[Esaias]

And this:

Originally Posted by Esaias

"Against the idea of stoicheion being religious principles is the fact that everytime stoicheion occurs with kosmos in extant literature the term stoicheion always refers to the physical elements. The context of Colossians, with its emphasis on philosophy, indicates the term there means physical elements"


In Colossians, the issue involves a non Christian philosophical-religious system that is derived from the stoicheion of the kosmos. The grammar is pretty direct that it is not stoicheion of a philosophy that is being opposed, but rather a philosophy based upon and derived from the stoicheion of the kosmos, meaning a philosophy based on a particular physic, or understanding of the natural elements of the universe.

The phrase kata ta stoicheia tou kosmou indicates the ground or basis of the Colossian opposition's philosophy. It is literally a philosophy "about the elements of the world". The elements of the world are the ground or basis for the opposing philosophy, and stands in opposition (and apposition) to Christ. The philosophy Paul is arguing against is a philosophy based on a particular view of the constructive elements of the cosmos, and he argues in favour of a view based on Christ being the incarnate deity.

The opposition view is also said to be derived "according to the traditions of men", indicating the Colossian opposition was an already pre-existing philosophical system rather than a new-fangled invention. The Colossian Christians were interacting with and being critiqued ("judged") by a somewhat popular Greek philosophical movement that was making inroads in Asia Minor in the first century. That philosophical movement (essentially what we today would call a religious movement) critiqued and opposed apostolic Christianity as being incompatible with reality and the basic structure of the cosmos. This, the opponents claimed, led to vain worship and vain living, as compared to their own claimed humility, frugality, and disregard for higher spiritual beings.

In other words, the apostle was combating the Cynic movement, which at the time was a formidable antiChristian pagan movement whose primary critique of Christianity was based upon Cynicism's view of the natural elements which formed the basis for a philosophy of living and ethics and religious duty.