Name of the ninth book of the New Testament, which was written by Paul of Tarsus and addressed to a number of Early Christian communities in Galatia, a Roman province in central Asia Minor, though the the exact location of these early churches remains an issue of debate.

The Galatians comprised of remnants of the Gallic tribes that in 390 BC had invaded Italy and sacked Rome and later wandered east and penetrated Macedonia in great numbers, where in 279 BC, they had helped Nicomedes I, King of Bithynia, to defeat his younger brother. For their services they had obtained large tracts of land in Minor Asia and over the course of centuries these settlers had become known as Galatians.

The early churches in Galatia thus converted from paganism and most are believed to have been founded by Paul himself. However, after Paul's departure, some were led astray from the true gospel by certain Judaizers, who suggested that besides faith in God's grace, also obedience to the Law of Moses and circumcision was a requirement for salvation.

In his epistle, Paul strongly reacts to this form of legalism and rebukes the Galatians with grave concern and agitation. He explains them the inefficacy of circumcision and the Mosaic Law, and urges that God's grace alone is sufficient to obtain eternal life, whilst he also exhorts them not to abuse this freedom from the Law to indulge in sin.

There is no certainty as to when the epistle was written and as such two main theories developed, i.e. the South Galatian view, which holds it that Paul wrote the letter before or shortly after the First Jerusalem Council, and the North Galatian view, which holds it that the epistle was written very soon after Paul's second visit to Galatia. Upholders of the South-Galatian theory suppose it is dated about 53-54 AD, whilst scholars who defend the North-Galatian theory place it as late as 57-58 AD.

Yet, there is also a third view, which holds it that Galatians 2:1-10 is the visit of Acts 11:30. This theory implies that the epistle was written before the First Jerusalem Council was convened of 49-50 AD, thus making it the very first epistle of Paul, written from Antioch between the late 40s and early 50s.

Galatians Chapter 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6.