When Paul wrote his Epistles to the Corinthians (both of them) he addressed a single church congregation. That one local group, based on 1 Corinthians 1:2 anyway: “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God … unto the church of God which is at Corinth.” Notice, “church,” singular.
And again … “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia.” 2 Corinthians 1:1, still one local church! (Corinth is located in Achaia.)
The Thessalonian Epistles bear the same mark. “Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2
“Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ ….” 2 Thessalonians 1:1
And though the Epistle does not explicitly say so, the Philippian Letter was addressed to the saints in that City, but we know from Bible history there was (for a time) only one church in that place. And Paul was used by God to found it! Still, Philippians 4:15 comes pretty close to calling the Believers in that Romans Colony a local “church.” Read it please: “Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.” (No church helped me financially but your church, you all!)
Essentially the same is true of Colossians . Though we have no record of Paul ever personally visiting that city. One church received his Epistle. And Colossians 4:15-16 satisfactorily makes my case, surely. “Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye (your church) likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.”
In each case, “church,” singular.
Paul loved the local church!
BUT … and here is why I am emphasizing this fact today, when Paul wrote the Galatians, he addressed not a single church, but a group of churches!
Watch: “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead); and all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia ….” Galatians 1:-1-2
Why “churches?”
First, because Galatia is NOT a city.
It is a district.
In fact, a Province.
Of the Roman Empire.
Scattered over many miles, not many blocks (as cities are)!
And in that area of Galatia a number of (yes, Pauline) churches had already been established.
So, Paul writes not one of them but all of them, as a group.
“Paul … unto the churches of Galatia.”
Still I ask, Why?
Because, it seems, a serious problem was creeping (or had already crept) into that vicinity … one threatening the very gospel of Christ Jesus!
And Paul plans to combat that heresy … for so it was … head-on; teaching, warning, (even) rebuking all those little, local churches at once.
With the possible exception of Paul’s Epistle to Rome (a huge city, with many districts embedded therein) … where (looks like) a number of local churches had been planted! (I base this view on the number of names and kinds of names Paul calls in Romans chapter 16, the book’s finale.)
My point today, our lesson this morning …
The only Epistle Paul ever wrote that EXPLICITLY says it is being addressed to a group of churches … is Galatians. (An anomaly in the Pauline Corpus.)
One more time … “Paul, an apostle (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead) unto the CHURCHES of Galatia ….”
This fact alone proves: “Common problems can often be solved with common solutions!” Each of those little struggling local assemblies (churches) faced the same deadly issue. So Paul could advise each church simultaneously, with the same set of instructions.
“Paul to the churches in Galatia!”
Now we know why.
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
Tomorrow, the Lord willing, I’d like us to specifically identify (best we can) those churches, by name!
Well, our trip (journey) through Galatians has begun!
I am excited, eager to learn!