What Are the Beggerly Elements?

“But now, after that you have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto you desire again to be in bondage?” (Galatians 4:9).

This portion of Galatians revolves around the theme of profound adoption or sonship to the Father (verse 6). We know that if we are obedient we are a friend to Christ (John 15:14-15) and Christ indicated that if we have seen him (Christ) we have, in essence, seen the Father (John 14:9) (symbolically, of course). Therefore it is logical that our son-ship to the Father should be so good we can call him "Abba" or address him by His Hebrew name. This is parallel gesture of both familiarity and respect, something that is not an easy human custom. However, the extreme tragedy, as outlined in verse 9 is the fact that some had come to that amazing point of spiritual growth and then allowed themselves to slide back to the weak and beggarly elements. The King James "weak" is from the Greek "asthenes", meaning: weak, infirm, feeble, sick, impotent, having no strength. The King James "beggarly" is from the Greek "ptochos", meaning: destitute, helpless, poor with a secondary meaning of lacking in understanding drawing a parallel between a wealth of riches and a wealth of knowledge. The bondage (from the Greek "douleuo") is real bondage, real slavery and also a metaphoric slavery, in this case, giving service to demons, those who are not gods (verse 8). At the base of idolatry is the worship of demons. We know pure angels will refuse to be worshipped (Revelation 22:8-9).

"You observe days, and months, and times, and years" (verse 10). Here Paul is pointing out another element in their ritualistic behavior. Their observance of days, months, times (seasons) and years was a key part of falling away. Worshippers of Dagon would be sure to eat fish on Friday. Certain Pagans would fast on specific days of the week. The people addressed here by Paul were turning again to what they originally did (returning to their vomit (Proverbs 26:11 and 2 Peter 2:22)). Religious sects in and around the Roman empire had a "god" for every day of the year.

The admonition Paul gave is a little different than the message Isaiah delivered ("Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates..." (Isaiah 1:14).

While Isaiah focuses on “…your…feasts…” or the feasts of man, Paul makes no differentiation between man's days and God's days. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, it is apparent that one can even observe God's days and do so from a strictly ritualistic approach, without appreciation that God's days reveal the plan of God and the hope encapsulated within salvation. Within the context, however, Paul is likely addressing the same ritualism and the same idolatry we see in the commercial religion today. And it is just as controversial now as it was then. There is no easy way to extract a person from man's tradition.

-- wilyelder

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