Edgework

We will stick with the question of worldviews for one more essay in this series. With respect to the question of the world of spirits which were thought to inhabit the air in biblical times, we find a unique perspective in the writings of Paul. In his book, Christ and the Powers (1953), Hendrick Berkhof proposed a broadened interpretation of the Pauline texts to say that the “principalities and powers” language – frequently  referred to singularly as the “powers” – refers to a reality more comprehensive than simply spirit beings that surround us and influence us. In his classic book, The Politics of Jesus (1972), John Howard Yoder devotes an entire chapter, “Christ and Power” (135-162), to interact with – and basically affirm – the validity of Berkhof’s views for contemporary ethical reflection.

When I was exposed to this conversation in the late 1970s I found it quite interesting and even profound. But I was afraid that such an interpretation would not be welcomed in my church community. However, when I arrived at Steinbach Bible College in 1983 to begin my college teaching career, I discovered that Ben Eidse, who had just become President of the College, was fully engrossed in these concepts and was teaching them wherever he went in constituent churches. I was pleasantly surprised. Eidse spoke openly about how this understanding of the “principalities and powers” had been helpful in his missionary endeavors in the Congo and how he felt it could be relevant for our contemporary North American context as well. This inspired me to begin lecturing regularly on this subject in my “Christian Ethics” classes.

From my perspective, Paul’s unique point of view regarding the “powers” offers a plausible and welcome alternative to the notion that all of life consists of contending with spirit beings who seek to influence us.

It is helpful to take note of the various ways in which Paul refers to the “powers”. The terms he uses include the following: death, life, angels, principalities, things present, things to come, powers, height, depth, rulers of this age, every rule or dominion, prince of the power of the air, world rulers of this present darkness, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly realms, elemental spirits of the universe (Romans 8:38, I Corinthians 2:8, 15-24-26; Galatians 4:1-11; Ephesians 1:20, 2:1, 3:10, 6:12; Colossians 1:16, 2:15).

About this list, Berkhof says the following: “It is clear that these entities are not all thought of as persons, much less angels. The fact that Paul could weave the names of the angelic powers into such a list of abstractions would indicate that his emphasis lies not on their personal-spiritual nature, but rather on the fact that these Powers condition earthly life” (19). And Yoder adds that this list “…need not imply the rejection of all the more literal meanings which the language of the demonic and of bondage can also have… That these two areas or two kinds of definitions of ‘the demonic’ are quite distinct from one another would probably have been much less evident to Paul than it seems to be to some moderns (142).

It is clear that Paul was immersed in a world in which it was thought that spirit beings were actively involved in the world. He does not deny their reality but goes on to list them alongside other entities, like height, depth and things to come, for example, that seek to separate us from God. It seems as though Paul is stepping back and saying, “Wait a minute. There is something more involved here than spirit beings. Anything in all creation that seeks to separate us from God and God’s ways becomes part of this list of the “powers.”

Berkhof suggests that the biblical list of the “powers” is not exhaustive. It can include any force in any era or place that humans contend with, either for good or ill. We might want to add things like sexuality, materialism, government, family systems, traditions, culture, etc. All such “powers” can be powerful life forces for both good or ill.

Colossians 1:15-17 affirms that, whatever the powers are, they were created by God. But for Paul it is clear that they no longer function in their God-given capacity (Galatians 4:1-11). They are fallen. They seek to make themselves God. They demand total obedience (Ephesians 2:2) and enslave people (Galatians 4:3). Originally the powers were created to hold the world together and close to the heart of God. But in their fallen state, while they still hold the world together – although imperfectly – they also hold it away from the heart of God.

The good news of the gospel is that Christ has defeated the “powers” so that we no longer have to live in subjection to them. In the incarnation Jesus invaded the territory of the powers where he lived as a free person, refusing to support the “powers” in their self-deification. In his ministry he repeatedly confronted various “powers”, exposing their deception and powerlessness in his presence. And in his death and resurrection, Jesus “disarmed” the principalities and powers so that they now no longer have dominion over us. It is important to note that they were not “destroyed;” they are “dethroned, defeated and made powerless”.

So as individuals and as a church community we still must contend with the “powers”. But because of the work of Christ they cannot enslave us if we unmask their powerlessness. And we look forward to the day when in the coming Kingdom of God their power will be completely destroyed (I Corinthians 15:24-25).

Such an understanding does three things for me. First, it frees me from being obsessed with the presence of spiritual beings all around me. Secondly, I can learn to identify, expose and resist those realities in my world which draw me away from Christ. And thirdly, by focusing on the intended roles of the principalities and powers, I find a solid base for Christian ethics.