Galatia

Galatia, a region in Asia Minor, was the recipient of Paul's epistle to the Galatians and was visited by Paul on his missionary journeys (Act.16.6; 18:23; 1Co.16.1; Galatians 1:2; 3:1; 6:18; 2Ti.4.10; 1Pe.1.1).

Galatia was a region located in central Asia Minor, in present-day Turkey. It was named after the Galatians, a Celtic people who settled in the area in the 3rd century BC. In the New Testament, Galatia is mentioned several times in connection with the Apostle Paul's missionary work and his epistle to the Galatians. Paul visited the region of Galatia on his first and second missionary journeys (Act.16.6; 18:23), establishing churches and preaching the gospel. He later wrote a letter to the churches in Galatia, addressing issues of faith, justification, and Christian liberty (Galatians 1:2). In his epistle, Paul expressed concern about the Galatians being led astray by false teachings and emphasized the importance of salvation through faith in Christ alone (Galatians 3:1; 6:18). Galatia is also mentioned in other New Testament passages, such as 1Co.16.1, where Paul instructs the Galatian churches to participate in a collection for the believers in Jerusalem, and 2Ti.4.10, where it is noted that Crescens had gone to Galatia. Additionally, 1Pe.1.1 includes Galatia among the regions where the apostle Peter addressed his letter to the scattered believers.

Has been called the “Gallia” of the East, Roman writers calling its inhabitants Galli. They were an intermixture of Gauls and Greeks, and hence were called Gallo-Graeci, and the country Gallo-Graecia. The Galatians were in their origin a part of that great Celtic migration which invaded Macedonia about B.C. 280. They were invited by the king of Bithynia to cross over into Asia Minor to assist him in his wars. There they ultimately settled, and being strengthened by fresh accessions of the same clan from Europe, they overran Bithynia, and supported themselves by plundering neighbouring countries. They were great warriors, and hired themselves out as mercenary soldiers, sometimes fighting on both sides in the great battles of the times. They were at length brought under the power of Rome in B.C. 189, and Galatia became a Roman province B.C. 25.

This province of Galatia, within the limits of which these Celtic tribes were confined, was the central region of Asia Minor.

During his second missionary journey Paul, accompanied by Silas and Timothy (Acts 16:6), visited the “region of Galatia,” where he was detained by sickness (Gal. 4:13), and had thus the longer opportunity of preaching to them the gospel. On his third journey he went over “all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order” (Acts 18:23). Crescens was sent thither by Paul toward the close of his life (2 Tim. 4:10).