what he is saying is the church in galatia has been caught in an interesting struggle. paul, if you have been reading all of his letters, argues it is not the case. no one is required to become a jew in order to become a christian. you have the struggle going on. the church at galatia apparently had a number of people who have, and heard from these people and raise a question about paul's authority. how does he established his authority? "god sent me to." letter writing is a genre. he will follow the genre. he opens it but in a very direct manner. ffor the remainder of the letter, he opens up about the idea which faith operates. it starts to tear down all the barriers that people put up. why is he making this case? because there are people attacking his authority using barriers. in the whole of the letter, he is pushing this idea about the way whi in which faith moves us in a direction, in part, pulling us together, this idea of unity. what you're getting is this buildup to a moment where he can make a claim that there is no longer slave or free. the slaveholder will no

the church at galatia apparently have some people who have come and heard from these judaizers and they question paul's authority. after that, how does he establishes authority? god sent me. not a flourishing opening. letterwriting is a genre. he's going to follow the genre. he's going to open it, but he's going to open it in a very direct manner. he is opening up about the idea the weight i and which --way in which fiath operates. -- way in which faith operates. why? because people are attacking his authority using barriers. he is pushing the idea in which faith moves us in a direction in part holding together this idea of unity. so when you get to verses 26 tray 7 -- 26, 28, 27 -- excuse me, he is building to this moment where he can make the claim there is no longer slave or free. slaveholder will not want that verse being repeated. or -- and this is likely the case -- he slaveholder will say this is not the slavery he is talking about. the important part for you is, that is an interpretive move. the interpreter, the person making the interpretation is reading the text and making it