Grace
Theological Journal 4.1 (1983) 15-36
Copyright © 1983 by Grace
Theological Seminary. Cited with permission.
WEAKNESS LANGUAGE IN
GALATIANS
DAVID ALAN BLACK
The Apostle Paul can rightly be regarded
as "the Theologian of
Weakness." Yet
Paul's theology of weakness developed in a dynamic
fashion in
response to the situations facing him, and his particular
formulations are
consistently adapted and designed to meet particular
issues at
hand. Nowhere is this more clearly seen than in those letters
in which the apostle finds
himself forced to answer the criticisms of
his opponents regarding his
own weakness (Galatians and 1 and
2 Corinthians).
After an examination of Gal 4:9 and 13, the author
concludes that
weakness language is Paul's way of making clear to his
readers in
in holiness is found, not
in one's religious activities (4:9) nor in one's
own personal strengths (
* * *
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
THE most unified and highly developed concept of
"weakness" in
the NT
is to be found in the writings of the Apostle Paul.1 It is
therefore all
the more surprising that the Pauline weakness ter-
minology has
received virtually no comprehensive study outside of
Romans and I
and 2 Corinthians.2 In this article our purpose is not
1The root a]sqen appears in the NT 83 times and in the Pauline Epistles 44 times,
or 53% of the total (Robert Morgenthaler, Statistik des
neutestamentichen Wort-
schatzes [
Romans, 1 Corinthians, and 2 Corinthians,
where the words appear 38 times, or 86%
of the total in Paul. The single largest complex of the termini is
in 2 Corinthians 10-13,
where the words appear a total of 14 times; the second largest is in 1
Corinthians (15
times), and the third largest is in Roman (8 times). In other instances
(1 Thessalonians,
Galatians, Philippians, I and 2 Timothy)
the words occur only once or twice.
2The
interpretation of the Pauline use of a]sqe<neia and its cognates has centered
for the most part on "problem" passages such as I
Corinthians 8. 2 Corinthians 10-13
and Romans 14. Among the more important studies of the meaning of a]sqe<neia in
specific contexts are those of Gerd Theissen, "Die Starken und
Schwachen in Korinth,"
16 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
to discuss every
occurrence of a]sqe<neia and its cognates, but to
examine two
of the earliest, and in some ways the most unique,
occurrences of
the word-group found in a fascinating passage in
Galatians (4:1-20). We hope thereby to make a helpful contribution
to one
aspect of Pauline lexicography in particular and to Pauline
theology in
general.
EXEGESIS
OF THE TEXTS
In the letter to the Galatians weakness language occurs only
twice but
in two closely related places. The neuter plural adjective is
found in
the formulistic phrase ta> a]sqenh? kai> ptwxa> stoixei?a ("the
weak and
beggarly elements") in 4:9, while di
] a]sqe<neian th?j sarko<j
("on account of a weakness of the flesh"), a reference to
the occasion
of
Paul's Galatian visit, appears in
ences are
in highly polemical settings, it seems evident that each plays
a
vital role in Paul's argument against the legalistic threat to the
Galatian churches. But because the terms are employed in two
different
paragraphs with differing themes and perspectives, each
occurrence must
be studied individually if we are to understand the
specific role
the motif plays in the argument of the author in
Galatians.
A.
Galatians 4:9
The first occurrence of a]sqenh<j is in the section which comprises
4:8-11,
where Paul begins a lengthy appeal to the Galatians based on
his
previous assertion that all Christians are sons and heirs of God
and
therefore free from the law. Although it would be a mistake to
try to
force logical cohesion all through this section-Galatians being
an emotional
apologia pro vita sua-we can
reconstruct with some
accuracy the
apostle's train of thought in the broader context as
follows: (a)
in 4:1-7 he first illustrates the freedom of the Christian
with an
example from ordinary life concerning the legal status of a
EvT35 (1975) 155-72; Max Rauer, Die
"Schwachen" in Korinlh und Rom (BibS[F]21;
(Giitersloh:
Mohn, 1975) 95-107; and Erhardt Giittgemanns, Der leidende Apostel und
sein Herr (FRLANT 90; Gottingen: Vandenhoeck &
Ruprecht, 1966) 142-70. The
most thorough and comprehensive investigations of the words in their
wider meaning
are found in Ernst Kasemann, Die
Legitimitat des Apostels: Eine Untersuchung zu II
Korinther 10-13
(Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1956) 37-43; Eric
Fuchs, "La
faibless, gloire de l'apostolat selon Paul (Etude sur 2 CO 10-13),"
ETR 2
(1980) 231-53; and J. Cambier," Le critere paulinien de l'apostolat en 2
Co 12, 6s," Bib
43 (1962) 481-518. Special notes have been
devoted to the word-group in various NT
commentaries, but on a limited scale, and nowhere are the weakness-termini in
Galatians
given a unified treatment.
BLACK: WEAKNESS LANGUAGE IN GALATIANS 17
child; (b)
in 4:8-11 he shows that the special observance of certain
portions of
the Jewish sacred calendar is a return to the "elements"
from
which the Galatians had been saved; and (c) in 4:12-20 Paul
makes a
personal appeal to the Galatians, based on his former
relationship with them, to accept him and his message.
The uniquely Pauline expression ta> a]sqenh? kai> ptwxa> stoixei?a
in 4:9,
which is to be understood in conjunction with the parallel
expression in
4:3, ta> stoixei?a tou? ko<smou
suggests a relationship of
some sort
between the first two of these paragraphs, i.e., between
4:1-7 and
4:8-11. This relationship is probably best understood in
terms of
Paul's concept of the status of Christians prior to the coming
of
faith. In 4:1-11 his main concern is to contrast the former
condition of
his readers with their new state after being converted.
Since Paul
views the human condition apart from Christ as servitude
to
"the elements of the world" (4:3), he is surprised to hear that the
Galatians
are ready to sacrifice all the privileges of their new religion
by
going back to their former state of slavery under these elements
(4:9). Formerly the Galatians, mostly pagans, had been under
bondage
to
heathenism, but have since "come to know God" (4:9). Do they
now wish
to enslave themselves again, this time to Judaism and its
ritual?
Paul argues against returning to the elements first of all with an
illustration' of guardianship (4: 1-7). The condition of man under the
law is
inferior, writes the apostle, because man under law is like an
heir who
has been placed under a guardian and has no freedom of
action.
With this familiar custom the Galatians are to realize that, by
returning to
their former condition they would be losing, not gaining,
and
would again become nh<pioi, dou<loi, u[po> e]pitro<pouj kai>
oi]kono<mouj (4:1, 2).
Next, Paul stresses that if the Gentile Galatians
adopt
Jewish practices, they will be returning to slavery from the
glorious
liberty enjoyed by the sons of God in Christ Jesus (cf.
Therefore
the apostle exhorts the Galatian Christians to leave behind
religious
ritualism lest they again become enslaved and forfeit their
rights as
heirs according to the promise (4:8-11).
In general, these verses are clear enough, but the passage is not
without its
problems. The main difficulty is the word stoixei?a
itself,
which in
4:9 the KJV represents by
"elements" and the RSV
by
"elemental spirits."3 What exactly were these
"weak" stoixei?a to
which the
Galatians were in bondage (4:3) and under whose power
they were
in danger of returning (4:9)? A consultation of the lexicons
reveals that
the word is capable of an extraordinary range of meanings
3Cf.
18 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
and its
usage in Paul is by no means settled.4 Of all the interpreta-
tions
advanced in the exegesis of this verse,5 three possible meanings
come into
play.
First, stoixei?a may be taken as referring to the law of
exclusively.
Though this view is consistent with Paul's teaching on the
Mosaic
institution-that it enslaves men (
its
application to the Gentiles6 who were never under the Mosaic
system in
their pre-Christian state. Nor does this view explain the
additional
phrase tou? ko<smou (4:3) which implies a non-divine origin
of the stoixei?a, in contrast to the Jewish emphasis on the other-
worldly
character of the commandments.
Second, the reference to the former bondage to the "elements"
may be a
description of enslavement to personal spiritual beings
under
whose power the Gentile Galatians had been held prior to their
conversion.7 The word stoixei?a may come to mean "angels" or
4See esp. BAGD
768-69. Stoixei?a is
the neuter plural forth of the adjective
stoixei?a, which rneans
"standing in a row," "an elernent in a series." By
metonymy,
however, the
word came to refer to the ultimate parts of anything. It is used in classical
Greek to
refer to the letters of the alphabet, from which came the meaning
"rudiments,"
the
"ABCs" of any subject.
It can also refer to the component parts of physical bodies;
in
particular it was the Stoic term for the four elements: earth, water, air, and
fire. In
Christian
writers from the middle of the second century A.D. the term is used in an
astronomical sense to mean the heavenly bodies. In Hellenism the word came to
include not
only the physical elements but the spirits believed to be behind them, the
"cosmic beings." These personified stoixei?a came to be understood as the lords of the
world, the
final and most important principles of life, and as such were considered
worthy of
man's worship.
The precise meaning of stoixei?a in Paul is still a matter of debate, and the
question must
be left open until more evidence comes to light. For a detailed survey of
the
interpretations of the terrn in the pre-Christian, Christian, patristic and
modern
eras, see
C. J. Kurapati, Spiritual Bondage and
Christian Freedom according to Paul:
An Exegetical and Theological Exposition
of the Epistle to the Galatians (Unpublished
doctoral
dissertation, Princeton Theological Seminary, 1976); cf. A. J. Bandstra, The
Law and the Elements of the World. An
Exegetical Study in Aspects of Paul’s
Teaching (Kampen: Kok, 1964) 5-30; G. Delling, "stoixe<w, ktl," TWNT 7 (1964)
670-82. On
the meaning of stoixei?a in
Paul see esp. Bandstra, The Law and the
Elements, 57-68; Delling, " stoixe<w"
683-86; F. Mussner, Der Galaterbrief
(HTKNT; Freiburg: Herder, 1974) 293-303;
(ICC; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1950) 510-18.
5 In
the commentaries the term is usually discussed under 4:3. However, by
common
consent the meaning of stoixei?a is identical in both Gal 4:3 and 9, even
though in
the latter verse the expression tou? ko<smou is absent.
6The
context indicates that Paul wrote this section with the Gentile Galatians
especially in
mind: (a) they were obviously idol worshippers (4:8), and (b) they had
become
Christians directly and not through Judaism as proselytes (3:1-6); cf.
Galatians, 215.
7 So J. M. Boice (Galatians, in Vol. 10 of The Expositors Bible
Commentary
[Romans-Galatians] [
mentators. The law and the stoixei?a
are so intimately related that some scholars see
BLACK: WEAKNESS LANGUAGE IN GALATIANS 19
"spirits," and if this is Paul's meaning here, he will
be referring to
demonic
bondage which is the ultimate contrast to freedom in Christ.
The advantage
of this view is that it agrees with the reference to the
false gods
(or demons) in 4:8 which the Galatians, as pagans, no
doubt
formerly worshipped. The disadvantage is that it is hard to see
how Paul
could include himself,8 a Pharisee, among those who had
been in
bondage to weak and beggarly astral spirits who control the
universe.
Furthermore, this interpretation relies on literature some-
what late
for the period in which Paul wrote his letters.9
Third, the word stoixei?a may be taken as referring to the
elemental
stages of religious experience which are common to all
men.
According to this view, the expression "the elements of the
world"
indicates rudimentary teaching regarding rules, regulations,
laws and
religious ordinances by means of which both Jews and
Gentiles,
each in their own way, tried to earn their salvation.10 This
meaning of stoixei?a, or one closely related to it, is possibly involved
also in
Support for this latter viewpoint is, in our opinion, stronger
than
for the
two former interpretations. Paul seems to apply his remarks in
this
chapter equally to the Jewish and Gentile worlds. Only this view
allows for
that fact. It is evident also that at least in one respect the
stoixei?a against which the apostle warns in
Galatians involved
Mosaic-Pharisaic ordinances. When Gal 4:10 is considered as an
interpretation of 4:9,.this verse indicates that the stoixei?a can in a
general way
be considered merely as rudimentary religious obser-
vances,
void of any authentic intrinsic meaning or worth. Elementary
teachings
regarding regulations. such as these were employed by both
Jews and
Gentiles alike in their attempt to achieve redemption and
salvation.11 Jewish religion considered law-observance, as well as the
both Judaism
and paganism among the personal spirits; cr. Bo Reicke ("The Law and
the World
according to Paul," JBL 70 [1951] 259-76, esp. pp.
261-63) who identifies
the
"elements" with the good angels who ordained the law (cf. Gal. 3:19).
8Cf.
4:3: "So also when we were children, we were enslaved under ta> stoixei?a tou?
ko<smou."
9Cf.
Delling, "stoixe<w,
ktl," 682-83, and
Bandstra, The Law and the Elements,
43-46 and 58. The meaning "spiritual power" for stoixei<on is not
attested before
he Testamentum Salomonis
dated to the 4th century A.D.
10 So,
e.g., William Hendriksen, Exposition of
Galatians (NTC; Grand. Rapids:
Baker, 1968) 157.
religious
teaching possessed by the race.
11The
observance of "days, months, seasons and years" (4:10) implies cultic
activities known
to both Judaism and paganism and which are probably to be regarded
as
typical religious behavior; so Hans Dieter Betz, A Commentary on Paul's Letter to the
Churches in
these
activities are sacred Jewish seasons only, cr. John Eadie, A Commentary on
20 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
keeping of
the multitudinous rules added by religious leaders to those
previously
given at Sinai, as the way whereby salvation could be
attained. The
worshippers of pagan deities, on the other hand, sought
to
achieve salvation by their own rituals and in accordance with their
own
unregenerate nature, the sa<rc.12 But both Jews and Gentiles in
their
pre-Christian state are in bondage to ordinances and regulations.
Thus for the
Gentile Christians, under the influence of the false
teachers, to
turn again13 to the stoixei?a is in Paul's mind simply an
exchange of
one form of bondage (to heathenism) for another (to
Judaism).
In the question in 4:9 begun by pw?j--"How
is it possible that
you are
returning again to the weak and beggarly stoixei?a?"--Paul
expresses his
utter shock to learn that men who had been delivered
from the
enslaving teachings of paganism now wish to become
enslaved
allover again, this time by Jewish regulations. That
they
could
consider a return to such bondage is especially incompre-
hensible in
view of the fact that they had actually come to know God
in a
personal, genuine way.14 Although the Galatians had not yet
gone as
far as the Judaizers had wanted them to go-they have not
been
circumcised (5:2)--Paul fears his labor in evangelizing them will
eventually be
wasted (4:11). Their course of action is to the mission-
ary Paul
as inexcusable as it is inexplicable, and his astonishment
forces him
to take up once again, though now with new intensity, his
discussion of the deadly character of legalism.15
the Greek Text of the
Epistle of Paul to the Galatians (reprint,
1979) 315-17; Hendriksen, Galatians,
165-66.
12According
to Bandstra (The Law and the Elements,
61-71), the two most
important
basic forces in the stoixei?a are the law and the flesh. Therefore the
yielding
of the
Galatians to the observance of feast days is at the same time an act of
submission to
the flesh; the observance itself is but evidence of their enslavement to the