Why Galatians Matters
When we study faith, it’s important to begin with what we know. In apologetics — the study of how to defend our faith — we don’t start with emotion or tradition. We start with truth.
Among all the books of the Bible, Paul’s Letter to the Galatians is one of the few writings that nearly every scholar, historian, and skeptic agrees is authentic. Even those who deny that the Bible is God’s Word still accept that Paul truly existed and wrote this letter around A.D. 48–55.
Why? Because we have evidence.
Ancient manuscripts of Galatians appear in collections like the Chester Beatty Papyri and Papyrus 46, which date to around A.D. 200, less than 150 years after Paul’s life — a remarkably short time by historical standards. These letters were copied, shared, and preserved by communities across the early Christian world, long before Christianity had any political power or influence.
So, before we even talk about faith, we can say this with confidence:
Paul’s letter to the Galatians is real. It is historical. And it reflects the mind and testimony of a man who met the risen Jesus.
What Paul Was Really Saying
In Galatians, Paul is not writing poetry or myth. He’s giving a firsthand explanation of what changed his life — an encounter with the living Christ that turned a man who once hunted Christians into one of the greatest defenders of the faith.
Paul’s message is both philosophical and deeply personal. He challenges human pride, exposes false religion, and teaches that truth is not something we invent but something revealed by God Himself.
Even a 6th grader can understand Paul’s core message: Jesus is alive, and through Him, we are free.
Let’s look at five powerful truths from Galatians that prove the reality of God and the living presence of Jesus Christ.
1. Paul’s Encounter with the Living Jesus
Paul begins his letter by reminding everyone where his message came from:
“I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11–12)
This is not the language of imagination. Paul isn’t saying, “I had an idea about God.” He’s saying, “I met Him.”
Philosophically, this claim is massive. Paul was a well-educated Jew, a student of law and logic. His conversion cost him everything — reputation, comfort, even safety. Yet he never turned back. Why? Because he encountered Jesus alive, not as a memory or a myth.
Even historians who deny the supernatural agree that something radical happened to Paul — something so powerful that it changed the course of history.
2. Salvation Is by Grace, Not by Works
Paul’s next message cuts to the heart of human pride:
“We know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 2:16)
This idea separates Christianity from every other worldview. Religion says, “Do good things and maybe you’ll reach God.”
Paul says, “You can’t climb that high. But God came down to you.”
From a philosophical point of view, this teaches that truth is relational — not earned, but given through love. Grace is proof of a living God who interacts with His creation, not a distant deity who watches from afar.
If salvation is a gift, then the Giver is alive — continually giving.
3. Freedom Comes Through Christ Alone
Paul writes with urgency:
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” (Galatians 5:1)
Every human being longs for freedom — not just political or social freedom, but inner peace. Yet the world’s version of freedom often leads to slavery: addiction, greed, self-worship.
Paul’s freedom is different. It’s not freedom from responsibility; it’s freedom from bondage. The chains of guilt, shame, and fear are broken because Jesus lives inside those who believe.
This isn’t symbolic. When Paul says, “Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20), he speaks in the present tense — because Jesus is alive, active, and transforming lives even now.
4. Evidence Through Transformation
Paul uses his own life as evidence that God is real. The man who once persecuted believers now risks his life to preach the Gospel. He writes:
“The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” (Galatians 1:23)
This transformation is one of history’s greatest proofs of Christianity. No hallucination, legend, or myth could produce such enduring change.
Paul’s courage inspired entire generations. His words became the foundation for Western morality, law, and human rights — all born from his conviction that Jesus Christ is alive.
For skeptics, this is difficult to dismiss: how does one explain a life so radically changed by a lie? The simplest explanation is the truest one — Paul really met the risen Jesus.
5. The Holy Spirit Confirms What We Believe
Finally, Paul gives a test for truth that anyone can experience:
“Because you are His sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’” (Galatians 4:6)
The presence of the Holy Spirit is not just theology — it’s personal evidence. The same Spirit that filled Paul fills believers today. That’s why we don’t talk about Jesus in the past tense.
He is here.
He is speaking.
He is healing hearts, restoring lives, and proving daily that He lives.
Bringing It All Together
Even those who don’t believe in God still accept Galatians as a real, historical letter written by a real person named Paul. That fact alone is remarkable. But the deeper truth is this: the same letter that critics cannot deny contains truths that believers cannot live without.
Paul’s five messages — revelation, grace, freedom, transformation, and the Spirit — form a chain of evidence that leads to one undeniable conclusion:
Jesus Christ is alive.
He is not a story from long ago. He is the Son of God, the living Savior, and the answer to every honest heart searching for truth.
If you’ve ever doubted whether God is real, start where Paul started — with honesty. Ask questions, study the evidence, and read Galatians for yourself.
And remember: truth isn’t afraid of investigation. Because truth has a name.
His name is Jesus — and He is alive.