Galatians 4:8–12

Verse 8–9. You served them, who by nature are no gods. These words are to be understood of the converts, who had been Gentiles.—Known of God. That is, approved and loved by him. Witham.—The language of the apostle in this verse is not perhaps strictly precise. The Galatians, whom he addresses, had been converted from paganism, and of course were never subject to the law of Moses. But the apostle, by these words, entreats them not to begin now to serve these weak and useless elements, (as he calls the Jewish rites) or by this expression he may mean (as Saint John Chrysostom and Theophyl. explain it) the tyranny of error and wickedness. Calmet.

Verse 8–9. You served them, who by nature are no gods. These words are to be understood of the converts, who had been Gentiles.—Known of God. That is, approved and loved by him. Witham.—The language of the apostle in this verse is not perhaps strictly precise. The Galatians, whom he addresses, had been converted from paganism, and of course were never subject to the law of Moses. But the apostle, by these words, entreats them not to begin now to serve these weak and useless elements, (as he calls the Jewish rites) or by this expression he may mean (as Saint John Chrysostom and Theophyl. explain it) the tyranny of error and wickedness. Calmet.

Verse 10–11. You observe [1] days, and so forth These false teachers were for obliging all Christians to observe all the Jewish feasts, fasts, ceremonies, and so forth Some of the later reformers find here an occasion to blame the fasts and holydays kept by Catholics. S. Jerom, in his commentary on these words, tells us that some had made the like objection in his time: his answer might reasonably stop their rashness; to wit, that Christians keep indeed the sabbath on the Sunday, (not the Jewish sabbath on Saturdays) that they keep also divers holydays, and days on which great saints suffered martyrdom, (let our adversaries take notice of this) but that both the days are different, and the motives of keeping them. See Saint Jerome tom. iv. p. 271. Witham.—This text cannot mean to condemn the feasts appointed to be kept holy in the Catholic Church. For on the festivals dedicated to our Lord, Saint Augustine writeth thus: “We dedicate and consecrate the memory of God’s benefits with solemnities on solemn appointed days, lest in process of time they might creep into ungrateful and unkind oblivion.” And of the martyrs thus: “Christian people celebrate the memories of martyrs with religious solemnity, both to move themselves to an imitation of their virtues, and that they may be partakers of their merits, and helped by their prayers.” Cont. Faust. l. xx. chapter 21. And of other saints thus: “keep ye and celebrate with sobriety the nativity of saints, that we may imitate them that are gone before us, and that they may rejoice in us, who pray for us.” In Psalms 88. Conc. 2. in fine.

Verse 10–11. You observe [1] days, and so forth These false teachers were for obliging all Christians to observe all the Jewish feasts, fasts, ceremonies, and so forth Some of the later reformers find here an occasion to blame the fasts and holydays kept by Catholics. S. Jerom, in his commentary on these words, tells us that some had made the like objection in his time: his answer might reasonably stop their rashness; to wit, that Christians keep indeed the sabbath on the Sunday, (not the Jewish sabbath on Saturdays) that they keep also divers holydays, and days on which great saints suffered martyrdom, (let our adversaries take notice of this) but that both the days are different, and the motives of keeping them. See Saint Jerome tom. iv. p. 271. Witham.—This text cannot mean to condemn the feasts appointed to be kept holy in the Catholic Church. For on the festivals dedicated to our Lord, Saint Augustine writeth thus: “We dedicate and consecrate the memory of God’s benefits with solemnities on solemn appointed days, lest in process of time they might creep into ungrateful and unkind oblivion.” And of the martyrs thus: “Christian people celebrate the memories of martyrs with religious solemnity, both to move themselves to an imitation of their virtues, and that they may be partakers of their merits, and helped by their prayers.” Cont. Faust. l. xx. chapter 21. And of other saints thus: “keep ye and celebrate with sobriety the nativity of saints, that we may imitate them that are gone before us, and that they may rejoice in us, who pray for us.” In Psalms 88. Conc. 2. in fine.

Verse 12. Be ye as I, for I also am as you. I add no word in the translation, because it is uncertain what is to be understood: some give this construction, be you as I am, because I also was, as you now are; and they expound them thus: lay aside your zeal for the Jewish ceremonies as I have done, who was once as zealous for them as you seem now to be. Others would have the construction and sense to be: be you as I am, because I am as you; that is, be affected to me, and love me, as I have still a true affection and love for you, which is agreeable to what follows, you have not offended me at all. Witham.