Paul in Syria - The Background to Galatians by Paul Barnett and published by Paternoster.
What drove the apostle Paul from his Damascus road event through to the end of his life? That is the question at the back of this powerfully argued work by a leading New Testament scholar. According to Paul in Syria: The Background to Galatians it was the Spirit-borne relationship with Abba, Father through the radical faith-relationship with the crucified One that goes furthest to accounting for the motivation of this remarkable man as missionary, pastor and theologian.
Barnett proposes that an understanding of Paul's years in Syria/Cilicia is critical for understanding the visit to Jerusalem, the mission to Galatia, the counter-mission of the agitators, the dispute with Cephas in Antioch and the implied dispute with James. Read this work and see Galatians, perhaps, in a different light.
