See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits (KJV: rudiments of the world; Greek: στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου), and not after Christ. (Col 2:8, NRSV)
Col 2:8 is a strong witness to Paul’s belief in the ontological existence of supernatural evil. Catholic priest and scholar, Dennis Hamm, SJ, wrote the following:
Scholarly research has found plenty of evidence that stoicheia was used in ancient times to describe cosmic entities like the sun, moon, stars, planets, and the four elements as managed by spirits, angels, and demons. A ready example appears in the book of Wisdom, where Solomon is portrayed as boasting about his special God-given knowledge of the elements of creation.
For he gave me sound knowledge of what exists, that I might know the structure of the universe and the force of its elements [stoicheia]. The beginning and the end of the midpoint of times, the changes in the sun’s course and the variations of the seasons. Wis 7:17-18; see 19:18
Then in Wis 13:2 pagans are described as foolish for worshipping these things as gods.
Either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water, or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods.
Translated literally, Paul’s phrase stoicheia tou kosmou is “elements of the cosmos.” Given that Paul writes of these elements as something to which the baptized Colossians “have died” (2:20), it is clear that he has in mind something more than the material components of the universe. The Christian does not die to earth, air, fire, and water, or sun, moon, and stars. The stoicheia here, then, are personal forces that human beings can be enslaved to or freed from. Indeed, in writing to the Galatians, Paul can speak of pre-Christians as “enslaved to the stoicheia tou kosmou” (Gal 4:3). This relational language has prompted contemporary translators to add a word to clarify “elements” in Col 2:8-10—for instance, “elemental powers of the world” (NABRE), “the ruling spirits of this world” (Good News), “the elemental spirits of the universe” (NRSV).
One scholar summarizes his research on teaching about “the elements” and Paul’s response to it this way.
For Paul the stoicheia were an integral part of the present evil age. They function as masters and overlords of unredeemed humanity working through various means—including the Jewish law and pagan religions—to hold their subjects in bondage. The rules and regulations imposed by these “powers” ostensibly through sacred and venerable religious tradition, are therefore entirely unnecessary and actually represent a reversion to a form of slavery to the “powers” themselves. A reaffirmation of the community’s freedom from this demonic tyranny is expressed by the author who stresses the complete identification of believers with Christ. The identification includes death to the former lords, the stoicheia tou kosmou who would still seek to impose their control. (Arnold, Colossian Syncretism, 194)
This seems to reflect Paul’s intended meaning of the stoicheia tou kosmou in Colossians. (Dennis Hamm, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon [Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2013], 196-97)
For more on Paul’s satanology/demonology, as well as that of other biblical authors, see the relevant articles at:
