Galatians, Letter to The A letter from the Apostle Paul to the churches in Galatia, a region of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Among the 13 New Testament letters traditionally ascribed to Paul, Galatians is perhaps second in influence, following Romans.

Galatians is one of the most-studied letters of the New Testament. It was the object of attention in early and medieval Christianity, and its influence increased during the Reformation period.

• Luther (1483–1546) lectured on Galatians in 1519 and 1523. The substance of his lectures was later compiled into a commentary bearing his name (see Graebner, “Preface,” iv—v).

• Calvin (1509–1564) cited Galatians frequently in his Institutes, wrote a commentary on it, and preached on it.

• More recently, Boice described Galatians as the “Magna Carta of Christian liberty” (“Galatians,” 403).

• Longenecker and Bruce, in large measure owing to the influence of Galatians, characterized Paul as the “Apostle of Liberty” and the “Apostle of the Free Spirit” (in works bearing these titles, respectively).

(For a brief sketch of the influence of Galatians in Christian thought, see Dunn, Theology, ch. 7.)

The material below surveys the content of Galatians, historical matters (author, recipients, date, place of origin), literary matters (structure, genre, purpose, theological themes) and ongoing debates over interpretive questions.