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The most important division of Paulinism that appears to be quite inexplicable from Jewish premises may for the lack of a better title be called the "redemption doctrine." Briefly stated, it is this: The world and all men in it, Jews and Gentiles alike, are in their natural state under the domination of imperfect heavenly beings, from whose power, however, Christians are delivered by Christ. As the discovery of this system in the epistles is of comparatively recent date, an investigation of it in some detail may be found profitable. Its key is in the word o-roxeia, which St. Paul uses four times, in Gal. 4:3, 9, and Col. 2:8, 20, the other occurrences of the term in the New Testament being Heb. 5:12, where it can mean only "first principles," and in II Pet. 3:10, 12, where it may be translated "elementary substances," although the exact force in this last passage is dubious. For the Pauline passages nearly all older commentaries and not a few of the more recent adopt the meaning in Hebrews, and, at first sight, this sense appears to give a very satisfactory translation. So, for instance, in Gal. 4:3, "we Jews, when we were children, were held in bondage under elementary instruction fit for children, which belongs to this world," a rendition that seems quite appropriate, especially in view of the figure of the Law as our "disciplinary guardian" (wraL6aywybs) in 3:24. But when we attempt to read this force of oTroLxEa into the next paragraph of Galatians (4:8-II) our difficulties begin. 358

(7) When ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, be not troubled: these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet. (8) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there shall be earthquakes in divers places; there shall be famines: these things are the beginnings of travail. (14) But when ye see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not (let him that readeth understand), then let them that are in Judea flee unto the mountains: (15) and let him that is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of his house: (16) and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak. (17) But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! (18) And pray ye that it be not in the winter. (Ig) For those days shall be tribulation, such as there hath not been the like from the beginning of creation which God created until now, and never shall be. (20) And except the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the elect's sake, whom he chose, he shortened the days. (24) But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, (25) and the stars shall be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken. (26) And then shall they see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. (27) And then shall he send forth his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of earth to the uttermost part of heaven.