Elements

“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” 2 Peter 2:19

“Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” 2 Peter 3:12

Many will tell you that this is when our God of Heaven brings destruction to the planet. The word world is the same 'world' which Jesus said his kingdom was not a part of. It does not mean planet but means constitutional order. This was a jurisdictional statement in court. ⁷³

The same words element and world are again found in Galatians 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. Here the author is speaking of bondage in a legal system. And also in Galatians 4:9 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?

If Christ was a king and He preached a kingdom, and He told us to preach the kingdom was at hand, then why would a man of Christ preach that we should go under any other kingdom or governmental authority? It is clear Jesus and Paul did not.

Again in Colossians 2:8 we see the Greek word for elements translated as rudiments of that same constitutional order. “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.” Here, the author is again not speaking of atomic structure but of philosophy and vain deceit. And again in Colossians 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,”

Why are we subject to the ordinances of men? Why are we under tribute? Why do we serve a government who stands in the position of Father, who is a Benefactor to the people? Why are we a part of governments who exercise authority one over another?

The first centralized civil authority was Cain. Abraham left the city State. Israel was a nation designed to not have a king or central governmental authority or central bank. Its Ministers were not to go up by steps.

They were taken out of such systems by Moses and told to not return to the ways of Egypt. Samuel warned what would happen if you made men rulers over you and Moses had given them a constitution for each ruler to read.

“Thou shalt in any wise set [him] king over thee… he shall not… cause the people to return to Egypt… Ye shall henceforth return no more that way… neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.” Deuteronomy 17:15

Jesus appointed a kingdom to those who follow His ways. “And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;” Luke 22:29. And then He told them how it was to be run. And he said unto them, 'The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.'” Luke 22:25-26

Israel was a government, not a religion. Judea was its Remnant. Yes, it was a system of faith, hope and law. All governments are systems, but not all are of faith and hope. Some are based on entitlements, force and allegiance.

John and Jesus preached a Kingdom and we were told to do the same. Ministers of God preach what Christ said to preach. The kingdom of Heaven is at hand. It is His government that we should be seeking and teaching. It is not financed by coveting your neighbors' goods through the agency of authoritarian benefactors. As the bondservants of His Holy Church we are "to receive, preserve, and propagate His doctrines and ordinances." We are not to make the word of God to none effect. We are to feed His sheep in spirit and in truth, not lead them into bondage.

We are to lead the people in the ways of Christ, to His kingdom and His righteousness, with no god⁷⁴ or father on earth⁷⁵ but God Almighty and His Father in Heaven.

Jesus loves those who can receive the meat of His teachings, the milk of His kindness and breath and the mercy of His forgiveness. The word that was translated as element in the New Testament also is translated as principles in Hebrews 5:12 “For 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.”

We may let men remain under authority they have chosen to apply to and become subject to, but God wants you to seek and serve Him alone. He sent His Son to purchase you from those other authorities of earth by His sacrifice. In His kingdom your redemption is sealed by His blood with the proclamation of Caesar nailed to the cross. “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.”⁷⁶

The word testament is from diatheke which is the same word translated into covenant. It means a disposition, arrangement, of any sort, which one wishes to be valid. It is His covenant which we should be validating with our lives, His government that we should be seeking and applying to for our benefit.

His government operates under the perfect law of liberty by Faith, Hope and Charity, not force, control and violence. His law and traditions and way is the acceptance of responsibility for, of and by the people seeking His kingdom. His Kingdom sets men free to serve God through serving one another in love and charity, while other governments that do contrary to His way bind men to the service of others.

We are to love the ways of God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. The tyranny of neighbor over neighbor to be secure in our sin is anti-Christ. We should turn around and go the other way rather than convert to the Caesars of this world with the voice of a people⁷⁷ who have already rejected God.

Jesus preached His kingdom at hand in one word. In the Epistles of Paul it is translated Charity but in the Gospels of Christ the same word is translated as Love.