He the Head.

B

Eph. 3:10.

Some principalities and powers are learning through

church the manifold wisdom of God,

and so do not appear to be `evil powers' or `against us'.

C

Eph. 6:12.

These principalities and powers are spiritual

wickednesses, rulers of the darkness of this world

against whom we wrestle, and because of whom we must

`put on' the whole armour of God.

A

Col. 1:16-19.

Christ before all: principalities and powers were created by

Him and for Him, and He is before all things.

Fulness dwells in Him.

He is the Head of the Body, the church.

B

Col. 2:10.

In association with the church which is `complete in Him'

are these principalities and powers, for Christ is here

said to be their `Head'.  This balances Ephesians 3:10

C

Col. 2:15.

Here, however, are `enemies' again.  These use `the

rudiments of the world'.  The Saviour spoiled or

`stripped off' these principalities and powers at the

One other occurrence of arche in the prison epistles, namely Colossians 1:18 is

suggestive.  Christ is `the arche' the beginning, the principality, all others

were created by Him and for Him and by Him all consist (Col. 1:16,17).  In the

realm of the first creation these powers appear to have been delegated, but in

the new creation, of which the church is the first great foreshadowing, these

principalities lose their authority, which is exercised by Christ alone.  This

will continue until the last enemy is destroyed and the goal of the ages is

reached.  To the above six references therefore, this seventh outstanding and

separate reference should be associated, swallowing up all such rule, even as He

will swallow up death in victory.

It is interesting to note that in 1 Peter 3:22, Peter says

of Christ `Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and

authorities and powers being made subject unto Him'.  He substitutes angels here

for principalities.  Angels are only mentioned once in the prison epistles, and

then only to be set aside, namely in the passage which speaks of `worshipping of

angels'. The Church of the Mystery is not concerned with

heaven's `messengers' and `ministers' (Heb. 1:7), but with heaven's aristocracy,

`thrones' and `dominions'.  The high exaltation of Christ as Head of the church

is the better realized when we perceive the high order of spiritual beings that

are placed beneath His feet.

`Powers'.  The word `power' should strictly be reserved for the

translation of dunamis, and the word `authority' be used for the Greek word

exousia, which is found here in Ephesians 1:21.  Exousia, is derived from exesti