The weak and beggarly elements to which the Galatians were turning were such

observances as circumcision, holydays and the like, and at first it may sound strange if

not untrue to say that these Galatians were returning to the service of pagan gods. The

Apostle, of course, was not accusing them of a lapse into idolatry; what he would make

them see by this rather severe method of argument was that by stepping down from the

high and blessed position into which free grace had placed them to the "elements" of the

law, with its ceremonies, its rites, its days and observances, they were going back at least

to "elements" even though they were not returning to idolatry.  The Apostle who

venerated the law, and declared that the commandment was holy, just and good

(Rom. 7: 12) nevertheless does not hesitate to speak of this law as comprised of "weak

and beggarly elements" and places it on a parallel with the elements of paganism when

such a misuse of the law is permitted so that it becomes either a competitor with, or a

perfecter of the Gospel of grace.

The same charge of being "weak" is made against the law in Rom. 8: 3, but the

Apostle is careful to say "weak through the flesh". So here, there is no charge laid

against the law as such, but against its misuse, for he has already declared, that "if

righteousness come by the law, then Christ died gratuitously" (Gal. 2: 21). The Apostle

calls the elements of the law "beggarly", a word already used in its literal sense

(Gal. 2: 10), and translated "beggar" in Luke 16: 20 and 22, and it was so when

contrasted with the riches of grace offered so freely in the gospel. Elements, whether

Mosaic or pagan, were weak and beggarly when compared with grace, and for any

believer who has been set at liberty to prefer "the yoke of bondage", or who has been

honoured with "sonship" to go back to the status of a "slave", who has been relieved of

the supervision of "tutors and governors" to seek the re-imposition of observances and

ceremonials, seemed to the Apostle inexplicable.

He does not merely say "ye desire again" but "ye desire again afresh" palin anothen.

Palin by itself ordinarily means "again" (Gal. 1: 9, 17; 2: 1, 18; 4: 9, 19; 5: 1 and 3),

the addition therefore of the word anothen must be intentional and demands translation.

Anothen. This adverb is related both to place and to time. When it refers to place, it

is translated "the top" (Matt. 27: 51) when it refers to time it is translated "from the

beginning" (Acts 26: 5). When combined, as in Gal. 4: 9 with palin, it looks back to

the position which was occupied before, and contemplates reoccupying it afresh. This

but enforces the idea that to go back to legalism was all one and the same as to go back to

paganism; it was but the exchange of one system of bondage for another.

In order that the Galatians should have no misunderstanding as to what the Apostle

referred to, he proceeds to enumerate these stoicheia or "elements".

The Apostle was no arbitrary martinet; he endeavoured to act in grace, and in

Rom. 14:, warns the strong believer against an uncharitable attitude towards a weaker

brother who "esteemed one day above another" (Rom. 14: 5). This Galatian movement