Rule, Authority, Power, and Dominion
Excerpt
The four synonyms (RSV “rule…authority…power…dominion”) indicate spiritual powers which are here not primarily regarded as evil, but which simply exist. In Jewish thought these powers were viewed as angels, of which there were ranks and degrees, or as spirits (evil); in Greek thought they were seen as lesser gods and powers. The author here takes their existence for granted and does not argue about it. See a similar list in Colossians 1.16, where the words appear in the plural; of the four words used here in Ephesians 1.21, three of them are also in the Colossians passage; the only difference is that Colossians has “throne” (first word) and Ephesians has “power” (third word). More
Bratcher, Robert G., and Eugene Albert Nida. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. New York: United Bible Societies, 1993. Print. UBS Handbook Series
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