Bible Dictionary
ORDINANCE
An ordinance is a prescribed rule, decree, or institution, often concerning worship, ritual, civil judgment, or religious conduct. Biblical ordinances may be given by God, established for the community, or described as divinely ordered institutions.
Biblical Usage
Ordinances include the Passover institution, ritual prescriptions, Deuteronomic and priestly laws, civil judgments, and divine commandments. The New Testament uses the term for religious regulations and decrees, and describes human institutions such as family and state as having divine origin.