Paul’s epistle was sent to Galatians --- these were Celtic people that had migrated from the region of Gaul. Ancient witnesses* --- as well as numerous archeological sites --- provide clear testimony of the Celtic nature of north-central Anatolia at the time of Paul, and also reveal some information about Celtic religious practices. *(Strabo, Geography, 12.5.1-4, and Jerome, Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, Book 2).
Few details of the specific rituals and doctrines of their religion is available because the Celts did not, by their own doctrine, write about their religion (Caesar, Julius, Gallic War, 6.14). Nonetheless, from reports of others from across the widely scattered populations of Celts, the most basic features of their religion are clear and surprisingly consistent. Their specific divinities were often of a local nature --- typically with some adopted from other cultures. But the general spiritual, elemental, and natural themes were universal.
The religion of the polytheistic Celts was naturalistic and animistic. They believed spirits inhabited not only humans, but also animals, plants, mountains, forests, rivers, other natural landscape features, the celestial bodies, and likely all elements of their natural environment.
In this one paragraph, I’m just guessing at a possible reason for Paul to feel the need to briefly address a Celtic issue in his letter otherwise devoted to the issue of circumcision for Gentle believers. Paul may have received a report from one of his partners that some of the Galatians were once again being convinced by some of their Jewish friends and neighbors that circumcision was indeed necessary for full participation in the rich heritage of the God of Israel. Oh, and by the way, Paul was told, some of them are falling back into their odd pagan superstitions, and observing some of their strange calendar cycles and rituals.
In the first half or so of Chapter 4, Paul takes a short break from his wider argument against those encouraging circumcision, starting with a transition in verse 4:1 through 4:7. Paul goes on to chastise the Galatians for lapses into paganism. Paul makes it clear he is not addressing Jews here, but former pagans,
This passage reveals that Paul was addressing former polytheistic pagans. Paul refers to gods, plural, that --- according to Paul --- are not gods at all. The polytheistic Celts believed spirits inhabited humans, animals, plants, mountains, forests, rivers, the celestial bodies, and likely all elements of their natural environment. The nature of those spirits are identified in the next verse. The Galatians worshipped "elemental forces","But then indeed not knowing God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods." (Gal, 4:8).
Paul's fully Hellenist pagans in Greece and Macedonia worshipped idols --- in temples. In sharp contrast, Paul used very different descriptors for the spiritual and elemental aspects of the natural world that was the focus of worship for the Celts of Galatia."…. how do you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental forces?" (Gal. 4:9).
Paul then chided the Galatians for observing the cycles of time and nature that defined their traditional calendar. The cycles of nature were intimately intertwined with the daily lives of Celtic peoples, and in the way they perceived their place in the cosmos.
The standard bible translation of Galatians 4:10 captures Paul's intention. I’m not proposing a new translation here, but when the extant Greek words are more completely expressed --- not by adding words that are not there, but by more completely representing appropriate usages of the extant Greek words in accordance with oft-used Greek references such as LSJ and Strong’s --- we might get an even clearer picture of Paul's meaning,
Some details of the unique Celtic calendar system are known from the discovery of the Coligny Calendar in France. This calendar is inscribed with Gallo-Celtic inscriptions on a copper-alloy and is dated to the first century BCE or to the first or 2nd century CE. In addition to dividing the passage of time, the calendar designates certain periods of time as auspicious and inauspicious occasions. The annual cycle of the Celtic calendar was divided by mid-summer and mid-winter into light and dark halves of the year. The months followed a 5-year cycle of 62 months. The five-year cycle repeated six times in a longer 30-year calendar cycle."You scrupulously observe days and months and opportune times and cycles of time." (Gal. 4:10, my interpretative version).
Pliny the Elder (ca. 23 - 79 CE) described the cycles and the spiritual aspects of the Celtic calendar ---
Paul provided multiple clues that his Galatians had special reverence for elemental forces, for multiple gods that are not (according to Paul) gods, and for observing opportune times and cycles of times. All these fit exceeding well with known Celtic beliefs and practices."… on the fifth day of the moon, the day which is the beginning of their months and years, as also of their ages, which, with them, are but thirty years. This day they select because the moon, though not yet in the middle of her course, has already considerable power and influence; and they call her by a name which signifies, in their language, the all-healing." (Pliny, Natural History, 16.95).
robert j.
For an analysis of the wider importance of Galatians 4:10 --- see here --- viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1363&p=30377#p30377
