Does Paul Condemn the Holy Days? – Earl Henn cgg.org

Galatians 4:9-10 is a favorite crutch of those who claim Christians no longer need to observe God’s holy days. Many believe that Paul reprimands the Galatians for returning to Old Testament observances that were a form of ‘bondage.’ However, Paul would never refer to instructions coming from the holy God as ‘weak and beggarly.’ In addition, the Galatians were Gentiles; they did not come from a background of keeping God’s holy days, and thus, they could not ‘return’ to them. Instead, Paul was countering a blending of Judaism and Gnosticism. The ‘weak and beggarly elements’ were demon-inspired, idolatrous practices the Galatians had come out of, including superstitious holidays connected to the worship of pagan deities.