For in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him.
Colossians 1:16, NRSV
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12, ESV
About six months ago a good friend mentioned that I needed to make a distinction with the folks in our church plant’s core group between building an institution and participating in the beautiful work of God. Although I’ve since learned more of what he meant in pitting these against each other (including much I agree with), I’ve decided to push back on the plain sense of the distinction for a couple of reasons:
- It’s a false dichotomy as there are institutions that are powerful forces for good in participating in the beautiful work of God.
- The distinction isn’t helpful for church planters who are trying to bring something that is fragile and fledging to a place of stability and sustainability. Permanence may be beyond our grasp, but establishing an institution– at least one that is a stable and sustainable localized mission outpost– is an essential goal for a church planter and his or her core group.
Related to this, I’ve been curious about the meaning of the terms I’ve italicized in the verses above. The ESV Study Bible says they’re “Jewish terms for various rankings of angels (although he doesn’t explain their individual ranks).” Although a possibility, I’ve seen this understanding lead to an unhealthy dissecting of trees so that we miss the forest. Or to say it differently and more specifically, I’ve seen it lead to unhealthy speculation, or even an obsession where one sees a demon behind every bush as Frank Peretti’s Darkness trilogy did in the 80s and 90s. To get more at what Paul is saying, we might think of the more classic fictional example of the rings of power that Sauron and his shadowy forces exploit in the recent interpretation of Tolkien’s work in The Rings of Power on Amazon.
Besides being enjoyable, good fiction stirs our imagination in a way that helps us better ponder unseen realities. When it comes to more accurately defining the biblical terms italicized above, however, N.T. Wright’s guidance is better than the “various rankings” interpretation. It more accurately points us to the forest, that is, the big picture of what God has done and how he wants us to live.
Concerning the powers, principalities, authorities, thrones, dominions, or rulers, Wright says, “I don’t think Paul had a precise dictionary definition of each of those words… he was acknowledging the general fact that there is stuff out there that had to be dealt with… He was gesturing toward the fact that there are unseen forces at work… that what we’re dealing with is more than the sum total of all the humans involved.”[1]
This raises a question: Certainly, there are shadowy and often malevolent spiritual forces behind things. Evil powers do have visible and invisible dimensions to them; that is, physical and concrete expressions that can’t always be sharply separated. But… if God is the creator of all—including cosmic powers—do the powers include virtuous, image-bearing institutions? And does he care about birthing and strengthening these institutions? The kind of institutions that have, in some way at least, a culture, core values, or ethos that reflects God’s heart?
Former Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse thought so when he left politics in early 2023 to become the 13th President of the University of Florida. He thought what “better place for conservatism-in-exile than a university, a place to put into practice one of conservatism’s core ideals, building and sustaining virtuous institutions?”[2] Journalist David French noted that “on the way out of the Senate, he penned an important piece in the Wall Street Journal, arguing that the defining fight of our time isn’t between Democrats and Republicans but between ‘civil pluralists’ and ‘political zealots.’
‘Civic pluralists,’ Sasse writes, ‘understand that ideas move the world more than power does, which is why pluralists value debate and persuasion.’”[3]
BTW, we can pray for Sasse as he recently had to leave his position at the university to take care of his family after his wife was diagnosed with epilepsy.
In a post on the social platform X, the former U.S. senator from Nebraska said… that ‘after extensive prayer and lots of family tears,’ he asked university officials… to start looking for a new president. In a statement, the university said his resignation is effective July 31.
‘I need to step back for a time and focus more on the needs of my family while we rebuild more stable household systems,’ Sasse said, adding that he would continue to teach at the university in Gainesville, Florida.
Sasse’s wife, Melissa, who had an aneurysm and a series of strokes in 2007, was recently diagnosed with epilepsy and has been having ‘a new batch of memory issues,’ he said.
‘We’ve battled some nasty seizures the last couple years, but she’s always remained a warrior,’ he said.
The couple has two daughters in college, and their youngest child is turning 13, he said.”[4]
Next week, in Part 2, we’ll explain further how the powers are different from the “sum total of all the humans involved,” how the gospel speaks to all of this, as well as offer an expansive vision of our part in God’s Kingdom work. Stay tuned!
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJl7B5GRxBM
[2] https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/frenchpress/a-new-version-of-an-old-fight/
[3] Ibid.
[4] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/ben-sasse-controversial-university-of-florida-president-announces-his-resignation