“Justification by faith alone.”

Paul’s message to the Galatians is familiar to us. Or at least we suppose so! In his letter to these churches, the apostle speaks not only to the 1st century but also to the 21st century. He speaks to the questions of our time with amazing vitality. He speaks to the exclusion of outsiders and thus to racial issues. He addresses the question that Lutheran pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer raised in the isolation and loneliness of his prison cell: “Who am I?”

Countless young people in our world—and older people as well—wrestle long and hard with this deeply personal issue. Most importantly of all, Paul speaks to a question that many Christians struggle to understand: What is the relationship between the truth of the Gospel and living the Gospel? What is the relationship between “justification by faith” and Christian ethics? Paul gives us a clear answer in Galatians. It is a letter that deserves to be heard afresh.

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The Lay Bible Institute, offered three times per year by Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, is an ongoing study of the Bible and how it relates to today's life and events. Each Lay Bible Institute is open to lay people, students, pastors, and others interested in the proclamation of the Gospel.