# Gal 4:3 'stoicheia tou kosmou'?



## KMK (Apr 20, 2015)

Timothy George, in his commentary, about stoicheia tou kosmou in Gal 4:3,9, says the following:

"Three central lines of interpretation have emerged concerning the meaning of this technical term in Paul's writings.

1. The Elements as Basic Principles.
2. The Elements as Material Components of the Universe.
3. The Elements as Spiritual Powers."

Which interpretation do you favor. If none of the above, please explain.


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## Jerusalem Blade (Apr 20, 2015)

Hello Ken,

I like Hendriksen's view: "we interpret 'worldly rudiments' _as elementary teachings regarding rules and regulations, by means of which, before Christ's coming, people, both Jews and Gentiles, each in their own way, attempted by their own efforts, and in accordance with the promptings of their own fleshly (unregenerate) nature, to achieve salvation_."

With the Jews this would be the Law (as misunderstood by them to be the means of salvation), plus their own traditions supposedly based on the Law (Col 2:8, 20).


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## MW (Apr 20, 2015)

The overall context points to a covenantal arrangement, and the contrast of verse 4 indicates it was divinely ordained as a temporary economy, so I take it as referring to the Law with its this-worldly provisions and stipulations.


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## RamistThomist (Apr 20, 2015)

(1) and (3).


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## KMK (Apr 21, 2015)

Jerusalem Blade said:


> Hello Ken,
> 
> I like Hendriksen's view: "we interpret 'worldly rudiments' _as elementary teachings regarding rules and regulations, by means of which, before Christ's coming, people, both Jews and Gentiles, each in their own way, attempted by their own efforts, and in accordance with the promptings of their own fleshly (unregenerate) nature, to achieve salvation_."
> 
> With the Jews this would be the Law (as misunderstood by them to be the means of salvation), plus their own traditions supposedly based on the Law (Col 2:8, 20).





MW said:


> The overall context points to a covenantal arrangement, and the contrast of verse 4 indicates it was divinely ordained as a temporary economy, so I take it as referring to the Law with its this-worldly provisions and stipulations.



Would this be the Puritan/Reformed majority interpretation? It seems to be from what I have read.


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## Contra_Mundum (Apr 21, 2015)

Being in basic agreement with previous commentators, I only add that I used an explanatory gloss when preaching this text, something like: "the A-B-C's..."


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## Adam Olive (May 2, 2015)

_So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. 
(Galatians 4:3)

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? 
(Galatians 4:9)

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 
(Colossians 2:8)

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" 
(Colossians 2:20-21)

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 
(Hebrews 5:12)

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 
(2 Peter 3:10 c.f. 12)_

See comments below

*Source: Moo, Galatians, 261-263, 278*

In Paul's day (and afterward), the word was most often used to denote the "fundamental components" of the universe, *the "elements" from which all matter was composed – usually identified as air, earth, fire and water*. The word is used in this sense in its three LXX occurrences (4 Macc. 12:13; Wis. 7:17; 19:18), in most of its occurrences in Philo, Josephus, and the apostolic fathers, and in two of the seven NT occurrences (2 Pet. 3:10,12). 

… recent scholarship has shown a tendency to gravitate toward … taking it to refer to the basic material elements of the world … The reason for this is lexical. This was by far the dominant meaning of the word in Paul's day. Moreover, every instance of the phrase [ta…] stoicei:a [tou:] kosmou: from Paul's general time period apparently has this meaning. … although at first sight this meaning may not seem to fit the context as well as the others [elemental principles; spiritual beings] … it actually could fit very well. … an important component of the agitators' program is a preoccupation with rules or issues relating to the physical world: circumcision (2:3; 5:2-12; 6:12-15), rules concerning food (2:11-14), and the observance of religious festivals marked by the movement of the heavenly bodies (4:10). … *The material components of the universe were often associated with spiritual beings or gods*.

*[Paul] wants to suggest that Gentiles under the stoicei:a share with Jews under the law the same condition of living under a religious regimen involving rules relating to material realities – and that together these religious realities are all outmoded with the coming of Christ.

Paul may therefore choose a rather vague way of referring to the Jewish observances (days, months, seasons, years) to tie them as closely as possible to the 'elements' and perhaps also to the religious observances in the Galatians pagan past.*


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## KeithW (May 2, 2015)

I would choose 1, but I choose "other" simply so I can offer some ideas on how to figure it out.

_stoicheia_ and _kosmou_ have Strong's numbers of G4747 and G2889. These verses contain both words.



KJV said:


> Gal. 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under *the elements of the world*:
> 
> Col. 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after *the rudiments of the world*, and not after Christ.
> 
> Col. 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from *the rudiments of the world*, why, as though living in *the world*, are ye subject to ordinances,



But these verses should be read in context.

Another step would be to check a concordance for G4747 and find every place that word is used. This gives the list of verses Adam provided. These should be read in context. For example, for Heb. 5:12 the thought continures into Heb. 6.



KJV said:


> Heb 5:12-14For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first *principles* of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
> 
> Heb.6:1-2 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.



Another step is to open a lexicon for G4747 such as Thayer and Smith. There are 4 possible meanings.



Thayer and Smith said:


> any first thing, from which the others belonging to some series or composite whole take their rise, an element, first principal
> he letters of the alphabet as the elements of speech, not however the written characters, but the spoken sounds
> the elements from which all things have come, the material causes of the universe
> the heavenly bodies, either as parts of the heavens or (as others think) because in them the elements of man, life and destiny were supposed to reside
> ...



Choose the meaning appropriate to the context. It seems like number 4 could be applicable in several places. Trying to apply 2 and 3 everywhere seems like a mistake.

Just a thought.


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