COURSE SYLLABUS COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course conducts an exegetical study of the Epistle to the Galatians. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the content and purpose of Galatians against the literary backdrop on an apologetic letter genre. Consequently, an attempt will be made to understand Paul’s letter against the background and thinking of his opponents reflected in his writing. Particular emphasis will be given to Paul’s understanding of the gospel and exploring the role of the Spirit in Paul’s understanding and definition of Christian existence. COURSE OBJECTIVES At the successful completion of this course the student should be able to: Knowledge 1. List the main component parts of a Graeco-Roman apologetic letter and briefly discuss its function. 2. Identify the major introductory issues to the Galatian letter over which there is considerable debate and discuss the major views. 3. Reconstruct the major theological views of Paul’s opponents in Galatians and outline his response to the same. 4. Discuss the role that the H.S. plays in Paul’s understanding and definition of the Christian existence. Skills 1. Translate any passage in Galatians without the use of lexical aids and identify any significant point of grammar or syntax. 2. Construct an exegetical and sermonic outline from a grammatical analyses of a given passage of the Greek text. 3. Use the textual apparatus of the UBS NT text to discuss any textual variant and its relative degree of certainty