The Pentecostal Commentary: Galatians: The Pentecostal Commentary, #4

By Billy Prewitt

• The distinctive Pentecostal pneumatology is sustained
• Key doctrines are identified and expounded
• Important cross references within Scripture are noted
• Historical connections in Church history are mentioned
• Erroneous teachings are scrutinized
• Comments are based on the King James Version
• The KJV text is printed in the body of the commentary

With a modern style of readability, this commentary series is appropriate for anyone seeking to grow and understand the truths of Scripture and is especially helpful to pastors as well as college and seminary students.

Author's Foreward
As a Pentecostal student attending a Pentecostal Bible college, I went to the college bookstore to purchase my textbooks without knowing that the commentaries on my book list were written by non-Pentecostals. Even though my classes required commentaries from various publishers, none of the publishers were Pentecostal. I often wondered why a Pentecostal Bible school would use non-Pentecostal commentaries for class. What I did not know at the time was that there really was no such thing as a Pentecostal commentary written for and by Pentecostals. Since then, there have been a few Pentecostals who have written on individual books, but there are significant portions of even the New Testament that have had little or no Pentecostal voice. As a result, serious Pentecostal students have no other choice but to learn at the feet of non-Pentecostals.

I am not opposed to non-Pentecostal commentaries. Indeed, I have gained considerable insights from reading such, but there are two points of theology that I must consciously filter out every time I read them. The most important concern to a Pentecostal is that the pneumatology (the study of the Holy Spirit) presented by non-Pentecostals is very different than that of a Pentecostal. The second point is the emphasis on Calvinistic doctrines especially eternal security with which most Pentecostals do not agree. In addition, there are other theological differences and substantially different hermeneutical principals that can dramatically alter the interpretation of texts in non-Pentecostal ways.

In my studies, I have always desired to have a commentary that was thoroughly Pentecostal, but I never imagined that I would write one. From one Pentecostal to another, I hope you will find this series to be a breath of fresh Spirit anointed air.

Series Preface
While it is hoped that Bible students from other theological traditions will study and benefit from its contents, it is first and foremost Pentecostal. As such, this commentary does not include surveys of other viewpoints unless such inclusion is necessary for clarity of argument. In addition, with all due respect to our Charismatic brethren, it may be said that this series is not meant to be inclusive of Charismatic interpretations related to pneumatology.

The Pentecostal Commentary series intentionally excludes views of Scripture that do not hold to its inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility, and also excludes modern liberal arguments of authorship, date, purpose, and so on. Traditional viewpoints on these subjects will be discussed without confusing the issue. In addition, 19th century criticism methods and concerns over source documents will not often be discussed. In other words, this series assumes that the Biblical text is as God wants it to be and that it was written by the person and at the time traditionally ascribed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Billy Prewitt
• Release date: Jan 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005830854

Billy Prewitt

Billy M. Prewitt holds a PhD in Biblical Studies, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership, a Master of Arts in Theology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sacred Music. His most recent accomplishments include authoring three Pentecostal Commentaries: Matthew, Galatians, and Acts 1-12. Additionally, along with his professional teaching experience in both the private and public sectors, he has served in the Church as a youth pastor, associate pastor, and currently serves as the pastor of Family Fellowship Church in Lake City, Florida.

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Introduction

Author

The author of the book of Galatians was the Apostle Paul. Paul, also known as Saul, was born in Tarsus of Cilicia which is located on the Mediterranean coast of modern Turkey. As a Jew, he studied in Jerusalem under the tutelage of the revered Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Before becoming a believer, Paul was hostile to the Christian Church. He was witness to the martyrdom of Stephen after which he attempted to exterminate Christians in both Judaea and even as far as Damascus. On the road to Damascus, however, Christ appeared to him. From that experience onward, Paul was a changed man whom God used primarily for the advancement of the Gospel among the Gentiles of what we call Asia Minor and Southern Europe.

Unlike many of the other books in Scripture, there has never been any great controversy over Paul’s authorship of Galatians nor its genuineness.¹ Galatians 1:1 expressly recognizes Paul as its author with many references to his life in the text.

Audience

Although there has been debate about the audience, it should be generally understood that Galatians was written to the churches that were founded under Paul’s ministry during his first missionary journey which is recorded in Acts 13-14. It is the only epistle that Paul wrote that is addressed to more than one assembly (Galatians 1:2). Some commentators insist that it was Paul’s second missionary journey that opened the doors for ministry in Galatia. This is based on Acts 16:6. Galatia is not specifically mentioned in Acts 13-14, even so, the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia indicates that the English word Galatia can refer to either a very specific area or a Roman region depending on the context. A strong argument is made that Paul’s epistle to the Galatians did not even include Galatia proper at all but rather the Roman region.² If this is so, then it was on the first missionary journey that Paul established churches there. To add weight to this argument, the Galatian Christians must have been familiar with Barnabas because he is mentioned three times in Galatians without any introduction (Galatians 2:1, 9, and 13). Barnabas was not with Paul on the second missionary journey.

Paul visited Galatia three times in the book of Acts, once on each of his three missionary journeys. In Acts 13-14 he established churches through his usual manner of preaching in the synagogues when possible and then turning to the Gentiles. On his second journey, he visited the churches specifically delivering the verdict of the Jerusalem council of Acts 15 (see Acts 16:4). On the third journey, Paul once again visited the area strengthening the disciples (Acts 18:23). It would appear that Paul did not plant any churches in that region during his last two journeys.

These congregations were likely composed mostly of Gentiles, however, there were probably some Jewish believers among them. Certainly the troublers which became such a major part of the epistle were Jewish. It seems reasonable to conclude that there was a large enough Jewish constituency for these troublers to have such a strong voice.

Date

Providing a date for Galatians seems to be one of the most difficult matters in the whole study. Certainly, there are many and quite varied attempts to do so on the part of competent scholars. Paul visited the region at least twice. Of that, there can be no question. There is argument as to whether Paul was in Galatia on his first missionary journey. Most think that he was not; however, see the argument on this subject in the Audience section above.

It must readily be admitted that we must make some assumptions in order to have any way to approach this matter, so the following assumptions will be made:

1) Paul’s first missionary journey in Acts 13-14 was in Galatia, thus Paul visited the area on three separate occasions.

2) The Jerusalem council of Acts 15 is the event recounted in Galatians 2. There are those that disagree with this assumption, but the evidence very strongly points in this direction.

Taking these assumptions into account, we must also account for the internal evidence related to Paul’s visits. Andrew Fausset makes a very astute observation from internal evidence. Galatians 4:13 states, Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. According to Fausset, the Greek implies that Paul at the time of writing had been twice in Galatia.³ Galatians 1:6 states, I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel. Fausset argues that this implies that he wrote not long after having left Galatia the second time.⁴ If that is true, then Paul would have written Galatians during either his second missionary journey or his third depending on whether the locations mentioned in Acts 13-14 should be considered as Galatia. Many argue that Paul wrote Galatians from either Ephesus or Corinth during his third missionary journey because of this reasoning; however, in this argument, they assume that the first missionary journey was not to Galatia.

Another detail of internal evidence must be taken into account, however, that plays a major fact in the date. Peter’s visit to Antioch could have happened at only two points in time based on the Acts narrative (Acts 15:35 and 18:22-23). The only of these occasions that seems reasonable to have included Barnabas was the one in Acts 15:35 after which Barnabas disappears from Scripture (Acts 15:39). Peter’s visit to Antioch must then have been quite soon after the Jerusalem council of Acts 15. This being the case, all of the events recorded in Galatians had already happened by the time Paul left for his second missionary journey making it possible for him to write Galatians any time after Acts 16:6.

The second missionary journey specifically included Paul’s dissemination of the decision of the Jerusalem council (Acts 16:4). Paul was only too happy to publish this report. No mention is made of church planting activity until Paul reached Philippi (Acts 16:12). This silence, however, may not mean that there were no churches planted, for Paul clearly intended to bring the Gospel to places it had not been preached. With exactly those intentions, Paul left the area but went through a period of frustration in finding the direction of the Spirit for his future ministry (see Acts 16:6-10). We are not told how long this period lasted, but it was long enough for him to realize at least two dead ends. He was forbidden to preach in Asia and also Bithynia (Acts 16:6-7). It was also long enough for Luke to join his company. It is generally believed that Troas was the place where Luke joined Paul because of the change in pronouns starting in Acts 16:10. Was this a long enough period for the Galatians to fall into the hands of Judaizers and the matter be reported to Paul? He would still have been reasonably close at that point.

The strongest evidence pointing to the second missionary journey as the time of writing is the dissemination of the ruling from Jerusalem. Since Paul delivered that ruling on his second journey, the so soon of Galatians 1:6 seems to imply that the Judaizers came in immediately after its delivery. To place the writing of Galatians on the third journey would separate that delivery from the writing by several years (at least four and possibly as many as seven). It seems that the whole sequence of events passed much more rapidly that that.

If Galatians was written during Paul’s second missionary journey, then it was likely the first of his writings. He went to the area again on his third missionary journey strengthening all the disciples (Acts 18:23). If he had already written this epistle to them, it would indicate that there were those who had repented and separated themselves from the controversy which occasioned this writing. If, however, Paul wrote this epistle on his third journey, it would indicate that he never visited them again to check on their well-being.

William Smith sets a date for the second missionary journey as 50-54 AD.⁵ If that is accurate, then Paul most likely wrote Galatians in 51 or 52 AD.

Occasion and Purpose

After having visited Galatia twice, Paul learned that the churches in that region had been influenced in a similar way to his own experience in Antioch (Acts 15:1). Certain men had taught the necessity of circumcision. In addition, they had taught the Gentiles to observe Jewish feast days, sabbaths, and the like. Upon learning this, Paul wrote this epistle to combat their teaching and bring the Gentile believers back into the faith from which they had fallen.

As a necessity of the occasion, Paul provides quite a bit of his own biographical information in Galatians that can be found nowhere else in the New Testament. In particular, Paul’s interactions with the apostles of Jerusalem and especially with Peter play a significant role in Galatians. We also learn of Paul’s trip to Arabia as well as a distinct history concerning his message and apostleship.

As became his custom, Paul used the opportunity to share some practical teachings for those who would hear. In Galatians, he shares the most concentrated teaching on the fruit of the Spirit that can be found in the New Testament.

Theology

In Galatians, Paul sets forth his doctrine of justification by faith. In fact, along with Romans, the teachings of Galatians form the pillar of Martin Luther’s teaching and that of the Reformation as a whole. A man cannot become justified in the sight of God by works. No system of works will bring justification. In the days of Paul, it was the works of the Law including circumcision that vied for the believers’ trust. In the days of Luther, it was Roman Catholic works such as penance, veneration of saints, confessionals, and so on. It is not surprising to find that Luther identified with Galatians and Romans so readily. The parallels are significant.

More than influencing the Reformation, Galatians, more than any other book, speaks to some very dangerous teachings both in history and the present day. As Galatians makes abundantly clear, it is disastrous to one’s faith to trust in the Law. The temptation to revert to bondage is still active today just as much as it was in the days of Paul. There are many people who encourage Christian believers to observe the feasts of Leviticus 23 including the Passover which is unlawful for Gentiles to observe (Exodus 12:43-49). Others insist on observing the literal Sabbath day on Saturday along with even the Old Testament dietary restrictions.

There are two primary types of false teachings identified in the New Testament. The first (in order of chronology) has to do with those who lure people into the bondage of the Law. Galatians deals with this more clearly and forcefully than any other book of the New Testament. The other type of false teaching has to do with those who deny the deity of Christ which is not specifically an issue in Galatians.

For Pentecostals, Galatians is important for a number of reasons. As has been mentioned previously, Galatians provides the most descriptive list of the fruit of the Spirit. When this list is acknowledged as the work of the Spirit in a believer and as the antidote for the works of the flesh, it gives greater insight into the Spirit’s ministry.

In addition to the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians distinctly recognizes the miraculous power associated with the Spirit. Pentecostal doctrine requires that the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues be a precursor to the gifts of the Spirit that are described in 1 Corinthians 12. The inverse of this is also true. When the baptism in the Holy Spirit is lacking, there are few if any miraculous works. Paul’s argument includes a clear testimony that the Spirit is responsible for miracles (Galatians 3:5). This of necessity connects to the baptism in the Holy Spirit as the power behind those miracles.

Back to the Table of Contents

Galatians 1

Greeting (1:1-5)

1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

1:2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

1:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

1:5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1:1 The first word of Galatians identifies Paul as its author. He identifies himself as an apostle (G652) which means a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders.¹ Paul applied this title to himself throughout his ministry. According to the definition set forth by Peter in Acts 1:21-22, Paul would have been excluded having not traveled with Jesus during His earthly ministry. This necessitated that Paul defend his apostleship (see 2 Corinthians 11:5). Never, however, did the other apostles disdain Paul’s apostleship. Instead, they affirmed it (Galatians 2:7-9).

Paul also repeatedly affirmed that his apostleship was neither originated nor propagated to him by man. The authority of his apostleship rested solely in the will of Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him.

1:2 We do not know exactly when or where Paul wrote this epistle; therefore, it is impossible to know exactly to whom he refers. It was his custom to affirm those who ministered along side him in the Gospel.

Galatians is the only of Paul’s epistles that was written specifically to more than one church. These churches should be understood as those that were founded by Paul during his first missionary journey (Acts 13-14). The area known as Galatia was located in the central area of modern Turkey (see the introduction for more on the region).

1:3 Grace (G5485) is favor, kindness, friendship, and God’s forgiving mercy.² Peace (G1515) means health, prosperity, and welfare.³ These stand in contrast to the wrath of God that "is revealed from heaven against all