'Salvation in the New Testament is always a past fact, a present

experience, and a future hope; and no exposition of New Testament

theology is complete which fails to do justice to any of these three

aspects.  In particular, this threefold character is observable in the

passage where Paul speaks of Christ's victory over the powers ...

Christ has won His victory: He has "disarmed the principalities and

authorities ... triumphing over them in it (i.e. the Cross)".  He has

been exalted "far above every principality and authority and power and

lordship", yet the battle still continues, and Christians must still

contend "against the principalities, against the powers, against the

world-rulers of this present darkness"' (Principalities and Powers by

G. B. Baird).

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 2:6-8, tells us that had the rulers or princes

of this age known the hidden wisdom of God, they would not have crucified the

Lord of glory, and 1 Corinthians 1 makes it clear that this hidden wisdom was

the Lord Jesus Christ and the Cross.  We learn from 1 Peter 1:10-12 that the

scheme of salvation testified beforehand by the prophets was not only

directed to the believer through the preaching of the gospel, but that angels

were most intimately interested, 'which things the angels desire to look

into'.  This leads to another passage, and one closely related to our own

high calling.  Why was the Mystery made known by Paul?  We readily answer:

'To make all men see what is the fellowship (dispensation R.V.) of the

mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God,

Who created all things (by Jesus Christ, omitted by R.V.)' (Eph. 3:9).

We have, however, not read far enough; we have limited the context to

Another purpose was in view:

'To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly

places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God' (Eph.

This revelation was not made known to all principalities and powers,

but to those who were still 'in heavenly places', for some principalities

were 'spoiled' and 'triumphed over' at the cross.  This revelation had been

awaited by these heavenly rulers since the overthrow of the world, and the

great secret was hidden from the ages and generations until Israel became lo-

ammi 'not My people' and God ceased, for the time, to be their God at Acts

28.  The word translated 'prince' in 1 Corinthians 2:6,8 and 'ruler' in

Matthew 9:18 and many other passages, is the Greek word archon allied to the

word 'principality' which is arche.  Beelzebub is called 'the prince of the

devils' in Matthew 12:24, and the same word is translated 'chief' in Luke

11:15.  We meet the word in the title 'The prince of this world' (John 12:31;

14:30 and 16:11), and 'The prince of the power of the air' in Ephesians 2:2.

What was the wisdom of God in a mystery, which the princes of this world did

not know?  Elsewhere, in 1 Corinthians 1, the alternating words 'foolishness'

and 'wisdom' refer to the cross.  The princes of this world bent all their

powers to accomplish the crucifixion of the Son of God, but had they really

known, they would never have done such a thing, for by crucifying the Lord of

glory, they sealed their own doom.  Christ did not destroy him that had the

power of death, that is, the devil, by an exhibition of mighty power, for the

foolishness of God is wiser than man, and the weakness of God is stronger

than man.  Christ destroyed him that had the power of death, 'through death',

the wisdom of God indeed in a mystery, which none of the princes of this

world knew.  Angels have desired to look into this mystery (1 Pet. 1:12), and