communicate the will and heart of God to the nearby churches, to make sure the bride of Christ is honoring the covenant between the church and God. Under the role of apostleship, Paul had been appointed directly through “Jesus Christ,
and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead”
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. His words that are written are divinely inspired, meaning that all of Paul’s teachings are just as precious and true as the words spoken by Jesus. In his letters, Paul confronts the churches on ways they are honoring sin over the will of the Lord, and providing teaching and instruction on how to honor God with their lives, gifts, and community. He gives warnings and speaks blessings. THE AUDIENCE:
Paul is writing to the churches of Galatia. Within this category, he specifically addresses both the elders of the churches and his “brothers”. Whereas in many of his other letters, he praised and encouraged the churches in their faithfulness, he chooses instead to warn and correct the churches of Galatia to steward the community they have unto the glory of God
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. The churches were most likely located in North or South Galatia, but many details are kept unknown. John MacArthur writes, “The message of Galatians is the message of the Christian’s spiritual freedom, his deliverance by Christ from the bondage of sin and religious legalism”
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. Paul understands that there is so much more freedom for these churches than they realize. Because they have begun to desert the true gospel, this leads readers to believe that they did indeed walk in unity but lacked discernment. The context of Galatians is that the churches had begun allowing outside influences to distort the truth within their church body. They lacked 1
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (ESV) Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, Philippians 3:5-6.
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George, Timothy. Galatians. Nashville, Tenn: Broadman Press, 1994, 28.
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The Holy Bible, Acts 26:12-14.
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George, Galatians, 31.
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MacArthur, John. (1987). Galatians. Moody Publishers, 9.
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George, Galatians, 76.
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MacArthur, Galatians, 8.
rooted doctrine, and because of this, the dangers of the situation threatened the church as a whole. They believe in the gospel, but lacking direction, their beliefs start to veer towards something dishonoring unto the Lord. Paul touches on themes such as justification, freedom, the true gospel, life in the Spirit, and how to walk with other believers. As Paul writes sternly to
these people, clarity is found so that the churches of Galatia can walk in proper instruction.
THE DATE:
Considering the date when observing and understanding scripture provides an important key factor to properly applying the text as it was written. According to the New Bible Commentary, most scholars date the time Galatians was written to 49 A.D., but some believe it was soon after that
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. However, Kenner provides that, “Galatians may thus date to the latter half of the fifties, probably sometime before Romans.”
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His reasoning for this is because although Galatians is one of Paul’s earliest letters, Paul’s mention of bringing Titus to Jerusalem with him
in Galatians 2:1 suggests that he had already completed his first missionary journey. George’s commentary on Galatians tells us that it is “beyond a doubt”
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that Paul wrote Galatians after he
had taken one or two trips to visit their congregations. George’s conclusion, taking into account
the setting and context from some verses in Acts, is that it was written A.D. 49-50. While the sources differ in ways, they all provide ample evidence for their conclusions and contain much similarity.
HISTORICAL LANDMARKS:
In this current setting, Galatia is under the rule of the Romans and is part of a region now called Turkey
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. In the Galatian culture, there was a battle between Jews and Gentiles and the issue of circumcision. Jews practiced things of the old covenant, and if the Gentiles did not convert to Judaism, there became an issue of salvation and who was accepted into the community. This complication arose because of false teachers who were trying to disregard the true gospel and replace it with one that was still bound to the old law. In a time of drastic Christian persecution, spreading the true gospel is a feat that is extremely dangerous. Under the reign of Claudius Caesar, the Galatian’s prior status as a “client kingdom” was now considered an entirely Roman province
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. These happenings directly impact the work of Paul and the impact of the Galatian churches. If they are hung up on the issues of circumcision and the false gospel, they will be distracted from the true purpose of the church – to further the gospel and honor the Lord. These events do, however, provide some much-needed clarity on interpreting the text that Paul is writing to the Galatians. CULTURAL ARTIFACTS:
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Moisés Silva, “Galatians,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 1207.
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Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition. (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014), 523.
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George, Galatians, 41.
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MacArthur, Galatians, 10.
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George, Galatians, 35.
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Similar to things mentioned in the historical landmarks section, the people of Galatia hold the law and the covenant in high regard. The situation of circumcision and the true gospel was one that was impacting every area of the ministry and their impact, and even diluting the church’s view of Paul and the validity of his ministry and words. The letter to the Galatians was written during the Hellenistic age, meaning that the culture was giving way to a “common intellectual culture and eventually political unity”
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. In fact, a new form of their Greek language became a generally used form of communication in this culture. Education began to take a higher priority, and people began thinking in objective and rational terms. The people of this culture were longing for redemption and hope amidst the change in the Roman empire. Many cults began to permeate the people, casting a misleading shadow on whatever ministry the Lord
was leading in the same areas. Augustus Caesar had led his people at this time, a leadership that was established in 27 BCE. At this time, however, Claudius Caesar was ruling the empire. Understanding the cultural aspects and artifacts sheds a light on the understanding of context within the book of Galatians written by the Apostle Paul, a man who used to live a completely different life. GEOGRAPHICAL SOUVENIRS:
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Shown above is a map of Galatia and some of the surrounding countries. Silva tells us that many scholars think the letter to the Galatians was written to churches found in Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. These are located in the southern parts of Galatia, in the interior of Asia Minor, now known as Turkey today. Moo demonstrates both arguments for whether or not the letter was addressed to the North or South. Based on the names that he mentions, it can help us
determine which provinces he is addressing because names are particularly specific to geographical locations
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. 13
George, Galatians, 24.
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Moisés, New Bible Commentary:, 1206.
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Moo. (2013). Galatians. Baker Academic, 5.
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POLITICAL MONUMENTS:
Something important to consider when evaluating the politics within the setting of Galatians is how their context can influence the way we interpret scripture. Depending on the religious, political, and cultural influences, the conditions behind the writings to the Galatians can add or subtract contextual meaning. As George mentions in his commentary, Paul does not conclude that any one culture had a “monopoly” on the gospel’s interpretation
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. This shows us that the culture in Galatia was very diverse, contributing to many different religious practices and beliefs in the area. The influence of Roman laws and politics also played a part in how the Christian religion was approached, especially considering the level of persecution the churches were facing. These nations were caught up in religious practices, so separating from the law is something that Paul must address.
SUMMARY OF INSIGHTS:
When observing and understanding scripture, considering background and context is crucial to properly understanding the text. Paul’s origin and apostleship show readers the innate authority given by God to teach and instruct His people. Understanding the death-to-life transformation he went through shows readers how truly legitimate his words and messages are, and that they come from a place of genuine life change. His ministry calling and purpose direct the understanding of the text to truly consider what he says and compare between different passages of scripture. As the reader continues their interpretation of scripture, understanding the audience of the letter provides a better context for translating the original meaning of the text. The skewed beliefs of the Galatian churches explain the need for Paul even
to write them in the first place. This provides a purpose behind Paul’s communication, and helps readers understand there is still a need for this clarity today. Similarly, the context of Galatians being written at around 48-50 A.D. sources the understandings that come from a study of culture in that time period. Readers must not assume that scripture was written just for their time. It was provided for the day it was written, and it is a blessing that the Word is active and alive, but can only be properly understood when taken into its rightful context.
When the text can be understood as what it was meant to mean in its original context, it paints the picture for all readers to see the message of the Lord through it, no matter what culture is like today. The themes in Galatians are still the same in culture today. Understanding how the history politics, geography, and audience influence the messages in Galatians is a crucial part of interpreting the scriptures. The fact that the apostles and churches are taking place during a time of intense persecution tells us that their faith was genuine, and that they serve a God worth dying for. A faith like that continues through the generations, changing lives,
because that faith is for a God who came to seek and save the lost. 16
George, Galatians, 108.
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RESOURCES USED:
Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition. (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014)
George, Timothy. (1994). Galatians. Broadman Press.
MacArthur, John. (1987). Galatians. Moody Publishers.
Moisés Silva, “Galatians,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994)
Moo. (2013). Galatians /. Baker Academic,. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (ESV) Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
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