Should Believers Avoid Birthdays Because of Galatians 4:10?
QUESTION: Gal.4:10 — Paul telling the Galatians not to observe days and events etc. There are some in the Mid-Acts Grace circles that intimate that we should not celebrate our birthdays, as neither Jesus nor Paul did. What is your take on this? MY REPLY: Paul writes to the Galatians: “Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain” (Gal.4:10–11). The context of this passage is critical. Paul is not addressing personal celebrations such as birthdays or anniversaries. His concern is that the Galatians were returning to religious observances tied to the Mosaic law and pagan calendars — feast days, sabbaths, ritual cycles, and annual observances that were being treated as necessary for righteousness . In doing so, they were undermining the sufficiency of Christ’s finished work . The issue here is legalism , not personal joy or cultural custom. Some within Mid-Acts circles argue that because Jesus and Paul did not cele...