Monday: Enslaved to Elementary Principles
Having just compared our relationship to God with that of sons and heirs, Paul now elaborates on this metaphor by including the theme of inheritance in Galatians 4:1–3. Paul’s terminology evokes a situation in which an owner of a large estate has died, leaving all his property to his oldest son. His son, however, is still a minor. As is often the case with wills even today, the father’s will stipulates that his son is to be under the supervision of guardians and managers until he reaches maturity. Though he is master of his father’s estate by title, as a minor he is little more than a slave in practice.1
Paul’s analogy is similar to that of the pedagogue in Galations 3:24, but in this case the power of the stewards and managers is far superior and much more important. They are responsible not only for the upbringing of the master’s son, but they are also in charge of all the financial and administrative affairs until the son is mature enough to assume those duties himself.
Read Galatians 4:1–3. What is Paul saying there that, again, should help clarify what the role of the law should be in our lives, now that we are in Christ?
Exactly what Paul means by the phrase “elementary principles” (Gal. 4:3, 8, ESV) is disputed. The Greek word stoicheia literally means “elements.” Some have seen it as a description of the basic elements that compose the universe (2 Pet. 3:10, 12); or as demonic powers that control this evil age (Col. 2:15); or as the rudimentary principles of religious life, the ABC’s of religion (Heb. 5:12). Paul’s emphasis on humanity’s status as “minors” before the coming of Christ (Gal. 4:1–3) suggests that he is referring here to the rudimentary principles of religious life. If so, Paul is saying that the Old Testament period, with its laws and sacrifices, was merely a gospel primer that outlined the basics of salvation. Thus, as important and instructional as the ceremonial laws were to Israel, they were only shadows of what was to come. They never were intended to take the place of Christ.
To regulate one’s life around these rules instead of Christ is like wanting to go back in time. For the Galatians to return to those basic elements after Christ had already come was like the adult son in Paul’s analogy wanting to be a minor again!
While a childlike faith can be positive (Matt. 18:3), is it necessarily the same thing as spiritual maturity? Or could you argue that the more you grow spiritually, the more childlike your faith will be? How childlike and “innocent” and trusting is your faith?
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What are the weak and beggarly elements?
Back in 1888-1893 our church was engaged in a study on these issues we are now studying.
I hope it's permisable to quote from these studies as they address this "weak and beggarly element" in a rather interesting way.
An article by A.T. Jones in the Review
and Herald, # 20, 1900
Here is E.J. Waggoner's comments on the "elements of the world."
Taken from his book "The Glad Tidings; Studies in Galatians" p. 93-94
So putting all these pieces together, it appears the Jewish teachers were directing the Galatians to a temple based system of ceremonies. The Galatians, not seeing too much difference in their former temple rituals and those of the Jews, took this a step further incorporating their heathen temple ceremonies.
This is speaking of the Gentile converts not the Jews,
....when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods....how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements,
I think that Ulrike’s comment says a lot but rather than speaking just to Gentiles I believe that Paul was thinking in more general terms. In verse three he uses the phrase, “Even so we” (Gal 4:3 NKJV) which means that he was including himself. But Paul was never involved with pagan worship. Even so Saul of Tarsus, the Pharisee, once worshiped things that “are no Gods” just as much as the Gentile was with all his ceremonies and rites. It doesn’t make any difference which camp you’re in as E. J. Waggoner said, “If a man is not a Christian, he is a heathen.” The point is that Christ is the only one that saves. You can do all the things religious people do but if Christ is not at the center it is worthless. And that goes for Jew and Gentile alike.
My question is what are the elements of principles?
What is it the Christian is freed from?
I think that also answers what the "elements of the world" (Gal. 4:3) and the "weak and beggarly elements" (Gal. 4:9) are.
To go back to those worldly elements is to go back to serving self -- which is basically the worldly concepts or elements for success, achievement and pleasure.
As John describes it:
Christ came to free us from the dominion of sin. When we turn from Christ back to the "beggarly elements of the world" we go back into the bondage of sin.
Linus, I am assuming that your question has to do with which group Paul referred to that “were in bondage under the elements of the world” (Gal 4:3 NKJV). My conclusion that I have arrived at is that it could refer to anyone who is not “in Christ” who gives us freedom. In Paul’s day there were two basic groups, the Gentiles who were enslaved to their gross religious practices and the Jews who were enslaved under a burden of rabbinical regulation and requirements in relation to all the laws and ordinances that God gave them which made worshiping God exasperating.
As Ulrike stated in her comment it could be referring to the Gentiles but I maintain it could just as well be referring to the Judaizers and probably is dealing with both of them. If you will look ahead to verses 9-10 you will notice that Paul refers to certain practices. “But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years” (Gal 4:9-10 NKJV). Those verses are also strangely similar to what Paul addresses in Colossians, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths” (Col 2:16 NKJV) which concerns the traditions of men that were tacked on to the laws and ordinances of God. It is these kinds of things that the Jews were trying to enforce.
We do know that pagan worship was often closely linked to astronomical observations so when Paul mentions “days and months and seasons and years” he could be talking about paganism. But the sanctuary services were also tied to astronomical observations as well. The point seems to be that whatever those things were the Galatian believers were being told to closely observe those rituals to the extent that they ended up enslaving them.