1After these things Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth. 2He found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome. He came to them, 3and because he practiced the same trade, he lived with them and worked, for by trade they were tent makers. 4He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
5When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6When they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook out his clothing and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles!”
7He departed there and went into the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house. Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized. 9The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Don’t be afraid, but speak and don’t be silent; 10for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”
11He lived there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 12But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, 13saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.”
14But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked crime, you Jews, it would be reasonable that I should bear with you; 15but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves. For I don’t want to be a judge of these matters.” 16So he drove them from the judgment seat.
17Then all the Greeks seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. Gallio didn’t care about any of these things.
18Paul, having stayed after this many more days, took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow. 19He came to Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20When they asked him to stay with them a longer time, he declined; 21but taking his leave of them, he said, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
22When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the assembly, and went down to Antioch. 23Having spent some time there, he departed and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples. 24Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus. He was mighty in the Scriptures. 25This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. 26He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside, and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
27When he had determined to pass over into Achaia, the brothers encouraged him; and wrote to the disciples to receive him. When he had come, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28for he powerfully refuted the Jews, publicly showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
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.