Do you honestly believe that Paul would call scriptural commandments of God "weak and beggarly elements"?
What Paul is referring to here is gentiles who wanted to return to worshipping pagan days. The ONLY scriptures Paul had were the books of what we call the "old testament". It would have been blasphemous for him to call the words of the Lord "weak and beggarly elements".
I'm quite certain that St. Paul, a father of the Catholic Church, would call your interpretations of scriptural commandments of God "weak and beggarly elements?"
Are you unlearned about the context in which the book of Galatians was written as well as the teachings of Paul in general? In a word - YES I believe Paul would say this - for he did! From chapter 1 it is evident that Paul is writing about a false teaching entering the Galatian church (1:6). The characteristics of this false teaching are documented in verses 1:6-9; 2:4-5; 3:1-5; 4:17; 5:10, 12; and 6:12-13. These have been properly identified as Judizers - those seeking to place believers under the obligations of the law and its requirements.
What Paul is referring to here is gentiles who wanted to return to worshipping pagan days.
Context is everything here Doug, and this passage cannot be read and interpreted in isolation to the whole of the book as well as Paul's other teachings regarding the law. By the time we reach 4:8-11, Paul is warning the Gentiles that while they were once under bondage to false gods, they were now turning to a new bondage under the Mosaic law. So that by verses 10-11 Paul is upset that they are going backward under this new bondage taught by the Judizers, not falling back into pagan worship - that is not the subject of his letter. For again, in 4:28-30 Paul again writes to reject the legalists. This whole book is dedicated to that subject and a reference as you would interpret it is completely out of place.
The ONLY scriptures Paul had were the books of what we call the "old testament". It would have been blasphemous for him to call the words of the Lord "weak and beggarly elements".
You err in that 1) Paul was taught by the resurrected Jesus and 2) Paul had the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Through him, God was writing scripture. Saul would have considered the comments to be blasphemous. Paul saw these weak and beggarly elements through the sacrifice on the cross and Christ. Paul puts these elements in their proper place in Romans.