Powers of Darkness: Principalities Powers in Paul's Letters

by Clinton E. Arnold

Book Overview

Clinton Arnold examines Paul's teaching on powers and principalities--comparing it with Jesus' teaching, Greek and Roman beliefs, and contemporary views. He concludes with biblical and practical guidelines for Christians today.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0830813365
• ISBN13: 9780830813360
• Release Date: February 1992
• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Exceedingly Insightful

If you are looking for any understanding of the spiritual life of The Colossian's in the 1st century this book is more than a primer. It will assist you in getting a true understanding of what the religious mood was for the people of that area and even Christian's who Paul the apostle wrote too warning them of syncretism in worship, and the de-valuation of Christ.

An important contribution

"Immersed in a culture that says evil spirits do not exist, Western Christians struggle even to begin the task of spiritual warfare. We spend more time wondering if we really should believe in demons than struggling with how we should respond to them. On this topic some of us suffer double-mindedness. Although mental assent is given to the likelihood that evil spirits exist since it is affirmed in the Bible, in reality it makes no practical difference in the way we live our day-to-day lives. When dealing with a personal problem such as illness or depression, medical and psychological services are the only considered alternatives. Little thought is given to the spiritual side. Even in Christian ministry the spiritual dimension is often ignored." (p.148). This paragraph sums up one of the reasons why Clinton E. Arnold, an associate professor of New Testament at Talbot Theological Seminary, wrote this powerful little book. In it Arnold explores the teaching of the Apostle Paul on the powers of darkness, the evil spirits that the Bible portrays as conducting an active systemic and personal warfare against human beings and especially against God's people. Much of Paul's teaching has been ignored in the church for the simple reason that the great Apostle uses terms for spirit beings that, while familiar in New Testament times, seem to moderns to indicate general principles rather than discrete spiritual entities. Such words as "principalities and powers" strike moderns more as abstract ideas than the equivalent of "demons and evil spirits." Yet, as Arnold documents, in the religions and the demonology of the first century Roman Empire, just such "power" words were used to designate the supernatural entities that were believed to inhabit the spiritual universe and to impact the lives of human beings. In the first century pagan gods and demons were commonly referred to as principalities or rulers (archai), powers or authorities (exousiai, dunameis), dominions (kyriotetes), thrones (thronai), angels or messengers (angeloi), world rulers or powers (kosmokratores) spiritual forces (pneumatika), rulers (archontes), elemental spirits, sometimes wrongly translated `basic principles' (stoicheia), and demons (daimonia). As this last word, demons, occurs in only two passages in Paul's writings, it's not surprising that most readers of English Bibles assume that Paul has little to say sbout the hostile spiritual forces that are at war with God and his people. Yet once we understand the full vocabulary Paul uses to deal with the spirit world, however, we discover that the theme of spiritual warfare with demons and evil spirits is as prominent in Paul's epistles as it appears to be in the Gospels. In fact, we learn far more from Paul's letters about the nature our struggle with not only the world and the flesh but also with the devil than we learn from the Gospel accounts! The great strength of Arnold's book is found not only in his careful demon

Book summary

Many people since the Enlightenment, in attempt to relate to a naturalistic worldview, have "demythologized" the Bible's mention of demonic powers of darkness into symbols of nonpersonal realities. "The demonic" becomes viewed as a cultural or mythical way of referring to the evil thoughts and actions of individuals, corrupt social-economic-political institutions, socio-cultural norms, group habits, beliefs or intellectual paradigms. The Pauline epistles' "principalities" and "powers" become understood as identical to the other hostile powers of sin, the law, flesh and death. Sigmund Freud thought the "devil" was nothing more than the expression of individual repressions. Carl Jung rejected the metaphysical realities of the "powers" as only powerful psychological realities. Jesus and Paul both indeed assumed the world as filled with evil spirits hostile to God and humanity; Jesus and Paul understood Satan as a powerful supernatural being. So did their Jewish and pagan contemporaries and antecedents. (A) Jesus' Teachings about Demons: Jesus' conflict with the powers of darkness constitutes a major and ongoing theme in all four Gospels' account of Jesus' earthly ministry. To his contemporaries, one of Jesus' most remarkable features was his casting out of demons and his doing so on his own authority. Jesus taught that Satan holds unbelieving humanity in bondage and that Jesus has come to release the captives in Satan's kingdom. Jesus' many exorcisms clearly demonstrated his power over the evil one; and Jesus' exorcisms were a sign of the presence of God's kingdom. The demons themselves seemed clearly aware this key significance of Christ's earthly mission. The devil's three temptations of Jesus (Mathew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13) aimed to divert Jesus from his divinely intended redemptive mission; and Jesus' responses were characterized by the Son's unity of purpose with the Father. Perhaps it is in this sense that Jesus said "the prince of this world ... has no hold on me" (John 14:30). Christ's death and resurrection marked the decisive defeat of Satan. There exists an "eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41). Though the earthly Jesus' exorcisms liberated a few persons from the devil's power, Jesus' death and resurrection could liberate the entire humankind. Jesus extended his mission through his disciples, giving the disciples "power and authority over all demons" (Luke 9:1, see also Luke 10:1-23). These disciples met with victory over Satan's power and influence. Nonetheless, such sensational success is less noteworthy to oneself than one's own heavenly status. All who exercise faith in Christ and "abide" in him can share in Jesus' victory over Satan and the powers of darkness. (B) Pauline Demonology: Whereas Acts is less concerned with the pagan converts' concerns (like how to manage their new allegiance to Christ, given their former religious practices), the Pauline epistles focus more on su