“Also no Salutations to Saints in Thessalonica”

In this episode of “Kingdom Questions,” host Victor Vigorito addresses a query about why Paul does not refer to the Galatian believers as saints in his letter, contrasting it with his other letters where he does use the term. Unlike his other letters, why does Paul omit the word “saints” when addressing the Galatian believers? He notes that in Romans and Corinthians, Paul addresses the believers as saints, highlighting that sainthood refers to the positional righteousness they received from Christ, independent of their outward behaviors.

Victor provides context from first and second Corinthians, describing the various issues these churches faced despite being called saints by Paul. He elaborates that their righteousness comes from trusting in Christ’s finished work, not from their actions. As he explains Paul’s definition of sainthood, he cites Colossians to support the notion of believers being reconciled and positionally declared holy.

Moving on to the book of Galatians, Victor emphasizes that Paul sends greetings to the “churches of Galatia” without mentioning saints. He mentions Augustine’s distinction between the outward church and the inward church but suggests that the references in Galatians lean toward the outward church, which may include both believers and non-believers.

Victor highlights that Galatia is a region with multiple churches, which further complicates the identification of the Galatian believers as saints. He notes the omission of the term “saints” compared to how Paul addresses believers in other letters like Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.

As Victor continues, he discusses first and second Thessalonians, noting that Paul also omits the word “saints” in these letters’ introductions but does use it later on. In total, he identifies that out of nine letters written to churches, six refer to the believers as saints, while Galatians and the Thessalonian letters do not.