why indeed does God oppose Judaizers? let's see what Paul had to say
Author: Galatians 1:1 clearly identifies the apostle Paul as the writer of the epistle to the Galatians.
Date of Writing: Galatians is likely the first New Testament book to be written, composed sometime soon after AD 49.
Purpose of Writing: The churches in Galatia were comprised of both Jewish and Gentile converts. Paul’s purpose in writing to these churches was to confirm them in the faith, especially concerning justification by faith alone, apart from the works of the
Law of Moses.
Galatians was written because the churches of that region were facing a theological crisis. The essential truth of justification by faith rather than by human works was being denied by the
Judaizers—legalistic Jews who insisted that Christians must keep the Mosaic Law. In particular, the Judaizers insisted on
circumcision as a requirement for Gentiles who wished to be saved. In other words, convert to Judaism
first, and then you are eligible to become a Christian. When Paul learned that this heresy was being taught to the Galatian churches, he composed an epistle to emphasize our liberty in Christ and to counter the perversion of the gospel that the Judaizers promoted.
Key Verses:
Galatians 2:16: “Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.”
Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Galatians 3:11: “Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, ‘The righteous will live by faith.’"
Galatians 4:5-6: “to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’"
Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 6:7: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
Brief Summary: The fact that we are justified by grace through faith means we have spiritual freedom. We are not under bondage to the dictates of the Old Testament Law. Paul soundly condemns anyone who would denigrate the grace of God and attempt to change the gospel (
Galatians 1:8–10). He gives his apostolic credentials (
Galatians 1:11–2:14) and emphasizes that righteousness comes through Christ not the works of the Law (
Galatians 2:21). The Galatians must stand fast in their freedom and not be “entangled again with a yoke of bondage (that is, the Mosaic law)” (
Galatians 5:1). Christian freedom is not an excuse to gratify one’s sin nature; rather, our freedom is an opportunity to love one another (
Galatians 5:13;
6:7–10). The Christian life is to be lived in the power of the Spirit, not the flesh (
Galatians 5:16–18). The
flesh has been crucified with Christ (
Galatians 2:20); as a consequence, the Spirit will bear
His fruit in the life of the believer (
Galatians 5:22–23).
In the end, the issue is not whether a person is circumcised but whether he is a “new creation” (
Galatians 6:15). Salvation is the work of the Spirit, and we must be
born again (see
John 3:3). External religious rites such as circumcision are of no value in the realm of the Spirit.
GotQuestions article on Judaizing and Paul's letter to the Galatians