Galatians – Backstory / Christory

Understanding the New Testament apart from an understanding of the general arc of the Old Testament story is a well-worn recipe for misunderstanding the role and purpose of Jesus Christ in the Bible as a whole. Paul’s letter to the Galatians is commonly misunderstood because people don’t understand the Old Testament as Paul came to understand it in the light of Christ. Paul’s understanding of the Old Testament changed radically when he met Christ. Schooled as a Pharisee, he understood it as the Jews had understood it for a thousand years. But after his conversion his views changed and ultimately came into conformity with Jesus’ understanding of the Old Testament. To understand Paul’s letter to the Galatians we need to understand Paul’s original perspective in the light of Christ.