Peace.
The “elements” = Greek: “stoicheion” which means “something orderly in arrangement, that is, (by implication) a serial (basal, fundamental, initial) constituent (literally), proposition (figuratively): - element, principle, rudiment.” (from Strong’s).
Galatians 4:3 KJV
(3) Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
The nations have their “elements”….their “rudiments”….their “constitutions”…their fundamental principles… to follow. They are highly exalted among earthly men to the “heavens” so-to-speak. They are their “elements” that they serve and worship.
Constitution - a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.
So why do churches also have their fundamental principles also…their church documents… that are patterned after the world’s handwritings of men (constitutions, bylaws, articles, statements, etc.) and are also highly exalted and placed in the churches and many serve and worship them more than (preferring more) God?
Is God not their King? Shouldn’t it be His laws (the 2 greatest commandments) and ordinances that we should highly exalt and follow/do?
The handwritings of men are called other “gods”….but by nature are no gods. They are being served and worshiped. Why would we have “other gods” in our churches to go and willingly prostrate ourselves to?
People are “servicing” their handwritings as they use them to judge others (supposedly in God’s name/authority) who do not keep their respective handwritings?
Galatians 4:8-10 KJV
(8) Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
They are weak and beggarly “elements” that the church scribes have handwritten and placed highly in the churches for their congregations to serve and worship when God did not speak or command them.
(9) But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Paul said “you observe days, and months, and times, and years”.
But this is not about observing those things directly. It is another way to say that the Galatians were carefully following the commandments of men that are highly exalted to the “heavens” in their churches and minds.
(10) Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
For example, the 4th day of Genesis is a metaphor for the government of God…His commandments that are highly exalted and rule over us.
The “greater light” is His greatest commandment while the “lesser light” is the 2nd greatest commandment that are placed in our hearing of heaven.
They are for signs and for seasons and for days and years. They extend our earthly lives and are for fruitful seasons. They are for “signs” in this dark world for others to see as we are to always do them in this earth… and remember to do them.
Genesis 1:14-19 KJV
(14) And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
(15) And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
(16) And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
(17) And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
They “rule” over the children of the Day and over those of the “night” as we are to always do His commandments even when those of the “night” hate us. Love our enemies. Bless and do not curse. "Rule" = government.
(18) And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Again, the 4th day is about the government of God.
(19) And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
The nations serve and worship their highly exalted handwritings…their fundamental “elements”. They are exalted unto “heaven” so to speak.
The LORD our God has divided the nations by the handwritings of men…their “elements”….their constitutions… which form their separate governments. These things divide the nations.
We though should not be divided by our “handwritings of ordinances” like the nations are.
We, as His people, are not to see the “sun and the moon and the stars”…the laws of the nations which form their divided governments…and be driven to worship and serve them also. These handwritings are not to be inside our churches for us to serve and worship and be divided. We are to be one people in God and His kingdom.
Deuteronomy 4:19-20 KJV
(19) And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
The LORD has brought us out of “Egypt”…out of the world’s pollutions…where the nations are all divided and fight and war with each other as they all serve their respective “handwritings” of men. We should not be divided as the nations when we serve God and His commandments…no matter of what nation/country we are from. We are to be one people in Him.
We are brought out of “Egypt”….we are dead with Christ from the handwritings of the world.
(20) But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.
If we are dead with Christ from the “rudiments”…the “elements” ….of the world, why are we willingly subjecting ourselves to church “ordinances”…that is in Greek, “dogmas”?
The ancient definition of “dogma” is “what one thinks is right”. Many worship and serve their handwritings of “dogmas” that they think is true and right to keep.
They see themselves as “wise” for doing so. Professing themselves as “wise”, they became fools and their foolish heart was darkened.
Dogma – what one thinks is right. There is a way which seems to be right but in the end are the ways of death. It starts within our own minds of what we think is right...and then we go and serve a man's handwriting that aligns with our own "wisdom".
Proverbs 14:12 KJV
(12) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
They are the commandments and doctrines of men that many serve and worship as they use them to divide themselves into different denominations…where they hate one another and judging each other by their own standards…their own handwritings. They do nothing to save our mortal bodies.
Rudiments = elements. Ordinances = dogmas.
Colossians 2:20-22 KJV
(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,
(21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
(22) Which all are to perish with the using) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
The keeping of the “daily” sacrifice of our Lord Jesus ….ALWAYS bearing about in our mortal body the dying of the Lord Jesus…shall save our mortal bodies as the eternal life of Jesus shall be made manifest in our outer mortal flesh in this earth.
2 Corinthians 4:10-11 KJV
(10) Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
(11) For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
But this is being deceptively taken away …the daily sacrifice…and is being replaced by the worshiping and serving of the “handwriting of ordinances” which is not saving the mortal flesh of any one in this earth as it causes us to judge others who do not keep the “handwriting”.
Don’t let a man beguile you of your reward…His eternal life in this earth…by his preaching of his handwriting of dogmas...the serving and worshiping of what we think is right to do.
We are to die unto THE (definite article used in Romans 6) sin….the judging/speaking evil of others supposedly in God’s name. We are to keep His “daily” and die to the sin that causes us to perish from off this earth.
Romans 6:8-12 KJV
(8) Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
(9) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
(10) For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
(11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Don’t let THE sin therefore reign in your mortal body. We must keep His “daily” sacrifice by dying to the sin….having love for one another.
By replacing the “daily” sacrifice with the serving and worshiping of the “handwriting of ordinances” in our lives, we are then not dying to THE sin but are practicing the sin supposedly in God’s authority which is part of the original lie from the beginning.
(12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
But we are told that the wages of THE sin is death….death to our mortal bodies. There is no excuse for not keeping the “daily” sacrifice in our lives.
Romans 6:22-23 KJV
(22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
(23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We must use our freedom from THE sin to BECOME servants to God.
We then have fruit unto holiness and in the completion, everlasting life in this earth…something we are not being told in our churches by those who have no understanding of the Scriptures and want us to serve and worship their church handwritings of which the sin “lives” through so to speak.
We must deaden/kill/slay the deeds of the body through the Spirit of God.
The deeds of the flesh are envy, strife, hatred of one another, provoking one another, etc.
Many are being prevented from slaying the deeds of the flesh in their mortal bodies because of the serving and worshiping of the handwriting of dogmas (what they think is true and right to keep). We must die to the sin and its lusts.
If we live after the flesh, we shall die. Our mortal bodies perish. The following of the handwritings of men in our churches keep us living after the flesh and not after the Spirit even though we have His Spirit within us.
Romans 8:12-15 KJV
(12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
(13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
(14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
(15) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
We must use the flaming sword…the Spirit…to deaden the deeds of the flesh to be able to partake of the tree of life and have eternal life in this earth.
Genesis 3:24 KJV
(24) So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
By serving and worshiping the “handwriting of dogmas”….of what we think within our own minds is wise, true and right to keep…..we are still DEAD in our sin and the uncircumcision of our flesh.
The churches handwritings are against us and are contrary to us. They are hostile and prevent us from having His eternal life in this earth.
Colossians 2:13-15 KJV
(13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
But our Lord has forgiven us for the handwritings. He nails them to His cross. He enlivens us to sit together in Him.
(14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
He spoils them in triumph. The “principalities and powers” shall fall from “heaven” as we shall no longer highly exalt them.
(15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
to be continued...
The “elements” = Greek: “stoicheion” which means “something orderly in arrangement, that is, (by implication) a serial (basal, fundamental, initial) constituent (literally), proposition (figuratively): - element, principle, rudiment.” (from Strong’s).
Galatians 4:3 KJV
(3) Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
The nations have their “elements”….their “rudiments”….their “constitutions”…their fundamental principles… to follow. They are highly exalted among earthly men to the “heavens” so-to-speak. They are their “elements” that they serve and worship.
Constitution - a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.
So why do churches also have their fundamental principles also…their church documents… that are patterned after the world’s handwritings of men (constitutions, bylaws, articles, statements, etc.) and are also highly exalted and placed in the churches and many serve and worship them more than (preferring more) God?
Is God not their King? Shouldn’t it be His laws (the 2 greatest commandments) and ordinances that we should highly exalt and follow/do?
The handwritings of men are called other “gods”….but by nature are no gods. They are being served and worshiped. Why would we have “other gods” in our churches to go and willingly prostrate ourselves to?
People are “servicing” their handwritings as they use them to judge others (supposedly in God’s name/authority) who do not keep their respective handwritings?
Galatians 4:8-10 KJV
(8) Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
They are weak and beggarly “elements” that the church scribes have handwritten and placed highly in the churches for their congregations to serve and worship when God did not speak or command them.
(9) But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Paul said “you observe days, and months, and times, and years”.
But this is not about observing those things directly. It is another way to say that the Galatians were carefully following the commandments of men that are highly exalted to the “heavens” in their churches and minds.
(10) Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
For example, the 4th day of Genesis is a metaphor for the government of God…His commandments that are highly exalted and rule over us.
The “greater light” is His greatest commandment while the “lesser light” is the 2nd greatest commandment that are placed in our hearing of heaven.
They are for signs and for seasons and for days and years. They extend our earthly lives and are for fruitful seasons. They are for “signs” in this dark world for others to see as we are to always do them in this earth… and remember to do them.
Genesis 1:14-19 KJV
(14) And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
(15) And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
(16) And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
(17) And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
They “rule” over the children of the Day and over those of the “night” as we are to always do His commandments even when those of the “night” hate us. Love our enemies. Bless and do not curse. "Rule" = government.
(18) And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Again, the 4th day is about the government of God.
(19) And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
The nations serve and worship their highly exalted handwritings…their fundamental “elements”. They are exalted unto “heaven” so to speak.
The LORD our God has divided the nations by the handwritings of men…their “elements”….their constitutions… which form their separate governments. These things divide the nations.
We though should not be divided by our “handwritings of ordinances” like the nations are.
We, as His people, are not to see the “sun and the moon and the stars”…the laws of the nations which form their divided governments…and be driven to worship and serve them also. These handwritings are not to be inside our churches for us to serve and worship and be divided. We are to be one people in God and His kingdom.
Deuteronomy 4:19-20 KJV
(19) And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
The LORD has brought us out of “Egypt”…out of the world’s pollutions…where the nations are all divided and fight and war with each other as they all serve their respective “handwritings” of men. We should not be divided as the nations when we serve God and His commandments…no matter of what nation/country we are from. We are to be one people in Him.
We are brought out of “Egypt”….we are dead with Christ from the handwritings of the world.
(20) But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.
If we are dead with Christ from the “rudiments”…the “elements” ….of the world, why are we willingly subjecting ourselves to church “ordinances”…that is in Greek, “dogmas”?
The ancient definition of “dogma” is “what one thinks is right”. Many worship and serve their handwritings of “dogmas” that they think is true and right to keep.
They see themselves as “wise” for doing so. Professing themselves as “wise”, they became fools and their foolish heart was darkened.
Dogma – what one thinks is right. There is a way which seems to be right but in the end are the ways of death. It starts within our own minds of what we think is right...and then we go and serve a man's handwriting that aligns with our own "wisdom".
Proverbs 14:12 KJV
(12) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
They are the commandments and doctrines of men that many serve and worship as they use them to divide themselves into different denominations…where they hate one another and judging each other by their own standards…their own handwritings. They do nothing to save our mortal bodies.
Rudiments = elements. Ordinances = dogmas.
Colossians 2:20-22 KJV
(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,
(21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
(22) Which all are to perish with the using) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
The keeping of the “daily” sacrifice of our Lord Jesus ….ALWAYS bearing about in our mortal body the dying of the Lord Jesus…shall save our mortal bodies as the eternal life of Jesus shall be made manifest in our outer mortal flesh in this earth.
2 Corinthians 4:10-11 KJV
(10) Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
(11) For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
But this is being deceptively taken away …the daily sacrifice…and is being replaced by the worshiping and serving of the “handwriting of ordinances” which is not saving the mortal flesh of any one in this earth as it causes us to judge others who do not keep the “handwriting”.
Don’t let a man beguile you of your reward…His eternal life in this earth…by his preaching of his handwriting of dogmas...the serving and worshiping of what we think is right to do.
We are to die unto THE (definite article used in Romans 6) sin….the judging/speaking evil of others supposedly in God’s name. We are to keep His “daily” and die to the sin that causes us to perish from off this earth.
Romans 6:8-12 KJV
(8) Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
(9) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
(10) For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
(11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Don’t let THE sin therefore reign in your mortal body. We must keep His “daily” sacrifice by dying to the sin….having love for one another.
By replacing the “daily” sacrifice with the serving and worshiping of the “handwriting of ordinances” in our lives, we are then not dying to THE sin but are practicing the sin supposedly in God’s authority which is part of the original lie from the beginning.
(12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
But we are told that the wages of THE sin is death….death to our mortal bodies. There is no excuse for not keeping the “daily” sacrifice in our lives.
Romans 6:22-23 KJV
(22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
(23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We must use our freedom from THE sin to BECOME servants to God.
We then have fruit unto holiness and in the completion, everlasting life in this earth…something we are not being told in our churches by those who have no understanding of the Scriptures and want us to serve and worship their church handwritings of which the sin “lives” through so to speak.
We must deaden/kill/slay the deeds of the body through the Spirit of God.
The deeds of the flesh are envy, strife, hatred of one another, provoking one another, etc.
Many are being prevented from slaying the deeds of the flesh in their mortal bodies because of the serving and worshiping of the handwriting of dogmas (what they think is true and right to keep). We must die to the sin and its lusts.
If we live after the flesh, we shall die. Our mortal bodies perish. The following of the handwritings of men in our churches keep us living after the flesh and not after the Spirit even though we have His Spirit within us.
Romans 8:12-15 KJV
(12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
(13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
(14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
(15) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
We must use the flaming sword…the Spirit…to deaden the deeds of the flesh to be able to partake of the tree of life and have eternal life in this earth.
Genesis 3:24 KJV
(24) So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
By serving and worshiping the “handwriting of dogmas”….of what we think within our own minds is wise, true and right to keep…..we are still DEAD in our sin and the uncircumcision of our flesh.
The churches handwritings are against us and are contrary to us. They are hostile and prevent us from having His eternal life in this earth.
Colossians 2:13-15 KJV
(13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
But our Lord has forgiven us for the handwritings. He nails them to His cross. He enlivens us to sit together in Him.
(14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
He spoils them in triumph. The “principalities and powers” shall fall from “heaven” as we shall no longer highly exalt them.
(15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
to be continued...