Paul and the Galatians

There is conflicting biographical information about Paul in the New Testament. This book begins with a brief review of Jewish history and culture to provide a background against which to evaluate the scriptural witness about Paul. Most of the biographical information comes from the book of Acts, the autobiographical information mostly from Galatians. A thorough evaluation/discussion of the data is presented in detail, arriving at conclusions that resolve the differences. The conclusions are different than traditional teaching but are presented by a believer who desires clarity in the biblical text. Included are a chapter examining current scholarship on determining which books are Pauline and which are pseudo-Pauline, thus narrowing the inquiry to agreed Pauline writings and avoiding the confusion pseudo-Pauline writing would introduce. There is also a chapter discussing extrabiblical material about Paul's death and the location of his remains. There follows a commentary on the letter to the Galatians. It is here that Paul first gave expression to basic beliefs that he later expanded in the Corinthian letters and Romans. Understanding who Paul was and his basic, unrefined beliefs are critical to understanding his fully developed thinking in his later books, which are cross-referenced.