Reading the Envelope

Is there anything more exciting than receiving a letter in the mail? After rifling through a stack of bills and credit card offers, imagine you found a handwritten letter. What would you do first? Most of us wouldn’t tear open the envelope and begin reading mid- sentence, mid-letter. We’d first read the envelope to see whom the letter was addressed to and who sent it. When we begin studying a book of the Bible, we also need to “read the envelope”. We need to find out who wrote it, who they wrote it to, and why they felt compelled to do so. For the next few months we will be studying the epistle, or letter to the Galatians. Let’s check out the envelope together.

“Paul, an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me:

To the churches of Galatia. Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”(Galatians 1:1-5)

The New Testament epistles begin in a similar format, common to letters written at the time. Unlike modern letters that are addressed to the recipient, in Greco-Roman times a letter began with the name of the sender, and was followed by a description of the recipient, and then a prayer or blessing.

So, who wrote the letter?

If you said Paul, great job! As you continue to read the envelope some additional questions may come to mind. Who was Paul? What authority did he have to write this letter? Why did he clarify that Jesus Christ made him an apostle? Was his authority being called into question, and if so, by whom? Learning the answers to these questions can give us greater context into what we are about to read.

To whom did Paul write the letter?

You’ve got it! He wrote it to the churches of Galatia. Now this is a bit different than Paul’s other letters who are typically addressed to a singular church or to “brothers and sisters”. This should cause us to wonder “What were multiple churches in the region of Galatia struggling with that led Paul to write them a letter?” And that will help us to finish reading the envelope as we ask, “Why did Paul write the letter to the churches in Galatia?”

The churches in Galatia were being infiltrated by teachers presenting a false gospel: Jesus + circumcision (or works of the law) = salvation. Paul wants the believers to understand there is no addition in this equation. Nothing is needed to complete their salvation, indeed nothing apart from Jesus alone offers them salvation.

As we read through this remarkable letter, Paul will explain what it meant for the Galatians to be free from the burden of the law, how to use that freedom for good, and how to walk by the Spirit. We will also explore what those very same things mean for us today in our context. Join us!

Natalie