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"Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet. For in that He put the all things
(ta panta) under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him; but now we see not yet
the all things (ta panta) put under Him. . . . For it became Him, for Whom are the all
things (ta panta), and through Whom are the all things (ta panta), in bringing many sons
unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."
Returning for a moment to I Cor. 15: 27, 28, we must remember that the context
speaks of the subjection and destruction of enemies. In verse 24 we read:--
"Then the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father,
when He shall have abolished (katargeõ) every principality (arche), and every authority
(exousia), and power (dunamis). For He must reign till He hath placed all enemies under
His feet. The last enemy that shall be abolished (katargeõ) is death."
It is manifest by the sequence of thought that the principalities, authorities and powers
which are to be destroyed are enemies, otherwise the connecting of verses 24 and 25 by
the word "for" loses its force. Turning to Eph. 1: 21-23 we read of the exaltation of Christ
as being:--
"Far above every principality (arche, see above on I Cor. 15: 27, 28), and authority
(exousia), and power (dunamis), and lordship (kuriotes), and every name that is named,
not only in this age, but also in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his
feet, and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the
fulness of Him that the all things (ta panta) with all is filling."
It will be at once noticed that we have the repetition of those spiritual powers which
were mentioned so particularly in I Cor. 15: The Epistles to the Ephesians and
Colossians speak of principalities and powers several times, and as it is evident that these
are largely in view with regard to the subject under consideration, we will take note of the
passages before passing on:--
"To the intent that now unto the principalities (arche), and authorities (exousia) in the
heavenlies might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God" (Eph. 3: 10).
"For we wrestle not with blood and flesh, but with the principalities (arche), with the
authorities (exousia), with the world-rulers of this darkness, with the spiritual things of
wickedness in the heavenlies" (Eph. 6: 12).
"For by Him were created the all things (ta panta), the things in the heavens and the
things on the earth, the things seen and the things unseen, whether thrones, or lordships
(kuriotes), whether principalities (arche), or authorities (exousia), the all things (ta panta)
for Him, and unto Him have been created, and He is before the all things (ta panta), and
by Him the all things (ta panta) consists, and He is the Head of the body the church, Who
is the Beginning, First-born out of the dead, in order that among all He might become
pre-eminent; because in Him it was thought good that all the fulness should dwell"
(Col. 1: 16-19).
"Because in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and you are filled full
by Him, who is the Head of every principality (arche), and authority (exousia)"
(Col. 2: 9, 10).
"Having put off the principalities (arche), and the authorities (exousia), He made a
public exhibition of them, having triumphed over them by it" (Col. 2: 15).