King James Bible
"Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods."
Paul refers to the Galatians' pre-conversion state of spiritual ignorance, when they lacked knowledge of the true God. This temporal marker contrasts their past paganism with their current status as Christians, emphasizing the radical transformation the gospel brought. The phrase describes religious bondage to false deities, using language that implies slavery rather than voluntary worship. Paul's choice of 'service' underscores how idolatry enslaved them, preparing for his argument against returning to any form of spiritual bondage. Paul dismisses pagan deities as fundamentally non-existent, having no divine essence or reality. This philosophical assertion reinforces that their former worship was not merely misguided but directed at empty fabrications, making any return to such practices absurd.