Galatians 4:8 However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again? 10 You observe days, months, seasons, and years. 11 I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.12 I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong, 13 but you know that in physical weakness I preached the Good News to you the first time; 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. NHEB
What we are seeing here in Galatians is not a personal dispute but rather, a theological one. Paul is questioning why they would let go of the God that they know for “gods” that are not real. It is a choice between having a relationship with the true and living God versus something else.
There are three schools of thought regarding what these elemental things consist of. One goes back to the Greek notion of the earthly elements of earth, fire, air, aether and water. Another thought is the building blocks of knowledge. The Law is a building block but in context, Paul is not talking about Law but rather about false gods. The third possibility is a reference to demons. We know that it is okay to eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols because those idols aren’t real, however, the dark powers behind the idols are real.
In verse 10, Paul is referring to the Jewish holidays and festivals. It isn’t the celebration of any particular holiday that Paul is questioning as these events help turn our mind away from our own busy lives and back to God. The problem is that by following the Judaizer’s teachings, these Galatians were taking it upon themselves as a religious obligation to observe these events. This observance has become a criteria for their justification that is in addition to their belief in Christ. (see Matthew Poole commentary on this verse).
The word translated as “labor” means to bring forth but after doing this, Paul is wondering if he has wasted his time. Like many of these people, Paul was a Pharisee and zealous for the law, but it has gotten him nowhere. As a result, he is exhorting the people to be like him. Paul realizes that this may be a little harsh so he wants people to understand that he isn’t saying this in anger.
If you look back into Acts 13/14, we see that Paul was sick on his first missionary journey. There is no description of the illness but southern Turkey at that time had a huge malaria problem. This particular strain of malaria caused pus in the eyes so many have speculated that Paul’s health issue could be eye related. Regardless, he was quite sick by the time he got to the high country of Turkey and the Galatians took care of him even though he could have been contagious or at the very least, rather repulsive to look at.
Galatians 4:15 Where then is your sense of happiness now? For I testify about you that if it were possible, you would have pulled out your eyes and given them to me! 16 So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 They court you eagerly, but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you would seek them eagerly. 18 However, it is good to be sought eagerly for a good purpose at all times, and not only when I am present with you. NET
This tells us something about the persuasiveness of the false teachers (the “They” in verse 17) as they have ulterior motives unrelated to matters of faith. Not to mention that these false teachers may be much more likeable than Paul, to boot.
Galatians 4:19 My children – I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you! 20 wish I could be with you now and change my tone of voice, because I am perplexed about you. NET
Paul has a personal relationship with the Galatians. The tone of the letter is harsh (much like many emails and online posts today) as Paul has consigned the false teachers to Hell. Note too that Judaism is not contrary to what Paul is teaching. Rather, the problem is that these false teachers have taken the Galatians down the wrong path.
From 4:21 to the end, Paul is going to reason like a rabbi. He will use allegory as a form of Biblical interpretation which is something we shy away from because it can cause us to miss spiritual truth. That’s not to say that many passages aren’t intended to be read symbolically or that we cannot read a particular text in more than one way. The problem with this allegorical approach is that it is very easy to create meaning that doesn’t line up with the actual text which is how we then miss important truths. (There are not multiple meanings but multiple applications). A classic example is Jesus calming the storm. In the straightforward reading, we see Jesus with the power over nature as the Son of God. The allegorical view is that the storm represents the trials of life and how Jesus helps us cope with those storms. In this allegorical view, it isn’t important that the event actually happened – what is important is that we apply the message to our lives.
Galatians 4:21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise. 24 These things may be treated as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband.” 28 But you, brothers and sisters, are children of the promise like Isaac. 29 But just as at that time the one born by natural descent persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now. 30 But what does the scripture say? “Throw out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the son” of the free woman. 31Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman. NET
Hagar and Ishmael represent the Law and what is being taught by the false teachers. They are banished from the tent because they were persecuting Sara and Isaac. Paul’s primary argument is that the children of Abraham are those of faith (which would be offensive to the Judaizers). This is an unusual interpretation of this story but this is a characteristic way in which rabbi’s would teach (and Paul is a rabbi). Given that much of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, is narrative then reading it allegorically is an approach but as stated earlier, the problem is that the more symbolically we read the text, the greater the odds that we will not understand it as truth but will instead bend the meaning in any way that suits us. In the modern church, the question is often “what does the Bible mean to me?”. The old church would say that you can’t ask that question until you know what the text says.