What Did Paul Mean by “The Rudiments of the World”? A Mid-Acts, KJB-Only Response to the “Elemental Spirits” Interpretation in the ESV On a recent YouTube video ( click here if you want to watch it) by Doreen Virtue and Jac Marino Chen they claim that Colossians 2:8 is referring to elemental spirits like gnomes, fairies, mermaids, etc based upon the Esv translation.  In the ESV it says, "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits[a] of the world, and not according to Christ." The King James Version, which is the preserved word of God for us today in the English language says, Col 2:8 KJV -  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. Lets look into this... Doreen Virtue has used this wording from the ESV to warn about spiritual deception and has connected “elemental spirits” w...