I. Ordering Paul's Epistles 1 - Hope of the Glory

A. Some interesting differences pointed out by Charles Baker 47
PAUL Went by special revelation.
LUKE The church sent them.
PAUL Accompanied by Barnabas and Titus
LUKE Titus not mentioned
PAUL Opposed by false brethren who slipped in LUKE Opposed by believers who were Pharisees
secretly to spy.
PAUL Other apostles added nothing to Paul.
LUKE No mention.
PAUL Mention of the gospel of the uncircumcision and LUKE No mention.
of the circumcision.
PAUL Agreement reached for Paul to go to the Gentiles LUKE No mention.
and the other apostles to the Jews.
PAUL No mention.
LUKE Peter's speech about being the first to preach to
Gentiles and how God put no difference between Jews
and Gentiles.
PAUL No mention. LUKE Discourse by James on Amos 9.
PAUL No mention.
LUKE Letter written freeing Gentiles from Mosaic law
and a disclaimer they had sent these men to Antioch
who were insisting on circumcision for Gentiles.
PAUL Mentioned as second visit to Jerusalem.
LUKE Mentioned as Paul's third visit to Jerusalem.
1. For these reasons, some have thought that there were two such visits
2. I do not consider the evidence strong enough to have two nearly identical events with
neither source mentioning both.
3. We note the following about Paul’s ‘first’ visit to Galatia 48
“We know Paul went to cities in the southern part of the province on his first missionary journey, but Luke
does not mention Paul going into Galatia until his second missionary journey (Acts 16:6), where Phrygia, to which
Paul went on his first journey, is distinguished from Galatia. Luke uses Galatia in the same way in Acts 18:23.
Thus Luke limits Galatia to the original small territory to which Paul did not go until his second journey. Now, if
Paul uses Galatia in this same sense, he must be addressing his letter to churches he established on his second
journey. But the problem is that Luke gives no record of Paul establishing even one church in Galatia. But if Paul
uses Galatia in this epistle in the sense of the enlarged province, then we know the churches addressed were in
Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. This problem has led to two theories, the North Galatian Theory,
and the South Galatian Theory. The former supposes the churches addressed were in the chief cities of the north,
Ancyra (modern Ankara), Pessinus, and Tavium, even though these cities are not mentioned in the Bible. The
maps of Asia minor in many Bibles and Bible atlases follow the North Galatian view.”
Since Paul did not visit this northern section of Galatia until his second missionary journey it is evident,
according to the northern view, that Galatians must have been written after that journey, and perhaps while he
was on his third journey. And since Luke is silent about Paul having established any churches in this northern
region there is no way of knowing in what cities they were located or who the people were. On the other hand, if
the South Galatian hypothesis is correct, the churches …
B. An interesting timeline, also from Baker’s book on Galatians (remember that most put the Birth of
Christ at 4 BC
30 A.D. Pentecost
35 A.D. Saul's conversion
38 A.D. Saul's first visit to Jerusalem (Gal. 1:18; Acts 9:26).
38 - 45 A.D. Saul preaches in Syria and Cilicia (Gal. 1:21; Acts 9:30).
40 A.D. Cornelius converted (Acts 10:32-48).
45 A.D. Reception of Gentile converts into Jewish church at Antioch. Barnabas brings Saul from
Tarsus to minister at Antioch (Acts 11:19-26).
46 A.D. Barnabas and Saul sent to Jerusalem with famine relief (Acts 11:27-30; 12:25).
47 - 48 A.D. Saul and Barnabas on first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-14:25).
49 A.D. Paul goes to Jerusalem to meet with Jewish apostles (Acts 15:1-29; Gal. 2:1-10). This is his
second visit according to Paul and his third according to Luke. This is not a contradiction. Luke
47 Charles Baker, ibid, p.15
48 Charles Baker, ibid, p. 8
Galatians Page 40 November 22, 2008 10:05