GALATIANS 4:8-20

4:8 The Gentile Galatians used to worship multiple deities. But rather than use the henotheistic language we sometimes encounter in the Old Testament (which seems to suggest that God is only the greatest of many existing gods), Paul is very clear that they did not at all meet the definition of gods by any stretch of the imagination.

4:9 Paul revisits his language of v. 3 where he accuses the Galatians of being enslaved to the “elementary spirits.” This is a related problem that the church members have which has apparently replaced, to some extent, their earlier out-and-out idolatry. Much depends on what is exactly meant by that key phrase. Suggestions include: (1) the four basic elements of earth, air, fire and water that were supposed to govern human destiny (Martyn), (2) the basic precepts of a particular philosophy, as in Hebrews 5:12 (D. Guthrie), (3) cosmic powers such as mentioned in Colossians 3:8,20 (Bruce, C. Brown), (4) obedience to the law and idolatry (Calvert), (4) basic knowledge (Mikoleski), (5) “focusing on minutiae rather than the larger picture, intellectual idolatry” (Seitz), (6) “all sorts of legalistic stipulations” (Ridderbos), and (7) adapting Jewish practices (Bruce). Martyn concludes that there is a “striking absence of a consensus.”

4:10 The third accusation is that they had started to observe special days, months, etc. This could refer to them beginning to observe the Jewish calendar. If that is true, then could this passage be used to criticize any sort of liturgical calendar in our church worship services or even to condemn the celebration of Christmas or Easter as some groups do? Cole asks the same question in his commentary on Galatians.

Another possibility is that “special days” refers to the Roman practice of determining “lucky days” for people by employing oracles and astrological charts (Cole). I had a Sunday school teacher when I was a preteen who swore by the “science” of astrology and could see no incompatibility with her Christian beliefs. Or one could cite the example of Nancy Reagan who advised her husband on what days to make key decisions based on astrological readings.

4:11 Paul sinks into despair when he feels that his careful teaching of them has all been undone. To a very small extent I have experienced the same feeling when I realized on occasion that the pains I have taken to get an important theological point across have been totally forgotten when a person picks up some random comment on-line to the contrary and falls for it completely.

4:12-15 You can feel Paul's heartache here as he remembers how kind the Galatians were when he first preached to them in a weakened physical state. But in v. 18 he reminds them that it is also necessary to show the same kindness and respect to people when they are not physically present.

The exact nature of Paul's physical condition or illness has been the subject of much speculation, and most commentators conclude that attempts to pin it down are bound to be futile. However, among the candidates are the following: malaria, epilepsy, opthalmia, or, in Martyn's words “the physical scars – and illnesses – that are marks of his association with Jesus.” One specific example of the last-mentioned possibility is Paul's stoning described in Acts 14.

4:16-17 Now we get hints at the root of the problem – false teachers have gained power in the church and are turning their hearts away from Paul and his teachings.

4:19-20 Up to this point in the letter, Paul has addressed the Galatians rather harshly as “foolish” in 3:1, then “brothers” in 3:15 and 4:12, and now as “my little children” in 4:19. Thus, he softens his approach as he gets further into the letter. So, in a way he is apologizing for his earlier tone in v. 20, but he admits that he is totally puzzled by their behavior. From this point on in the letter, Paul's tone will be much calmer in his attempts to again explain the truth to the church.

4:19 Paul uses rather unusual metaphorical language in this verse as he pictures himself as a woman in the process of giving birth, for the second time, of the same child. This is different from Jesus' image of the second birth which so confused Nicodemus in John 3. But one wonders if it would have been just as puzzling to the Galatians.