The Church in Galatians

Not so fast! First, we must consider 2 Corinthians

In this epistle he mentions church 9x (8x churches; 1x church of God which is in Corinth); saints 5x; brethren 8x. He also refers to them as the temple of God and a chaste virgin.

Okay, now on to Galatians

The epistle to the Galatians is interesting because Galatia was an area, not a city. 1 & 2 Corinthians were addressed to the church of God in Corinth, this epistle is addressed to the churches of Galatia. The cities of Galatia mentioned in the Book of Acts are: Antioch Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe; there was a church in each city. Apparently this was a circular epistle written to all of them.

Paul uses church three times, all in chapter one: 1.2 churches of Galatia; 1:13 church of God; 1.22 churches of Judea. All of these refer to what we call “the local church”

While Paul may not use the word church often in this epistle, he does have other descriptions of the church.

sons of God – for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (3:26; also 4:6-7)

And now I get a little controversial. Paul had visited these cities, preached the gospel to them, and established churches among these Galatians. Some time later these churches were visited by people we call ‘Judaizers’, people who taught a different gospel, saying that in order to be saved the Galatians would have to adopt the law (be circumcised, and observe the feasts and holy days etc.); in other words, become Jews if they wanted to be Christians. Paul, in fighting this heretical teaching in this epistle, gives these Gentile churches some amazing titles.

3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the sons of Abraham.

3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise

4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
(see 4:22-31)

6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

the Israel of God – I am fully aware that there might be some who will have a stroke at this identification, but it just seems consistent to me. In chapters 3 & 4 he forthrightly declared that believers in Christ are the sons of Abraham, Abraham’s seed, and children of promise; he has already all but said the church was the Israel of God, here he plainly declares it. The entire argument of the epistle is pretty much summed up in v 15, the benediction is then given to the individuals (as many as) who walk according to this rule, and to the Israel of God, “the same Christians regarded collectively, and forming the true messianic community” (Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament).

And finally...Nine times Paul calls them brethren. That’s as many as all the other references combined! It seems the favorite word or expression for the church in apostolic times was brethren.

Monday: The Church in Ephesians