Biblical Perspectives, Vol. 1 No. 1, 1993.
Original scientific paper
To Whom and When Was Written the Epistle to the Galatians?
Dragutin Matak
; Adriatic Union College
Abstract
Who were the Galatians? This is the most difficult question to answer from the historian’s point of view. Where did they originate? Does the term “Galatians” describe an ethnic group who lived in the northern part of Asia Minor, or the citizens of the Roman province? When did Paul visit them? Answers to these questions would not only be of a great help in the exegesis of the text, but would give a valuable clue in establishing “when” and “where” the letter was written. All
of these questions have been the subject of extensive scholarly debate.
Even after considering historical and exegetical arguments, the issue still is not completely evident. However, the weight of the evidence points to the South rather than to the North Galatian hypothesis.
The North Galatian hypothesis requires a later date because these churches were supposed to be founded during Paul’s second missionary jorney, of 49—50 A.D. (Act 16:6 and 18:23)- The South Galatian hypothesis suggests an earlier date since Paul and Brnabas established the churches in Antioch, Lystra, Iconia, and Derbe between 45 and 47 A.D. (Acts 13-14). In the light of the evidence it seems reasonable to conclude that Galatians was written possibly from Antioch after the first missionary jorney of Paul and Bamabas, before the Jerusalem Council, and before the second missionary journey of Paul, Timothy, and Silas.
Keywords
Galatians; missionary journeys; ethnic Galatians; Roman province; Antioch; Lystra; Iconia; Derbe; Barnabas
Hrčak ID:
89617
URI
Publication date:
30.6.1993.
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