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Bible chapter guide
Galatians 1
Paul is astonished that the Galatians are turning so quickly to a different gospel. His gospel came not from any human but through a revelation of Jesus Christ; after his calling he went to Arabia and Damascus, and only after three years went up to Jerusalem to see Cephas.
Summary written for the Labs; read the chapter itself for the full text.
See it in the Labs
- Paul's RoadsArabia (Early years) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsGalatians · Paul's RoadsOpen
- The Biblical Family TreeJames · The Biblical Family TreeOpen
- Paul's RoadsArabia · Paul's RoadsOpen
- The Bible Time MapPeter · The Bible Time MapOpen
- Paul's RoadsJerusalem: Stephen (Early years) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsJerusalem: fifteen days with Peter (Early years) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsTarsus: the silent years (Early years) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsDamascus and the early years · Paul's RoadsOpen
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Also in this chapter
The letter: who wrote it, where and when
These questions are debated; the views are shown side by side with how sure each is, as in Paul's Roads.
- Plausible
Galatians written from Antioch, before the Jerusalem council
If the Jerusalem visit of Galatians 2 is the famine visit (Acts 11:30) and the letter does not mention the council's decision, it may be Paul's earliest letter, written from Antioch about AD 48–49 to the South Galatian churches.
- Plausible
Galatians written from Corinth, on the second journey
After revisiting the Galatian churches (Acts 16:6), Paul could have written from Corinth on hearing they were deserting Christ for a different good news (1:6).
- Plausible
Galatians written from Ephesus, on the third journey
The common North Galatian dating: after Paul's second visit (Acts 18:23; 'the first time', Galatians 4:13), and close to Romans in its themes.
- Plausible
Galatians written from Macedonia, on the third journey
Others place it later still, in Macedonia shortly before Romans, because the two letters argue so alike.
- Plausible
Where Galatians was sent and when it was written are both debated.
The answers hang together: a South Galatian destination allows an early date (even before the Jerusalem council), a North Galatian one requires a date after Acts 16:6. The lab shows each option with its basis.
How sure can we be?
- Plausible
The Arabia stay falls within the 'many days' of Acts 9:23.
Galatians puts Arabia between the conversion and the return to Damascus; Acts 9:23 leaves a gap of 'many days' there. How long Paul stayed is unknown.
- Plausible
Paul's conversion was about AD 33/34.
Counting back from the Jerusalem council (c. AD 48/49) using 'after three years' (Galatians 1:18) and 'fourteen years after' (2:1), and allowing that ancient counting included part-years, gives a date in the early 30s. The death of Aretas IV (c. AD 40) sets a…
- Speculative
Paul's 'Arabia' was probably the Nabataean lands south and east of Damascus.
Galatians 1:17 names only 'Arabia'. The Nabataean kingdom bordered Damascus, and its king's governor later watched for Paul there (2 Corinthians 11:32), which suggests Paul had been active in his territory. Where he went inside it, and for how long, is unknow…
- Speculative
Paul spent these years preaching in Cilicia and Syria.
Galatians 1:23 says the churches heard he was preaching; where, with whom and for how long is not recorded.