How does Paul address the Galatians in his letter?
Paul addresses the Galatians in his letter as 'the churches of Galatia.' He does not call them the church of God, the saints, or those in Christ. This contrast is similar to God calling Israel 'thy people' rather than 'My people' in Daniel's time.
Les explains that in the Galatian letter, Paul addresses the recipients as 'the churches of Galatia' rather than using the elevated terms found in other letters. In 2 Corinthians 1:1, Paul writes to 'the church of God which is at Corinth, and with all the saints,' and in Ephesians 1:1 he writes 'unto the church of God which is at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.' But to the Galatians, he says only 'to the brethren who are with me, and unto the churches of Galatia.' Les points out there is nothing about them being the church of God, the saints, or those who are in Christ. He compares this to God's attitude toward Israel in Daniel's time, where God called them 'thy people' rather than 'My people' because they had degenerated from their love for Jehovah. Les suggests the Galatians had similarly drifted, so Paul no longer addresses them with the same spiritual titles.
And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:
More Questions
Why had the Galatian churches already degenerated, and how does Paul's greeting reveal it?
Paul's greeting to the churches of Galatia is a subtle way of showing how far the Galatian churches had already degenerated because of a perverted gospel.