The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (205 page)

12:15 spend and be spent:
Instead of demanding payment for his labor, Paul is willing to spend himself for the good of souls. His sacrificial zeal for the gospel (Phil 2:17) enables him to endure discomforts that he knows will benefit the wavering Corinthians. 
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12:16 crafty, you say:
Suspicions were apparently raised that Paul was mishandling the funds of the Jerusalem collection (chaps. 8-9). Critics probably accused him of secretly pocketing some of the money for himself, even though he appeared to live in poverty while among them (11:9). These accusations were empty: Paul's conscience was clear (1:12) because his conduct was irreproachable (4:2).
See note on 2 Cor 8:21
. 
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Word Study

Paradise
(
2 Cor 12:3
)

Paradeisos
(Gk.): a Persian loan word meaning "garden" or "park", used three times in the NT. The term makes its first biblical appearance in the Greek version in Gen 2:8, where it refers to the Garden of Eden. Here, before his rebellion, man lived enfolded in the blessings and peace of God. Centuries later, the Prophets foretold that the blissful conditions of Eden would reappear in the future (Is 51:3; Ezek 36:35). The NT sharpens this expectation, indicating that the true garden of paradise is supernatural and heavenly, not natural and merely earthly. It is nothing less than the eternal dwelling of God, where Jesus promised to accompany the good thief after death (Lk 23:43) and where Paul was transported in a mystical journey (2 Cor 12:3). This heavenly paradise is the eternal dwelling that awaits the saints (Rev 2:7).

12:21 have not repented:
Although most of the Corinthians regained their trust in Paul (7:9), a minority remained impenitent and continued to criticize his apostleship. These unrepentant few likely supported the "false apostles" (11:13) and followed their immoral example. 
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13:1 two or three witnesses:
Judicial criteria drawn from Deut 17:6 and 19:15. • The Mosaic Law forbade Israel to punish crimes on the basis of a single witness. Accused persons were thus assured a fair criminal process and that punishment would not be administered without credible and corroborating testimony. Paul, like Jesus, applies this principle in a New Covenant context (Mt 18:16-17). He thus assures the Corinthians that detractors will not be expelled from their fellowship and liturgy without a just examination of the facts (1 Tim 5:19). Even so, Paul is ready to punish disobedience if necessary (10:6; 13:2).
See note on 1 Cor 5:13
. 
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13:3 you desire proof:
This sums up all the criticisms leveled against Paul, since some of the Corinthians, under the deceitful influence of false teachers, doubted and even denied that Christ was
speaking
through him as a genuine apostle. Paul strategically applies this same standard to his critics in 13:5 to test whether or not Christ dwells within them. 
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13:4 crucified in weakness:
The Cross of Christ stands behind many of Paul's references to weakness (1 Cor 1:23-25; 2:2-3; 2 Cor 11:30; 12:5, 10). Just as the humiliating death of Jesus gave way to his powerful Resurrection, Paul and the other apostles willingly embrace suffering and shame so that the risen life of Jesus can flow out to others. The point is that God's power operates through human weakness, not in spite of it (2 Cor 12:9). 
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13:9 your improvement:
Paul wants most to restore his readers to spiritual health. Both Corinthian letters reveal his concern for them and the efforts he was willing to make to bring them from infancy to spiritual maturity (1 Cor 3:1-3). 
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13:12 a holy kiss:
A gesture of affection and Christian brotherhood (Rom 16:16; 1 Pet 5:14). It is a common expression of hospitality in the Near East, equivalent to a friendly handshake in the modern Western world. 
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13:14
One of the earliest and clearest expressions of faith in the Trinity found in the NT. It has been used for centuries as a liturgical benediction (CCC 249, 1109). 
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INTRODUCTION TO

Author and Date
 The opening line of Galatians identifies its author as the Apostle Paul (1:1). With the exception of a few skeptical opinions in modern times, this claim has never been seriously contested. The early Church held this view unanimously, and the contents of the letter, theological and autobiographical, confirm beyond a reasonable doubt that Paul must have written it as he said (6:11).

Dating the composition of the letter is more difficult. The question hinges in part on the identity of Paul's addressees: the "churches of Galatia" (1:2). If the apostle is writing to the churches of South Galatia that he established on his first missionary journey (Acts 14:1-23), then he could have penned the epistle as early as
A.D.
48. But if Paul addresses churches in North Galatia that he seems to have founded on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:6), then he could not have written the letter before
A.D.
50. These differing dates mean that Paul's visit to Jerusalem mentioned in Gal 2:1-10 is an important factor that must be considered. Those who prefer the earlier date contend that Paul is referring in these verses to the visit to Judea mentioned in Acts 11:29-30. Those who prefer a later date suggest that Paul is describing the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15:1-29, which convened in
A.D.
49. On balance, the evidence leans in favor of a later date over an earlier one. Several parallels between Paul's comments in Gal 2:1-10 and the circumstances of the Jerusalem Council suggest that Paul is looking back on this important event (
see note on Gal 2:1-10
). Galatians, therefore, was probably written in the early or mid 50s.

Destination
 The Roman Province of Galatia was established in 25
B.C.
in the central territory of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Prior to this, migrant tribes from Gaul had settled in the northern parts of this territory in the third century
B.C.
and were long known as the "Galatians". This has made it exceedingly difficult for scholars to identify the Christians whom Paul was addressing by that name (3:1). Many argue that Paul's letter was written solely for these northern Galatians, since Greco-Roman sources use the title "Galatians" as a purely
ethnic
reference to these tribal immigrants. Others contend that in the NT period, "Galatians" could also be used as a
territorial
reference to anyone living within the boundaries of the province, regardless of whether they lived in the northern or southern regions. The Jewish historian Josephus seems to use it in this more general way. Thus, with the term "Galatians" becoming more inclusive by the first century—at least in Paul's Jewish environment—it is nearly impossible to favor one view over another merely on the basis of the name (3:1). Until decisive evidence surfaces, we can be sure only that Paul was addressing Christians who lived somewhere in the province of Galatia, even though the question of North or South Galatia remains an open one.

Purpose
 Paul wrote this letter to defend his gospel against opponents and to dissuade the Galatians from receiving circumcision. Apparently rival missionaries, known as Judaizers, infiltrated the ranks of the Galatian churches during Paul's absence and stirred up trouble among his Gentile converts. Internal evidence within the letter suggests they preached a false gospel (1:6-7) that pressured Gentile Christians to embrace circumcision and the ceremonial laws of the Old Covenant as indispensable requirements for salvation (5:2-12; 6:12-13). Although they professed to be Christians, they felt that Paul's gospel of "faith working through love" (5:6) was incomplete without the ritual observances of the Mosaic Law. The success that these Judaizers enjoyed in Galatia forced Paul to respond with a vigorous defense of the gospel (1:11-2:10) and a sophisticated explanation of how the New Covenant inaugurated by Christ dispenses with the ceremonies of the Old (chaps. 3-4). In his view, to add circumcision and other Mosaic requirements to the gospel is to exchange freedom in Christ for spiritual slavery (2:4; 5:1). Stern warnings thus punctuate this letter as Paul appeals to the Galatians to distance themselves from the Judaizers and to disregard their propaganda.

Themes and Characteristics
 Galatians is clearly the most polemical of Paul's letters. Although it shares much in common with the more formal Letter to the Romans, the apologetic tone of this letter is heated and, at times, even combative. There can be no question that Paul perceived the Galatian crisis as a great spiritual threat to everyone involved. As he saw it, the issues at stake touched the very heart of Christian identity and demanded a forceful defense of the gospel.

What was the essence of this controversy, and why was it so important for Paul to resolve it quickly and decisively? For the most part, Galatians is Paul's attempt to define the essence of the New Covenant in Christ over against the Old Covenant that gave birth to it. This is why circumcision is the towering issue of the letter, with the Judaizers promoting it, Paul attacking it, and the Galatians caught in the crossfire. Before the coming of Christ, the rite of circumcision was the doorway into God's covenant with Abraham (Gen 17:9-14) and the sacrament of initiation into the family of Israel (Lev 12:3). The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, however, marks a turning point in covenant history where circumcision is now set aside, along with the entire body of liturgical and ceremonial legislation promulgated by Moses. Through his Cross, Christ has redeemed us from the curses of the Old Covenant (Gal 3:13) and unleashed the divine blessings of the New Covenant in a powerful way, inaugurating a "new creation" (6:15) and a renewed "Israel" (6:16). As Paul shows from the Scriptures, the New Covenant ratified by Christ
fulfills
the Abrahamic covenant of blessing for all nations even as it
terminates
the Mosaic covenant that was confined to the one nation of Israel in the centuries between Abraham and Christ. Now, whoever embraces Christ in faith (3:7) and receives Baptism (3:27) becomes a spiritual descendant of Abraham and an adopted child of God (4:1-7).

Paul's effort in this letter to define the terms of the gospel has made Galatians one of his most important writings. Although storms of controversy have continued to gather around this epistle throughout the centuries, we would be greatly impoverished without it. Galatians still stands as a thunderous defense of the good news, reaffirming for all time that salvation comes only by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. «

OUTLINE OF THE LETTER OF SAINT PAUL TO THE GALATIANS

1. Opening Address (
1:1-9
)

   A. Salutation (
1:1-5
)

   B. Condemnation of False Gospels (
1:6-9
)

2. Paul's Apostolic Authority (
1:10-2:21
)

   A. Paul's Background and Divine Vocation (
1:10-17
)

   B. First Visit to Jerusalem (
1:18-24
)

   C. Second Visit to Jerusalem (
2:1-10
)

   D. Confrontation with Peter at Antioch (
2:11-21
)

3. Paul's Apostolic Gospel (
3:1-4:31
)

   A. Appeal to Galatian Experience (
3:1-5
)

   B. Faith and the Sons of Abraham (
3:6-9
)

   C. Covenant Curses and Covenant Promises (
3:10-18
)

   D. Purpose of the Law (3:19-29)

   E. Divine Adoption in Christ (
4:1-7
)

   F. Personal Appeal (
4:8-20
)

   G. Allegory of Sarah and Hagar (
4:21-31
)

4. Christian Life and Liberty (
5:1-6:10
)

   A. Freedom in Jesus Christ (
5:1-15
)

   B. Life in the Spirit (
5:16-26
)

   C. Life in the Household of Faith (
6:1-10
)

5. Conclusion (6:11-18)

THE LETTER OF SAINT PAUL TO THE

Chapters

1
2
3
4
5
6

Essays and Charts

The Works of the Law

Salutation

1
 
Paul an apostle
—not from men nor through man, but
through Jesus Christ
and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—
²
and
all the brethren
who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

3
 
Grace to you and peace
from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
⁴
who
gave himself for our sins
to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father;
⁵
to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.