1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the assembly of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ. 6But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. 7Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that, since you are partakers of the sufferings, so you are also of the comfort.
8For we don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia: that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life. 9Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, 10who delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver, on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us, 11you also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift given to us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on your behalf.
12For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you. 13For we write no other things to you than what you read or even acknowledge, and I hope you will acknowledge to the end— 14as also you acknowledged us in part—that we are your boasting, even as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.
15In this confidence, I was determined to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit, 16and by you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and to be sent forward by you on my journey to Judea. 17When I therefore planned this, did I show fickleness? Or the things that I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be the “Yes, yes” and the “No, no?” 18But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not “Yes and no.” 19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not “Yes and no,” but in him is “Yes.” 20For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God through us.
21Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22who also sealed us and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.
23But I call God for a witness to my soul, that to spare you, I didn’t come to Corinth. 24We don’t control your faith, but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in faith.
Paul wrote this letter to “the churches of Galatia” (cf. Gal 3:1). In an ethno-geographical sense, “Galatia” referred to the regions of north-central Anatolia (modern Turkey) largely inhabited by Celts. Acts 18:23 mentions that Paul ministered in “the Galatian region and Phrygia,” and 16:6 contrasts “the Phrygian and Galatian region” with Asia. Many scholars have used these texts to argue that the epistle was written to converts in the northern, ethnic territories (the “North Galatian” theory). This view must fit a side-trip through “North Galatia” between the “Jerusalem Council” in A.D. 49 (Acts 15) and Paul’s arrival in Corinth around A.D. 50/51 (Acts 18). On the other hand, “Galatia” in a political sense referred to a large Roman province which included the south-central cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. Acts 13-14 describes the church planting of Paul and Barnabas in these specific towns.
Proponents of the “South Galatian” theory point out that the letter’s recipients seem to have been acquainted with Barnabas (Gal 2:1-13), who separated from Paul in Acts 15 (though see 1 Cor 9:6). Paul himself asserts that he first came to Galatia because of a physical infirmity (Gal 4:13), perhaps fitting a “southern” destination more than a “northern” one. Moreover, Paul himself consistently used the political designation of Galatia, rather than the ethnic area (Rom 15:26; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Cor 1:1, 8:1, 9:2; Gal 1:21; cf. 1 Pet 1:1; 2 Tim 4:10). “North Galatian” supporters respond that “Galatia”/“Galatians” more naturally referred to the ethno-geographic area, and Acts often refers to similar regions (Phrygia, Pisidia, Pamphylia, and Mysia). Although Barnabas is discussed in Galatians 2, he is not explicitly associated with the founding of the churches.
“North Galatian” adherents often date the letter in the mid to late 50s, approaching the composition of Romans with its similar (yet more developed) themes. Some “South Galatian” theorists date the composition to the early 50s (cf. Gal 4:13 and Acts 16:1), but many favor a date as early as 47-49, just prior to the “Jerusalem Council.” Timothy, whom Paul encounters in Lystra in Acts 16:1, is not mentioned in the epistle. The northern view was the general consensus through the late nineteenth century, but the “South” view has justly gained considerable ground since then. Galatians does not cite the “Jerusalem Council” rejection of the necessity of circumcision, an omission suiting an early, “South” theory. On the other hand, Paul’s emphasis in Galatians was upon the divine origin of his message and commission. All views must decide which Acts material, if any, corresponds to the Jerusalem visit in Galatians 2:1-10 with its charge to remember the poor (cf. 1 Cor 16:1-4). In Acts 20:4, the entourage bearing the collection toward Jerusalem included representatives from southern Galatia, but none from the north.
On the whole, the arguments for the “North” and “South” hypotheses are fairly balanced, and dogmatism is unwarranted.