"O foolish Galatians! Who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth – crucified among you?" (Gal. 3:1).

Scholars have spent much time and trouble in the endeavor to delimit the exact area of country in which were situated the "Churches of Galatia" (ch. 1:2). One view is that the people referred to in this Epistle inhabited only a small district in the north-east corner of Central Asia Minor(Galatia proper), the only town in which was Ancyra-the capital of modern Turkish Angora. This was certainly a large and important town in Paul's day- at least one church founded through his instrumentality- but this place is never mentioned either by the Apostle or the historian Luke, though the former is said to have passed through "the region of Gratia."If this view of the boundary is correct, the Churches of Galatia would mean the assembly in the populous town of Ancyra -together with a few smaller ones in the villages scattered throughout the surrounding district. The importance of Ancyra is seen in the fact that a Christian Council was held there in the early part of the fourth century, Diocletian having failed by cruel persecution to stamp out the work of the Holy Spirit by the Apostle. It seems more probable, however, judging by the precise wording of the references in the Acts, "When they had gone through Phrygia, and the region of Galatia:" "He departed and went over all the country of Galatia," that a larger area than that of Galatia proper was in the mind of the Apostle when he wrote the Epistle to the Churches of Galatia-the entire Roman Colony with such important towns as Iconium, Derbe and Lystra, in addition to Ancyra. The message of the Epistle would then apply chiefly to the assemblies in these places; in either case the converts were largely Gentile heathens under the evil influence of Judaizers (Gal. 4:8).

These are interesting details to every Christian worker, especially so to those who feel led to carry large Text Posters, because the verse quoted goes to the very roots of such testimony, when the force of the original Greek is perceived, disclosing the true secret of success in witnessing for Christ. The Revised Version substitutes the word "openly" for "evidently," and J. N. D. gives "portrayed" for "evidently set forth." But "has been placarded" would be a more literal translation of the Greek word prographo. This was the usual or common technical word used in those days for a public or theatrical announcement, reminding us of the Old English Play-bill or Play-card, now shortened to "placard," but for which we often substitute the still newer word "poster."

How then was Jesus Christ placarded before the eyes of these Galatians? It was by the testimony of His servant Paul, confirmed by his life. Are we thus placarding Jesus Christ, not merely by our speech, posters and tracts, but by our living? Herein lies the key of success:"Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body" (2 Cor. 4:10). T. D. Lawton