work of theology. Luther saw in this letter Paul’s excoriation of ecclesiastical authorities who might impose upon the freedom of the human spirit and the standing of any one individual before God. While we might acknowledge the validity of Luther’s theological use of Galatians to speak powerfully in the sixteenth century, this letter is in the first instance a vigorous pastoral letter written to confront and correct a problem in a particular local setting that is quite unique. As we indicated in
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