There is no doubt Paul was the one who wrote this letter. It was written to the churches he and his apostolic team had founded in the district of Galatia.

TO WHOM WRITTEN

"Who were the Galatians? They were personal acquaintances, among whom Paul had worked (Galatians 4:13-15 ). If Acts records Paul's ministry to these people, then they were the residents of the Roman province of Galatia, in the cities of Antioch (of Pisidia), Iconiun; Lystra and Derbe, visited during the first missionary tour (Acts 13:14; 14:25 ). Most scholars believe that these were the Galatian churches (Galatians 1:1 ) to whom Paul wrote; some, however, hold they were residents of northern Galatia, in and near the cities of Pessinus, Ancyra and Tavium". Harper

WHEN WRITTEN

On the basis of the south Galatian opinion, it may be concluded that the epistle was written before the council at Jerusalem, when an official pronouncement was made concerning the relation of Gentiles to the law. (Acts 15 ). In support of this, we have no mention of the letter that was drawn up and sent out from that council to the churches (Acts 15:23-29 ). Should this letter be earlier than this council it could have been in circulation by AD. 49 or 50.

WHY WRITTEN

"This book was written to meet a great need in the Early Church. Whenever Paul went and established churches he was trailed by 'Judaizers.' These were Jews - sometimes Jewish believers - who came to newly founded churches and taught that to be a real Christian one must submit to Old Testament law, and in effect convert to Judaism. Paul vehemently rejected their "faith/works" gospel and writes urgently to explain why mixing works with faith robs the gospel of its power in the believer's life". Lawrence O. Richards - The Bible Readers Companion (Victor Books)

This epistle, in the opinion of many Bible teachers, has done more than any other book of the New Testament for the emancipation of the Christian from Judaism, forms of ritualism, and every other form of insistence of faith plus, that has ever threatened the freedom and power of the gospel. It was Luther's favourite epistle, and played a very important part in the great revival of "justification by faith" under the reformers.

IMPORTANT STRIKING CONTRASTS

"In Galatians there are a series of important contrasts: A different type of "gospel" versus the authentic gospel, man's reasoning versus God's revelation, law versus grace, works versus faith, the curse of death versus the blessing of life, condemnation versus exoneration, servants in bondage versus sons in freedom, defeat versus victory, the old covenant versus the new covenant, living in the flesh versus walking in the Spirit, the works of the flesh versus the fruit of the Spirit, falling from grace versus standing firm in grace, the world (self) as the object of boasting versus the cross of Christ. Paul recapitulates by saying that the Christian life is the natural fruit which flows from love (Galatians 5:6)". The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible - (Baker Book House)

Let us hold to the only one gospel of our freedom in Christ.