Note 1 at Gal. 4:8: Formerly, before the Galatian Christians came to know God through Christ, they were slaves to sin and in bondage to idols (1 Cor.12:2). These idols were gods in name only. They had no life and couldn't do anything good, or bad (Ps. 115:4-8; 135:15-18; Isa. 44:9-20; Jer. 10:3-16). That's what Paul meant when he said, "which by nature are no gods."