Outline of the Book of Galatians

I offer the following as an alliterative outline of the Book of Galatians. The reason Paul wrote this epistle was twofold. First, Paul was defending his apostleship. Everywhere he went he had to deal with those who questioned his apostolic bona fides in Christ. The second reason was to argue against the view propagated by those Judaizers who taught that the Gentiles had to obey the law of Moses and be circumcised in order to be saved.

PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL (1,2)
Introduction of the Gospel (1:1-5)
Key Verse: Galatians 1:4 – Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Observation: This concise statement of the basics of the Gospel is a fitting introduction to the Gospel in Galatians.
Imprecation of the Gospel (1:6-9)
Key Verse: Galatians 1:8 – But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Observation: A curse rests on all who would dare alter the word of God (Prov. 30:5,6)
Inspiration of the Gospel (1:11-24)
Key Verse: Galatians 1:11-12 – But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Observation: The Gospel which Paul preached is a certified Gospel, certifiably from heaven and not from men (II Tim. 3:16,17; II Pet. 1:16-21).
Impartiality of the Gospel (2:1-14)
Key Verse: Galatians 2:8 – (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
Observation: The Gospel is not just for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles. Peter had forgotten the lesson he had previously learned (Acts 10:34,35).
Independence of the Gospel (2:15-21)
Key Verse: Galatians 2:21 – I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Observation: If one could be saved by the law of Moses, then Christ did not need to die. God’s grace was frustrated by going back to that law that would not save.

PROMISE OF THE GOSPEL (3,4)
Perfection of the Gospel (3:1-7)
Key Verse: Galatians 3:3 – Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Observation: The “flesh” represented the law of Moses; the Spirit, the New Covenant. Going back to the old law would not bring them to perfection, or bring about their salvation.
Promise of the Gospel (3:8-14)
Key Verse: Galatians 3:14 – That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Observation: The blessings promised to Abraham (Gen. 12-17) can be ours through Jesus Christ by faithful obedience to God’s will (James 2:21-24).
Person of the Gospel (3:15-29)
Key Verse: Galatians 3:16 – Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Observation: The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is the story of man’s fall and redemption through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the seed promised in the Fall (Gen. 3:15), to Abraham (Gen. 12:3; 17:8), and to David (II Sam. 7:13,14; Rom. 1:3).
Parentage of the Gospel (4:1-11)
Key Verse: Galatians 4:3-5 – Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Observation: Two figures are used in Scripture for our being added to the family of God. One is the new birth (John 3:1-8) and the other is adoption (Rom. 8:14,15).
Portrayal of the Gospel (4:12-31)
Key Verse: Galatians 4:30-31 – Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
Observation: Paul uses Sarah and Hagar, Isaac and Ishmael, to demonstrate the difference between the Old and New Covenants. The New Covenant having been God’s plan from the beginning (Rev. 13:8), we are the children of promise as was Isaac.

PRACTICE OF THE GOSPEL (4,5)
Liberty of the Gospel (5:1-12)
Key Verse: Galatians 5:1 – Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Observation: For the Jews to go back to a system never intended to provide salvation, would only bring them again into spiritual bondage. To do this, would be to fall from Grace (v. 4).
Love of the Gospel (5:13-16)
Key Verse: Galatians 5:13 – For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Observation: Being free is not a license to sin. Love should govern our actions.
Lead of the Gospel (5:17-26)
Key Verse: Galatians 5:24 – And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Observation: Following the teaching of the Holy Spirit, we will have purged from our lives all works of the flesh and will have begun producing the fruit of the Spirit
Law of the Gospel (6:1-10)
Key Verse: Galatians 6:2 – Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Observation: The law of Christ is to love one another (John 13:34) and in so doing we will help each other bear the burdens of life.
Laud of the Gospel (6:11-18)
Key Verse: Galatians 6:14 – But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Observation: Those who would glory in some material connection or accomplishment are misguided. They are brought to nought (I Cor. 1:28). While the world views the cross as foolishness, the true glory is in the cross and in our Lord (I Cor. 1:31).

Eric L. Padgett