Some New Testament scholars refer to the Letter to the Galatians as one of the four 'capital' Epistles of Paul. By this they mean that there can be no doubt as to the genuineness of Paul's authorship of the Letter, or to its contents as truly being the mind of Paul. In Galatians, then, we have a Letter which gives us a rich understanding of some of Paul's fundamental theological structures. Though the presenting issues among the Galatian churches may not be present in the church today, the principles that lie behind them have an abiding presence.

For this reason Galatians must be studied afresh in every generation.

If one thing is ever contested in the hearts and minds of God's people it is this: Does righteousness come by faith or by some system of works. 'To be sure,' says Luther (LW, Vol. 26, p. 10), 'they invent new names and new works; but the content remains the same . . .  although some do works that are more splendid, great and difficult than others, the content remains the same and only the quality is different. That is, the works vary only in appearance and in name. For they are still works.'