3. What's the deal? Why did Paul write the letter?
Most of the time, Paul wrote letters to address questions or problems in the churches. The Galatian churches had been invaded by Judaizers, Jews who made a profession of Christianity but wanted to add a legal requirement to salvation. They added circumcision and other requirements under Mosaic law. They rejected Paul's message: salvation comes through grace by faith in Jesus Christ. Alone. There is no other requirement, even for Gentiles like the Galatians.
And they attacked Paul personally to cast doubt on his authority and further challenge his message.
4. What's Paul's message? Ephesians 2:8-9 says it pretty clearly. Here's Paul's version of the gospel, in a nutshell:
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.
Do you ever question how easily we come to God? Shouldn't salvation be more difficult? Maybe more like Survivor with challenges to over come or some other reality show where you are judged critically and eliminated, leaving only the best standing? Definitely there should be a long list of rules to follow. Right?
Paul's going to answer that question for the Galatians, the Judaizers, and for us. It's simple because it has to be. There's no other way. We've had a chance to try it by performing rituals and ceremonies and following the rules and we couldn't do it. But Jesus could. And did. Now we have to understand what that means.
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