Elementary Principles of the World, The - Found in Worship Praxes - Past & Present (2018)

This essay also appears as part of a larger piece entitled, “A New & Living Way: An Investigation into New Covenant Worship in Spirit & Truth”. The main goal of that essay was to investigate New Covenant Worship in Spirit and Truth. In the process of writing, a secondary goal emerged – namely to expose “the elementary principles of the world” (Galatians 4:1-10; Colossians 2:8-23) in the worship practices of the Church.

The elementary principles of the world have been used as tools by the fallen powers and principalities (2 Corinthians 10:5; Ephesians 6:12) to keep the Church – namely, the first century Church, almost all the various streams of the Church throughout its history, even to the present day Church (including “organic” “home churches”) – under the shadow of the Old Covenant with regards to its worship praxes, and falling short of fulfilling its calling to gather and function as the Ecclesia of the Kingdom of God. In short, through “the elementary principles of the world”, the powers and principalities have deceived the Church to continue gathering for sacralized activities not in accord with “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:2; 2 Corinthians 3:6) rather than gathering to discuss and implement the affairs of the Kingdom of God.