The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  13:14 The Trinitarian benediction reminded the Corinthians of the blessings they had received: “grace” from the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 8:9), “love” from God the Father (cf. v. 11), and “communion” with God and each other through the Holy Spirit (cf. 1:22; 5:5). Jesus was mentioned before the Father because His sacrificial death is the ultimate expression of God’s love.

  2 Corinthians 1

  1:1 a 1 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Tim. 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:1

  1:1 b Acts 16:1; 1 Cor. 16:10

  1:1 c Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2

  1:2 d Rom. 1:7

  1:3 e Eph. 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:3

  1:4 f Is. 51:12; 66:13; 2 Cor. 7:6, 7, 13

  1:4 1 tribulation

  1:5 g (Acts 9:4); 2 Cor. 4:10; Phil. 3:10; Col. 1:24

  1:5 2 comfort

  1:6 h 2 Cor. 4:15; 12:15; Eph. 3:1, 13; 2 Tim. 2:10

  1:7 i (Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12)

  1:8 j Acts 19:23; 1 Cor. 15:32; 16:9

  1:8 3 tribulation

  1:9 k Jer. 17:5, 7

  1:10 l (2 Pet. 2:9)

  1:10 4 NU shall

  1:11 m Rom. 15:30; Phil. 1:19; Philem. 22

  1:11 n 2 Cor. 4:15; 9:11

  1:11 5 M your behalf

  1:12 o 2 Cor. 2:17

  1:12 p (1 Cor. 2:4)

  1:12 6 The opposite of duplicity

  1:14 q 2 Cor. 5:12

  1:14 r Phil. 2:16; 1 Thess. 2:19

  1:15 s 1 Cor. 4:19

  1:15 t Rom. 1:11; 15:29

  1:16 u Acts 19:21; 1 Cor. 16:3–6

  1:17 v 2 Cor. 10:2; 11:18

  1:18 w 1 John 5:20

  1:18 7 message

  1:19 x Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 1:34; 20:31; 1 John 5:5, 20

  1:19 y 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; 1 Pet. 5:12

  1:19 z Acts 18:5; 2 Cor. 1:1

  1:19 a (Heb. 13:8)

  1:20 b (Rom. 15:8, 9)

  1:21 c (1 John 2:20, 27)

  1:22 d (Eph. 4:30)

  1:22 e Rom. 8:16; 2 Cor. 5:5; (Eph. 1:14)

  1:23 f Rom. 1:9; Gal. 1:20; Phil. 1:8

  1:23 g 1 Cor. 4:21; 2 Cor. 2:3; 12:20

  1:24 h 1 Cor. 3:5; 2 Cor. 4:5; 11:20; (1 Pet. 5:3)

  1:24 i Rom. 11:20; 1 Cor. 15:1

  1:24 8 rule

  2 Corinthians 2

  2:1 a 2 Cor. 1:23

  2:2 b 2 Cor. 7:8

  2:3 c 1 Cor. 4:21; 2 Cor. 12:21

  2:3 d 2 Cor. 8:22; Gal. 5:10; 2 Thess. 3:4; Philem. 21

  2:4 e (2 Cor. 2:9; 7:8, 12)

  2:4 1 tribulation

  2:5 f (1 Cor. 5:1)

  2:5 g Gal. 4:12

  2:6 h 1 Cor. 5:4, 5; 2 Cor. 7:11; 1 Tim. 5:20

  2:7 i Gal. 6:1; Eph. 4:32

  2:9 j 2 Cor. 7:15; 10:6

  2:10 2 NU indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes

  2:12 k Acts 16:8

  2:12 l 1 Cor. 16:9

  2:12 3 Opportunity

  2:13 m 2 Cor. 7:6, 13; 8:6; Gal. 2:1, 3; 2 Tim. 4:10; Titus 1:4

  2:14 4 manifests

  2:15 n (1 Cor. 1:18)

  2:15 o (2 Cor. 4:3)

  2:16 p Luke 2:34; (John 9:39; 1 Pet. 2:7)

  2:16 q (1 Cor. 15:10)

  2:17 r 2 Pet. 2:3

  2:17 s 1 Cor. 5:8; 2 Cor. 1:12; 1 Thess. 2:4; 1 Pet. 4:11

  2:17 5 M the rest

  2:17 6 adulterating for gain

  2 Corinthians 3

  3:1 a 2 Cor. 5:12; 10:12, 18; 12:11

  3:1 b Acts 18:27

  3:2 c 1 Cor. 9:2

  3:3 d 1 Cor. 3:5

  3:3 e Ex. 24:12; 31:18; 32:15; 2 Cor. 3:7

  3:3 f Ps. 40:8

  3:5 g (John 15:5)

  3:5 h 1 Cor. 15:10

  3:6 i 1 Cor. 3:5; Eph. 3:7

  3:6 j Jer. 31:31; Matt. 26:28; Luke 22:20

  3:6 k Rom. 2:27

  3:6 l (Rom. 3:20); Gal. 3:10

  3:6 m John 6:63; Rom. 8:2

  3:6 1 Or spirit

  3:7 n Rom. 7:10

  3:7 o Ex. 34:1; Deut. 10:1

  3:7 p Ex. 34:29

  3:8 q (Gal. 3:5)

  3:9 r (Rom. 1:17; 3:21)

  3:12 s Acts 4:13, 29; 2 Cor. 7:4; Eph. 6:19

  3:13 t Ex. 34:33–35; 2 Cor. 3:7

  3:13 u Rom. 10:4; (Gal. 3:23)

  3:14 v Is. 6:10; 29:10; Acts 28:26; Rom. 11:7, 8; 2 Cor. 4:4

  3:16 w Ex. 34:34; Rom. 11:23

  3:16 x Is. 25:7

  3:17 y (1 Cor. 15:45)

  3:17 z John 8:32; Gal. 5:1, 13

  3:18 a 1 Cor. 13:12

  3:18 b (2 Cor. 4:4, 6)

  3:18 c (Rom. 8:29, 30)

  3:18 2 Or from the Lord, the Spirit

  2 Corinthians 4

  4:1 a 1 Cor. 7:25

  4:1 b Luke 18:1; 2 Cor. 4:16; Gal. 6:9; Eph. 3:13; 2 Thess. 3:13

  4:2 c 2 Cor. 5:11

  4:2 1 adulterating the word of God

  4:3 d (1 Cor. 1:18); 2 Cor. 2:15

  4:4 e John 12:31; (Eph. 6:12)

  4:4 f John 12:40

  4:4 g (2 Cor. 3:8, 9)

  4:4 h (John 1:18); Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3

  4:5 i 1 Cor. 1:13

  4:5 j 1 Cor. 9:19

  4:6 k Gen. 1:3

  4:6 l Is. 9:2; Mal. 4:2; Luke 1:78; 2 Pet. 1:19

  4:7 m Judg. 7:2; 1 Cor. 2:5

  4:8 n 2 Cor. 1:8; 7:5

  4:9 o Ps. 129:2; (Heb. 13:5)

  4:9 p Ps. 37:24

  4:10 q Phil. 3:10

  4:10 r Rom. 8:17

  4:11 s Rom. 8:36

  4:13 t 2 Pet. 1:1

  4:13 u Ps. 116:10

  4:14 v (Rom. 8:11)

  4:15 w Col. 1:24

  4:15 x 1 Cor. 9:19; 2 Cor. 1:11

  4:16 y 2 Cor. 4:1; Gal. 6:9

  4:16 z (Is. 40:29, 31; Col. 3:10)

  4:17 a Matt. 5:12; Rom. 8:18; 1 Pet. 1:6

  4:18 b Rom. 8:24; (2 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 11:1, 13)

  2 Corinthians 5

  5:1 a Job 4:19; 1 Cor. 15:47; 2 Cor. 4:7

  5:1 b Mark 14:58; Acts 7:48; Heb. 9:11, 24

  5:1 1 Physical body

  5:2 c Rom. 8:23; 2 Cor. 5:4

  5:2 2 dwelling

  5:3 d Rev. 3:18

  5:4 e 1 Cor. 15:53

  5:5 f Rom. 8:23; (2 Cor. 1:22); Eph. 1:14

  5:5 3 down payment, earnest

  5:7 g Rom. 8:24; Heb. 11:1

  5:8 h Phil. 1:23

  5:10 i Matt. 16:27; Acts 10:42; Rom. 2:16; 14:10, 12

  5:10 j Gal. 6:7; Eph. 6:8

  5:11 k (Heb. 10:31; 12:29; Jude 23)

  5:12 l 2 Cor. 3:1

  5:12 m 2 Cor. 1:14; Phil. 1:26

  5:13 n Mark 3:21; 2 Cor. 11:1, 16; 12:11

  5:14 o (Rom. 5:15; 6:6; Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:3)

  5:15 p (Rom. 6:11)

  5:16 q 2 Cor. 10:3

  5:16 r (Matt. 12:50)

  5:17 s (John 6:63)

  5:17 t (Rom. 8:9)

  5:17 u Is. 43:18; 65:17; (Eph. 4:24); Rev. 21:4

  5:17 v (Rom. 6:3–10; Col. 3:3)

  5:18 w Rom. 5:10; (Eph. 2:16; Col. 1:20)

  5:19 x (Rom. 3:24)

  5:19 4 reckoning

  5:20 y Mal. 2:7; Eph. 6:20

  5:21 z Is. 53:6, 9

  5:21 a (Rom. 1:17; 3:21); 1 Cor. 1:30

  2 Corinthians 6

  6:1 a 1 Cor. 3:9

  6:1 b 2 Cor. 5:20

  6:2 c Is. 49:8

  6:3 d Rom. 14:13

  6:4 e 1 Cor. 4:1

  6:4 1 endurance

  6:5 f 2 Cor. 11:23

  6:6 2 Lit. unhypocritical

  6:7 g 2 Cor. 7:14

  6:7 h 1 Cor. 2:4

  6:7 i Rom. 13:12; 2 Cor. 10:4

  6:9 j 2 Cor. 4:2; 5:11

  6:9 k 1 Cor. 4:9, 11

  6:9 l Ps. 118:18

  6:10 m 1 Cor. 1:5; (2 Cor. 8:9)

  6:11 n Is. 60:5; 2 Cor. 7:3

  6:11 3 Lit. Our mouth is open

  6:12 o 2 Cor. 12:15

  6:13 p 1 Cor. 4:14

  6:14 q Deut. 7:2, 3; 22:10; 1 Cor. 5:9

  6:14 r 1 Sam. 5:2, 3; 1 Kin.
18:21; Eph. 5:6, 7, 11; 1 John 1:6

  6:14 4 in common

  6:14 5 fellowship

  6:16 s (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19); Eph. 2:21; (Heb. 3:6)

  6:16 t Ex. 29:45; Lev. 26:12; Jer. 31:33; 32:38; Ezek. 37:26, 27; Zech. 8:8

  6:16 6 NU we

  6:17 u Num. 33:51–56; Is. 52:11; Rev. 18:4

  6:18 v 2 Sam. 7:14; Jer. 31:1, 9; (Rev. 21:7)

  6:18 w (John 1:12; Rom. 8:14; Gal. 4:5–7); Phil. 2:15; 1 John 3:1

  2 Corinthians 7

  7:1 a (1 John 3:3)

  7:2 b Acts 20:33

  7:3 c 2 Cor. 6:11, 12

  7:4 d 2 Cor. 3:12

  7:4 e 1 Cor. 1:4

  7:4 f Phil. 2:17; Col. 1:24

  7:5 g Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 2:13

  7:5 h 2 Cor. 4:8

  7:5 i Deut. 32:25

  7:6 j Is. 49:13; 2 Cor. 1:3, 4

  7:6 k 2 Cor. 2:13; 7:13

  7:7 1 comfort

  7:8 l 2 Cor. 2:2

  7:8 m 2 Cor. 2:4

  7:10 n 2 Sam. 12:13; Ps. 32:10; Matt. 26:75

  7:10 o Prov. 17:22

  7:11 p Eph. 5:11

  7:11 q 2 Cor. 2:5–11

  7:12 r 2 Cor. 2:4

  7:13 s Rom. 15:32

  7:15 t 2 Cor. 2:9; Phil. 2:12

  7:16 u 2 Cor. 2:3; 8:22; 2 Thess. 3:4; Philem. 8, 21

  2 Corinthians 8

  8:2 a Mark 12:44

  8:4 b Acts 11:29; 24:17; Rom. 15:25, 26; 1 Cor. 16:1, 3, 4; 2 Cor. 9:1

  8:4 1 NU, M omit that we would receive, thus changing text to urgency for the favor and fellowship

  8:5 c (Rom. 12:1, 2)

  8:5 d (Eph. 6:6)

  8:6 e 2 Cor. 8:17; 12:18

  8:7 f (1 Cor. 1:5; 12:13)

  8:7 g 2 Cor. 9:8

  8:8 h 1 Cor. 7:6

  8:9 i Matt. 8:20; Luke 9:58; Phil. 2:6, 7

  8:9 j Rom. 9:23; (Eph. 1:7; Rev. 3:18)

  8:10 k 1 Cor. 7:25, 40

  8:10 l (Prov. 19:17; Matt. 10:42; 1 Tim. 6:18, 19; Heb. 13:16)

  8:10 m 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:2

  8:12 n Mark 12:43, 44; Luke 21:3, 4; 2 Cor. 9:7

  8:15 o Ex. 16:18

  8:16 2 NU has put

  8:18 p 1 Cor. 16:3; 2 Cor. 12:18

  8:19 q Acts 14:23; 1 Cor. 16:3, 4

  8:19 r 2 Cor. 4:15

  8:21 s Rom. 12:17; Phil. 4:8; 1 Pet. 2:12

  8:23 t 2 Cor. 7:13, 14

  8:23 u (John 13:16); Phil. 2:25

  8:23 3 Lit. apostles,“sent ones”

  8:24 v 2 Cor. 7:4, 14; 9:2

  8:24 4 NU, M omit and

  2 Corinthians 9

  9:1 a Acts 11:29; Rom. 15:26; 1 Cor. 16:1; 2 Cor. 8:4; Gal. 2:10

  9:2 b 2 Cor. 8:10

  9:3 c 2 Cor. 8:6, 17

  9:4 1 NU confidence.

  9:5 2 encourage

  9:5 3 Lit. covetousness

  9:6 d Prov. 11:24; 22:9; Gal. 6:7, 9

  9:6 4 with blessings

  9:7 e Deut. 15:7

  9:7 f Deut. 15:10; 1 Chr. 29:17; (Prov. 11:25); Rom. 12:8; (2 Cor. 8:12)

  9:7 5 compulsion

  9:8 g (Prov. 11:24)

  9:9 h Ps. 112:9

  9:10 i Is. 55:10

  9:10 j Hos. 10:12

  9:10 6 NU omits may

  9:10 7 NU will supply

  9:11 k 2 Cor. 1:11

  9:12 l 2 Cor. 8:14

  9:13 m (Matt. 5:16)

  9:13 n (Heb. 13:16)

  9:14 o 2 Cor. 8:1

  9:15 p (John 3:16; 4:10; Rom. 6:23; 8:32; Eph. 2:8; James 1:17)

  2 Corinthians 10

  10:1 a Rom. 12:1

  10:1 b 1 Thess. 2:7

  10:2 c 1 Cor. 4:21; 2 Cor. 13:2, 10

  10:4 d Eph. 6:13

  10:4 e 1 Cor. 9:7; (2 Cor. 6:7); 1 Tim. 1:18

  10:4 f Acts 7:22

  10:4 g Jer. 1:10; (2 Cor. 10:8; 13:10)

  10:4 1 of the flesh

  10:5 h 1 Cor. 1:19

  10:6 i 2 Cor. 13:2, 10

  10:6 j 2 Cor. 7:15

  10:7 k (John 7:24); 2 Cor. 5:12

  10:7 l 1 Cor. 1:12; 14:37

  10:7 m (Rom. 14:8); 1 Cor. 3:23

  10:7 2 NU as we are.

  10:8 n 2 Cor. 13:10

  10:8 o 2 Cor. 7:14

  10:8 3 NU omits us

  10:8 4 building up

  10:10 p 1 Cor. 2:3, 4; 2 Cor. 12:7; Gal. 4:13

  10:10 q (1 Cor. 1:17); 2 Cor. 11:6

  10:12 r 2 Cor. 5:12

  10:13 s 2 Cor. 10:15

  10:14 t 1 Cor. 3:5, 6

  10:15 u Rom. 15:20

  10:17 v Is. 65:16; Jer. 9:24; 1 Cor. 1:31

  10:18 w Prov. 27:2

  10:18 x Rom. 2:29; (1 Cor. 4:5)

  2 Corinthians 11

  11:1 a Matt. 17:17; 2 Cor. 11:4, 16, 19

  11:2 b Gal. 4:17

  11:2 c Hos. 2:19; (Eph. 5:26)

  11:2 d Col. 1:28

  11:2 e Lev. 21:13

  11:3 f Gen. 3:4, 13; John 8:44; 1 Thess. 3:5; 1 Tim. 2:14; (Rev. 12:9, 15)

  11:3 g Eph. 6:24

  11:3 1 NU adds and purity

  11:4 h Gal. 1:6–8

  11:5 i (1 Cor. 15:10); 2 Cor. 12:11; Gal. 2:6

  11:6 j (1 Cor. 1:17)

  11:6 k (1 Cor. 12:8; Eph. 3:4)

  11:6 l (2 Cor. 12:12)

  11:6 2 NU omits been

  11:7 m Acts 18:3; 1 Cor. 9:18; 2 Cor. 12:13

  11:7 3 putting myself down

  11:9 n Acts 20:33

  11:9 o Phil. 4:10

  11:10 p Rom. 1:9; 9:1; 2 Cor. 1:23; (Gal. 2:20)

  11:10 q 1 Cor. 9:15

  11:11 r 2 Cor. 6:11; 12:15

  11:12 s 1 Cor. 9:12

  11:13 t Acts 15:24; Rom. 16:18; Gal. 1:7; Phil. 1:15; 2 Pet. 2:1; Rev. 2:2

  11:13 u Phil. 3:2; Titus 1:10

  11:14 v Gal. 1:8

  11:15 w (Phil. 3:19)

  11:17 x 1 Cor. 7:6

  11:19 y 1 Cor. 4:10

  11:20 z 2 Cor. 1:24; (Gal. 2:4; 4:3, 9; 5:1)

  11:21 a 2 Cor. 10:10

  11:21 b Phil. 3:4

  11:22 c Acts 22:3; Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:4–6

  11:23 d 1 Cor. 15:10

  11:23 e Acts 9:16

  11:23 f 1 Cor. 15:30

  11:24 g Deut. 25:3

  11:24 h 2 Cor. 6:5

  11:25 i Acts 16:22, 23; 21:32

  11:25 j Acts 14:5, 19

  11:25 k Acts 27:1–44

  11:26 l Acts 9:23, 24; 13:45, 50; 17:5, 13; 1 Thess. 2:15

  11:26 m Acts 14:5, 19; 19:23; 27:42

  11:27 n Acts 20:31

  11:27 o 1 Cor. 4:11; Phil. 4:12

  11:27 p Acts 9:9; 13:2, 3; 14:23

  11:28 q Acts 20:18; (Rom. 1:14); 2 Cor. 7:12; 12:20; Gal. 4:11; 1 Thess. 3:10

  11:29 r (1 Cor. 8:9, 13; 9:22)

  11:30 s (2 Cor. 12:5, 9, 10)

  11:30 4 weakness

  11:31 t Rom. 1:9; Gal. 1:20; 1 Thess. 2:5

  11:31 u Rom. 9:5

  11:32 v Acts 9:19–25

  2 Corinthians 12

  12:1 a Acts 16:9; 18:9; 22:17, 18; 23:11; 26:13–15; 27:23

  12:1 b Acts 9:3–6; 1 Cor. 14:6; 2 Cor. 12:7; (Gal. 1:12; 2:2; Eph. 3:3–6)

  12:1 1 NU necessary, though not profitable, to boast

  12:2 c Rom. 16:7; Gal. 1:22

  12:2 d Acts 22:17

  12:4 e Luke 23:43; (Rev. 2:7)

  12:5 f 2 Cor. 11:30

  12:7 g Num. 33:55; Ezek. 28:24; Hos. 2:6; Gal. 4:13, 14

  12:7 h Job 2:7; Matt. 4:10; Luke 13:16; (1 Cor. 5:5)

  12:7 2 beat

  12:8 i Deut. 3:23; Matt. 26:44

  12:9 j 2 Cor. 11:30

  12:9 k (1 Pet. 4:14)

  12:10 l (Rom. 5:3; 8:35)

  12:10 m 2 Cor. 13:4

  12:11 n 2 Cor. 5:13; 11:1, 16; 12:6

  12:11 o 1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 11:5

  12:11 p 1 Cor. 3:7; 13:2; 15:9

  12:11 3 NU omits in boasting

  12:12 q Acts 14:3; Rom. 15:18

  12:12 r Acts 15:12

  12:12 s Acts 14:8–10; 16:16–18; 19:11, 12; 20:6–12; 28:
1–10

  12:14 t 2 Cor. 1:15; 13:1, 2

  12:14 u Acts 20:33; (1 Cor. 10:24–33)

  12:14 v 1 Cor. 4:14; Gal. 4:19

  12:15 w John 10:11; Rom. 9:3; 2 Cor. 1:6; Phil. 2:17; Col. 1:24; 1 Thess. 2:8; (2 Tim. 2:10)

  12:15 x 2 Cor. 6:12, 13

  12:16 y 2 Cor. 11:9

  12:18 z 2 Cor. 8:18

  12:19 a 2 Cor. 5:12

  12:19 b (Rom. 9:1, 2); 2 Cor. 11:31

  12:19 c 1 Cor. 10:33

  12:19 4 NU You have been thinking for a long time that we

  12:20 d 1 Cor. 4:21; 2 Cor. 13:2, 10

  12:21 e 2 Cor. 2:1, 4

  12:21 f 2 Cor. 13:2

  12:21 g 1 Cor. 5:1

  2 Corinthians 13

  13:1 a 2 Cor. 12:14

  13:1 b Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Matt. 18:16; John 8:17; Heb. 10:28

  13:2 c 2 Cor. 10:2

  13:2 d 2 Cor. 12:21

  13:2 e 2 Cor. 1:23; 10:11

  13:2 1 NU omits I write

  13:3 f Matt. 10:20; (1 Cor. 5:4; 7:40)

  13:3 g (1 Cor. 9:2)

  13:4 h Phil. 2:7, 8; (1 Pet. 3:18)

  13:4 i (Rom. 1:4; 6:4; 1 Cor. 6:14)

  13:4 j (2 Cor. 10:3, 4)

  13:5 k Rom. 8:10; (Gal. 4:19)

  13:5 l 1 Cor. 9:27

  13:5 2 do not stand the test

  13:7 m 2 Cor. 6:9

  13:7 3 NU we

  13:9 n 1 Cor. 4:10

  13:9 o 1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 4:12; (1 Thess. 3:10)

  13:10 p 1 Cor. 4:21

  13:10 q 1 Cor. 5:4; 2 Cor. 10:8

  13:11 r Rom. 12:16, 18

  13:11 s Rom. 15:33; Eph. 6:23

  13:12 t Rom. 16:16

  13:14 u Rom. 16:24

  13:14 v Phil. 2:1

  13:14 4 fellowship

  Introduction to Galatians

  Title

  Galatians derives its title (pros Galatas) from the region in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) where the churches addressed were located. It is the only one of Paul’s epistles specifically addressed to churches in more than one city (1:2; cf. 3:1; 1 Cor. 16:1).

  Author and Date

  There is no reason to question the internal claims that the apostle Paul wrote Galatians (1:1; 5:2). Paul was born in Tarsus, a city in the province of Cilicia, not far from Galatia. Under the famous rabbi, Gamaliel, Paul received a thorough training in the OT Scriptures and in the rabbinic traditions at Jerusalem (Acts 22:3). A member of the ultra-orthodox sect of the Pharisees (Acts 23:6), he was one of first-century Judaism’s rising stars (1:14; cf. Phil. 3:5, 6).

  The course of Paul’s life took a sudden and startling turn when, on his way to Damascus from Jerusalem to persecute Christians, he was confronted by the risen, glorified Christ (see notes on Acts 9). That dramatic encounter turned Paul from Christianity’s chief persecutor to its greatest missionary. His 3 missionary journeys and trip to Rome turned Christianity from a faith that included only a small group of Palestinian Jewish believers into an Empire-wide phenomenon. Galatians is one of 13 inspired letters he addressed to Gentile congregations or his fellow workers. For further biographical information on Paul, see Introduction to Romans: Author and Date.