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Primary sourceLetterc. AD 48

Epistle to the Galatians

Paul the Apostle · c. AD 48

Paul's letter defending his authority as an apostle and arguing that Gentile converts need not follow Jewish circumcision law.

Paul wrote this letter personally to defend his authority and theology, making it a direct primary source for his missionary conflicts.

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Photograph of a fragmentary papyrus leaf with dark ink Greek uncial-style text in columns on a black background. A section ends with a heading reading Pros Galatas, then continues with the opening lines of the letter.
Papyrus 46, containing the Epistle to the Galatians, attributed to Paul the Apostle, c. AD 48.

About this source

What it is

This letter was written by Paul the Apostle, probably around AD 48, to Christian communities in the region of Galatia in Asia Minor. The earliest surviving copy is Papyrus 46, made around AD 200, roughly 150 years after Paul wrote the original, which has not survived.

Why it matters

Galatians shows Paul fighting for his own authority and defending the idea that Gentile converts to Christianity did not need to be circumcised or follow Jewish law, a major and controversial decision in the early church. It includes his statement that there is

This letter is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saint Paul on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Scan of a manuscript page with about twenty lines of handwritten Latin in a medieval-style hand, with a small decorative heading at the top. Some lines have large initial letters and flourishes.Letter

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Engraving of an elderly bearded man with a halo, wearing a draped robe and holding an open book, standing beside a wall with a sword at his feet. Dated 1514 with the AD monogram. Black and white.Painting

Secondary source

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Paul the Apostle · c. 54 AD

Scan of a fragmentary papyrus leaf with faded brown Greek uncial-style text in columns, with torn and missing sections. It is a manuscript of 1 Corinthians 7:33-8:4, not chapter 13.Book

Primary source

1 Corinthians 13

Paul the Apostle · c. AD 53-57

Colored 1879 map titled 'Map Illustrating the Travels of St. Paul' by H.H. Hardesty, showing the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, Greece, Italy, Egypt and the Holy Land with routes marked in lines and numbered journeys.Document

Secondary source

Map Illustrating the Travels of St. Paul

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