Some Things That Militate Against A Date Prior To 50 A.D.

 

For The Writing Of Galatians

By James Turner

 

  1. The primary purpose of Galatians was to show the brethren in those churches that the Judaizers who were teaching that the Gentile Christians needed to be circumcised and keep requirements of the law were false teachers (Gal. 1:6-0, 3:13, 5:1-4, 6:12-13).

 

  1. The above problem first came up in the first Gentile church at Antioch of Syria (Gal. 2:1-10).

 

  1. Acts 15:1-35 and Galatians 2:1-10 are parallel accounts about the problem over circumcision.

 

  1. The date of the Jerusalem Conference is usually given as 50 A.D. It was held between the first and second journeys of Paul (Acts 13:1-4, 14:26-28, 15:35-41).

 

  1. The problem did not reach the churches of Galatia until several years after the Jerusalem Conference. Therefore there would have been no need for Galatians prior to 50 A.D.

 

  1. Paul revisited the churches of Galatia on his second (Acts 16:1-6) and third journeys and there is no indication that those churches were having trouble over circumcision at the time of those visits. Acts 18:22 is the end of the second journey and 18:23 is the beginning of the third journey.

 

  1. The churches of Galatia were the churches established by Paul and Barnabas as recorded in the thirteenth and fourteenth  chapters of Acts. They were Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:13-16, 13:42-49), Iconium (Acts 14:1-7), Lystra (Acts 14:8-19) and Derbe 14:20-27. Acts 14:26 is the end of the first journey.