G a l a t i a n s.(*): Written in 52 A.D. in Corinth or Macedonia, an ancient kingdom of northern Greece; a powerful empire under Philip II and his son Alexander the Great.(B.C.E. fourth century); contributed significantly to the spread of Hellenistic civilization.

The churches of Galatia were founded by Paul himself:.Acts 16:6; Galatians 1:8; 4:13,19. They seem to have been composed mainly of converts from heathenism.(Galatians 4:8), but partly also of Jewish converts, who probably, under the influence of Judaizing teachers, sought to incorporate the rites of Judaism with Christianity and by their active zeal had succeeded in inducing the majority of the churches to adopt their views:.Galatians 1:6; 3:1. This epistle.(letter).was written for the purpose of counteracting this Judaizing tendency and of recalling the Galatians to the simplicity of the gospel and at the same time also of vindicating Paul's claim to be a divinely commissioned apostle.

Time and place of writing? The epistle was probably written very soon after Paul's second visit to Galatia:.Acts 18:23. The references of the epistle appear to agree with this conclusion. 

The similarity between this epistle and that to the Romans has led to the conclusion that they were both written at the same time, namely, in the winter of 57-58 A.D., during Paul's stay in Corinth:.Acts 20:2,3. 

The Galatians were an intermixture of Gauls.(an ancient region of western Europe south and west of the Rhine River, west of the Alps and north of the Pyrenees, corresponding roughly to modern day France and Belgium).and Greeks and hence were called Gallo-Graeci and the country Gallo-Graecia. The Galatians were in their origin a part of that great Celtic.(Indo-European {a family of languages consisting of most of the languages of Europe as well as those of Iran, the Indian subcontinent and other parts of Asia} people originally of central Europe and spreading to western Europe, the British Isles and southeast to Galatia during pre-Roman times, especially a Briton or Gaul).migration which invaded Macedonia about B.C.E. 280. They were invited by the king of Bithynia to cross over into Asia Minor to assist him in his wars. There they ultimately settled and being strengthened by fresh accessions of the same clan from Europe, they overran Bithynia and supported themselves by plundering neighbouring countries. They were great warriors and hired themselves out as mercenary soldiers, sometimes fighting on both sides in the great battles of the times. They were at length brought under the power of Rome in B.C.E. 189 and Galatia became a Roman province B.C.E. 25. 

This province of Galatia, within the limits of which these Celtic tribes were confined was the central region of Asia Minor. 

During his second missionary journey, Paul, accompanied by Silas and Timothy.(Acts 16:6), visited the "region of Galatia" where he was detained by sickness.(Galatians 4:13).and had thus the longer opportunity of preaching to them the gospel. On his third journey he went over 'all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order':.Acts 18:23. Crescens was sent thither by Paul toward the close of his life:.2Timothy 4:10.

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E p h e s i a n s.(*): was written by Paul at Rome about the same time as that to the Colossians, 61-62 A.D., which in many points it resembles. Ephesians is simply a letter springing from Paul's love to the church there and indicative of his earnest desire that they should be fully instructed in the profound.doctrines of the gospel.

The apostle John also wrote to the Ephesians in this city of Ephesus:.Revelation 1:4.

Ephesus was the capital of proconsular.(a provincial governor of consular rank in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire).Asia, which was the western part of Asia Minor.(map). It was colonized principally from Athens. In the time of the Romans it bore the title of 'the first and greatest metropolis of Asia'. It was distinguished for the Temple of Diana.(q.v.), who there had her chief shrine and for its theatre, which was the largest in the world, capable of containing 50,000 spectators. It was, like all ancient theatres, open to the sky. Here were exhibited the fights of wild beasts and of men with beasts..(compare 1Corinthians 4:9; 9:24,25; 15:32) 

At the close of his second missionary journey, about 51 A.D., when Paul was returning from Greece to Syria.(Acts 18:18-21), he first visited this city. He remained, however, for only a short time as he was hastening to keep the feast, probably of Pentecost, at Jerusalem; but he left Aquila and Priscilla behind him to carry on the work of spreading the gospel. 

During his third missionary journey Paul reached Ephesus from the upper coasts.(Acts 19:1), i.e., from the inland parts of Asia Minor and tarried here for about three years. So successful and abundant were his labours that."all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Emmanuel, both Jews and Greeks":.Acts 19:10. Probably during this period the seven churches mentioned in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 were founded, not by Paul's personal labours, but by missionaries whom he may have sent out from Ephesus and by the influence of converts returning to their homes. 

On his return from his journey, Paul touched at Miletus, some 30 miles south of Ephesus.(Acts 20:15).and sending for the presbyters.(elders in the church).of Ephesus to meet him there, he delivered to them that touching farewell charge which is recorded in Acts 20:18-35. Ephesus is not again mentioned till near the close of Paul's life, when he writes to Timothy exhorting him to 'abide still at Ephesus':.1Timothy 1:3. 

Two of Paul's companions, Trophimus and Tychicus, were probably natives of Ephesus:.Acts 20:4; 21:29; 2Timothy 4:12. In his second epistle to Timothy, Paul speaks of Onesiphorus as having served him in many things at Ephesus:.2Timothy 1:18. He also 'sent Tychicus to Ephesus'.(2Timothy 4:12), probably to attend to the interests of the church there. Ephesus is twice mentioned in the Book of Revelation:.2Timothy 1:11; 2:1. 

The apostle John.(who also wrote the book of John and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd epistles {letters} of John and the book of Revelation), apparently lived many years on the isle of Patmos: Revelation 1:,9.