Reading Galatians in First-Century Context

The apostle Paul wrote the epistle to the Galatians. By far, Galatians is one of the most controversial letters among the Pauline writings. Galatians appears to have been written in instantaneous response to what Paul observed as an urgent crisis among the Galatian churches. For Galatians provides us with more personal and autobiographical information than any other letters of the apostle Paul. When all the information and the teaching is integrated with the teaching of the letter itself, it helps us to build up a strong picture of Paul the missionary and theologian, and also allows us to situate the letter to Galatia itself within both his life and his theology. To the Galatians, however; Paul had preached Christ crucified and response of faith had resulted in rich and powerful experience of the Spirit. Paul's recollection also gives valuable information regarding those to whom the letter was addressed and about their admission into Christian faith.Panayotis Coutsoumpos, PhD, The University of Sheffield, England. He is an adjunct professor of Biblical, and New Testament Studies at the University of Montemorelos, Mexico. He is the author of several books and has published many articles in professional journals. He has published several books including Paul and the Lord's Supper, in Spanish Comunidad, Conflicto y Eucaristia en La Corinto Romana. More recently, Coutsoumpos has published the book Paul, Corinth, and the Roman Empire. He currently lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.