Paul visited the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe in Galatia before returning to Antioch, Syria and then the city of Jerusalem. Here is Pauls itinerary for the first missionary journey and the approximate times. The book of Acts tells us that the apostle Paul had three missionary journeys. Copyright 2023, Society of Biblical Literature, You foolish Galatians! Rather than offer a definitive conclusion, the point of this post is instead to make space for creativity in how we imagine the emergence of early Christ groups and thus to destabilize scenarios that we have long considered unquestionable, in this case, the normative early Christian mission. Although Galatia was a Roman province during the time that scholars tend to think Pauls letter was written, that is, in the middle of the first century CE, its culture and society were, like most areas of the Roman Empire, multilayered and complex. Could Paul have established the churches in Galatia for he makes reference to the Galatians as having heard the gospel before also he makes reference to himself in above texts as having been in galatia before. There is an etymological connection between the Greek term for calling and the term ekklsia. Saul (not yet Paul) persecuted the church. Lets look at them in chronological order, beginning with Pauls earliest epistle. (2) Paul visited Jerusalem a second time fourteen years after his conversion and not fourteen years after his first visit to Jerusalem (Gal 2:1). Each issue of Biblical Archaeology Review features lavishly illustrated and easy-to-understand articles such as: Fascinating finds from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament periods, The latest scholarship by the world's greatest archaeologists and distinguished scholars, Stunning color photographs, informative maps, and diagrams, Reviews of the latest books on biblical archaeology, 45+ years of Biblical Archaeology Review, 20+ years of Bible Review online, providing critical interpretations of biblical texts. Can I drink black tea thats 13 years past its best by date? In particular, they claimed that the Galatians decapitated their enemies and ritually displayed their severed heads on wooden posts. This term, moreover, was not the exclusive property of Christ groups and is regularly found among unofficial associations[4] and other political and civic groups. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. In this context, it does affect interpretation to some extent. Instead of Paul showing up in a city and forming a group singularly devoted to Christ, he may have actually targeted social networks that were already in place. What is the significance of the Greek Empire in biblical history? We conclude, therefore, that the Galatian churches were in all probability those founded by Paul on his first missionary journey in South Galatia. This provincial arrangement was established after the land was annexed by Augustus following the death of Mark Antony in ca. To learn more about the Galatians, sign up for the course today. When did Paul start the churches in the region of Galatia? It is a letter from Paul the Apostle to a number of Early Christian communities in Galatia. This letter was probably written about 54 or 55 A.D. Obviously, Galatia was a dark and difficult mission field. The All-Access membership pass is the way to get to know the Bible through biblical archaeology. As Philip Esler remarks, the north Galatian theory could be described as tribal Galatia since on this view the letter was sent to those who were ethnically Galatians. (More on this below.) Such foundations were certainly consonant with Paul's obvious Gentile strategy. 2:2). Fourteen years after his conversion (so it seems; cf. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN 37214 USA) providing information about products and services of HCCP and its affiliates. 21 The evidence is not conclusive, but mostly favours the south Galatian view. A non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation. Does touch ups painting (adding paint on a previously painted wall with the exact same paint) create noticeable marks between old and new? His concentration in Christian Leadership focuses his contributions to pastoral and practical theology. 2 And all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: Clarify However, in this post, I want to push back on key part of this scenario: the idea that Paul founded the Galatian churches. We can deem this the normative understanding of the early Christian mission. I maintain, however, that Paul founding a community/church is a scenario that New Testament scholars throw around all too casually, and it regularly occludes important sociological dynamics and conditions that make the emergence of group formation possible in the first place. We are set free from the Law set free by His grace. The 'North Galatia' theory was the position held by the early Church fathers, and was the dominant view of scholarship until the nineteenth century. Paul then visited the Galatian churches two more times at the beginnings of his second (Acts 16:6; cf. Galatia in Text, Geography, and Archaeology, Galatia in Text, Geography, and Archaeology, Worlds Oldest Blueprints Discovered for Desert Mega-Structures. Christian Truth. Part II: Two Women and a . Returning to Galatians. Is it possible to determine a maximum L/D possible, Find Roman numerals up to 100 that do not contain I". Lets begin with the observation that all other authentic[5] letters of Paul, save for Philemon, are addressed to an ekklsia in a single urban center (Corinth, Rome, Thessalonica, Philippi). Jesus addressed letters to seven churches in the Revelation. Communicating the role that the law played in Gods overall plan of salvation was one of the New Testament churchs biggest challenges. Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army. How do you get others to respond to constructive criticism (Prov. Such a scholarly imagination fulfills what J. In the Fall 2020 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Mark Wilson of the Asia Minor Research Center in Antalya, Turkey, examines the size of Galatia at the time that Paul visited and wrote his letter. Galatia was known as one of the most enthusiastically loyal eastern provinces to Rome. At the end of Paul's first missionary journey, the writer of Acts relates: 26 And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. By 120 AD, all of Anatolia was part of the Roman Empire and Christianity spread throughout Anatolia during this time period. Seven feasts. Paul's Letter to the Galatians is a forceful and passionate letter dealing with a very specific question: the relation of Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians in the church, the problem of justification through faith not works of the Law, and freedom in Christ. The people are the same: James, Peter, John, Paul, and Barnabas. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. We are reminded here of the tentativeness of the historical task since we lack enough information to reach a secure conclusion. [6] Despite a great deal of rural territory, Galatia had numerous urban centers, such as Ancyra (now modern Ankara) and Iconium (modern Konya), and so the question naturally emerges: why is the letter not addressed to Christ followers in a single city in ancient Galatia? Exploring the First Chapter in the New Testament Book of Galatians. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Supporters of the north Galatian theory maintain that the letter was sent to ethnic Galatians located in the northern part of the Galatian province. We aspire to be an intellectual hub for ongoing scholarly discussion concerning the social, economic, cultural, and political context from which early Christianity originated and developed. What was the basis for the Galatian regional network before Paul arrived? Access to 50+ curated Special Collections. This post is adapted from Thomas Schreiner's Galatians online course. Paul's First Missionary Journey - The Bible Journey.org. In his online course on Galatians, Thomas R. Schreiner helps us understand a little better about who Paul was writing to. James Boyce To gather from his letter, Paul had founded the Galatian churches somewhat by accident, when illness overtook him during travels through Asia Minor, and the Galatians welcomed him and nursed him back to health (4:13-16). More broadly, the Gauls are celebrated as mythological and historical ancestors of European cultures and religions. But the work of William Ramsey and others in the twentieth century has provoked scholars to reexamine the destination of the letter, for scholars are now apprised of the dimensions of the Galatian region during Pauls day. Galatia, located in Modern Turkey, was a province of the Roman Empire where Paul traveled. The Epistle to the Galatians is one of the most emotionally intense Pauline letters in the New Testament, rivaled perhaps only by parts of 2 Corinthians. Indeed, it is possible that Pauls ideas survived and thrived precisely because of that pre-existing social network. When did Paul start the churches in the region of Galatia? Whether Crescens, on his leaving St. Paul, went to Galatia or Gaul is, therefore, uncertain. The Book of Acts records Pauls travels through south Galatia, including the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts 1316). However, as with most matters in biblical scholarship, the precise identity and location of these groups is actually far from obvious and has been the focus of significant scholarly debate about provenance and historical and cultural backgrounds and baggage that can affect modern deployments of the letters rhetoric in substantial ways. For more than a century, this argument has centered on whether Paul wrote to Northern Galatia, which is thought to be more ethnically Galatian/Gaulish and thus presumably predominantly non-Jewish and non-Greek, or to Southern Galatia, which is thought to be the location of Pauls first missionary journey as narrated in Acts 13-14 and thus presumably the site of early congregations with Jewish and Greek members. Scholars often refer to these new, southern regions as south Galatia and to geographic Galatia as north Galatia.. Three recent archaeological discoveries suggest that these cities in Pamphylia were part of Galatia when Paul visited the region: The Stadiasmus Patarensis, a road monument from the city of Patara in the region of Lycia, dates to 46 C.E. Read it later, print it out, or share it with a friend. Many defenders of the south Galatian hypothesis respond by emphasizing that the meeting in Gal 2:110 was of a different nature than the council in Acts 15. Paul does not cite an official document but declares that nothing was added to his gospel, showing that the apostles agreed with his theology. The Book of Acts records Paul's travels through "south Galatia," including the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts 13-16). What is the proper way to prepare a cup of English tea? [7] He refers to himself as the one who called them in [or: to] the grace [of Christ] (). Further, two Latin inscriptions, excavated from the city of Perga in Pamphylia, name Galatia and Pamphylia as a joint province during the late 40s and early 50s C.E. Both uses are attested in the first century. ESV - Paul, in other words, relayed the events of the meeting from his perspective. what is discipling according to Matthew 28:18-19. The debate over circumcision may have lasted several days or even longer, and we see a compressed summary of what occurred in both Galatians and Acts. There is little doubt that Paul established the churches in Galatia. To the north was the Black Sea and to the south the Mediterranean Sea. Video lectures from world-renowned experts. Im fascinated by the Biblical number seven. But did you know that theres actually quite a bit of discussion around whether Pauls letter was written to those in northern or southern Galatia? Most textbooks list seven letters as having undisputed Pauline authorship: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, 1 Thessalonians, Philippians, Philemon. In what follows, I want to explore an alternative scenario for thinking about how at least some of Pauls groups emerged; the discussion will use Galatians as a case study. What does it mean that those who are of faith are sons of Abraham (Galatians 3:7). Ekklsia is thus literally a group that has been called together for some purpose. After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town. Saul became Paul and with Barnabas planted churches in Gentile territory, Galatia included, during Pauls first missionary journey. Did Paul start the church in Galatia? Why are demons considered to not have bodies when Lucifer was considered beautiful before the fall? (Specifically for when trying to categorize an adult). Saul visited Jerusalem fourteen years after his conversion. Paul probably wrote the epistle from Ephesus about 53-54 to a church he had founded in the territory of Galatia, in Asia Minor, though there is uncertainty about the date of the letter's composition. Required fields are marked *, COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. Is what Paul says about boasting in Galatians 6:4 a contradiction of what he says in Ephesians 2:9? This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified (Galatians 2:16, CSB). (5) Peter visited Paul in Antioch (Gal 2:1114) after Pauls return to the city after Paul had planted several churches, some being in southern Galatia (Acts 13:114:28). Paul wrote to the churches in southern Galatia after having a hand in starting them on his first missionary journey to Asia Minor. Fung. Paul's Greeting to the Galatians. Stand firm, then, and dont submit again to a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1, CSB). If they were directed to South Galatia and their churches that were founded during his "first missionary journey" then it would go with Acts 13-14, or if it was for North Galatia they would have been founded during his "second missionary journey" would go with Acts 16:6. The apostle Pauls first missionary journey started in Jerusalem (Acts 13:4). [15] Iconium, which is featured prominently in the story of Thecla in the Acts of Paul, was another prominent city in Galatia. What is the Church Age? To my mind, however, calling might better be understood with the assumption that a group already existed and that Paul simply persuaded them to have some interest in Christ. This conclusion is supported in that (1) Paul does not mention the Acts 15 conclusions in Galatians and (2) Luke describes the Acts 15 council as public (cf. Your observations therefore seem to confirm what we read in Acts: Paul went first to the synagogues. Galatians is probably Pauls earliest letter, written around AD 48 to the churches in southern Galatia and not to Gentiles in northern Galatia (the first conclusion among several debated issues, as you will see). Assuming some dates (these dates can be debated) and matching Pauls biographical details their parallels in Acts, Paul persecuted the church (Gal 1:1314; Acts 9:12; AD 34), was converted (Gal 1:1516a; Acts 9:319a; AD 34), preached in Arabia and Damascus for three years (Gal 1:17; Acts 9:1922; AD 3437), visited Peter and James in Jerusalem after these three years (Gal 1:1820; Acts 9:2629; AD 37), and preached in Judea for about ten years (Gal 1:2124; Acts 9:3031; AD 3747). [3] Accepting such a scenario would force us to revise that normative understanding of mission, for we can no longer presume that social formations emerged solely on the basis of members accepting teachings about Jesus. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. My argument will be that, instead of founding the Galatian community, Paul capitalized on a social network that was already in place before he arrived. It doesnt matter. A scholar of the New Testament and early Christianity with research interests in Pauline studies, Roman imperial art and literature, and theory and method in the study of religion, she is the author of Apostle to the Conquered: Reimagining Pauls Mission (Fortress, 2008) and coauthor, with Todd Penner, of De-introducing the New Testament: Texts, Worlds, Methods, Stories (Wiley, 2015). Provincial arrangement was established after the land was annexed by Augustus following the of... 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