The Jew-Gentile Gnostic Heresy

In his letters to the Galatians and Colossians Paul addresses problems that concern both Jewish and Gentile Christians. The problem includes an unusual mixing of Gnostic-Gentile pagan ideas and OC Jewish Torah observance. Paul calls these stoicheia tou kosmou, variously translated as spiritual forces or elementary principles of this world.

This heresy for the Jews appeared in the form of continued observance to old covenant systems like the food laws and the Jewish calendar. For example, in Col 2 and Gal 4 Paul warns:

Let no one disturb you about what you eat, drink or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day. Col 2.16

So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless elementary principles of this world? You observe days and months and seasons and years! Gal 4.9

Therefore, if you died with Christ, who has set you free from the elementary principles of this world, why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? Col 2.20

NOTE throughout these letters Paul repeatedly warns against Torah-keeping by including himself by saying “we”!

For example in Gal 3:

“Before faith came, we were held in custody under the Law, locked up until the faith which was to come would be revealed. The Law was our guardian until Messiah, so that we could then be made right by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian” (Gal. 3:23-25).

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. 

“It’s thus impossible [for the Christian] to desire to keep the laws and demands of these elements….so that the Christian community is definitively freed from the Sabbath commandment–no matter whether this is based on the supposed necessity of the Law to salvation or on the controlling power of cosmic forces,” i.e., the elemental principles of this dark world.

C.E. Arnold, “Returning to the Domain of Powers”

“For Paul, the stoicheia were an integral part of the present evil age and used a variety of means to hold humanity in bondage and blind people to the revelation of Jesus Christ as proclaimed in the gospel. For Gentiles, they accomplished their objective through posing as gods and goddesses and soliciting cultic worship. For Jews, they were associated with the law in the same way as the power of sin and were agents of slavery under the old covenant. Now, in spite of the fact that the Galatian Gentiles know Christ, Paul fears that by acceding to the demands of the Judaizing opponents they would return to the domain of the powers. By embracing Torah, the Galatians were returning to the powers of the old aeon which would bring them under a yoke of slavery once again and cause them to forfeit their freedom in Christ.”