Lexical Summary arché: Beginning, origin, ruler, authority, principality Original Word: ἀρχή Strong's Exhaustive Concordance magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule. From archomai; (properly abstract) a commencement, or (concretely) chief (in various applications of order, time, place, or rank) -- beginning, corner, (at the, the) first (estate), magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule. see GREEK archomai HELPS Word-studies 746 arxḗ – properly, from the beginning (temporal sense), i.e. "the initial (starting) point"; (figuratively) what comes first and therefore is chief (foremost), i.e. has the priority because ahead of the rest ("preeminent"). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom archó Definition beginning, origin NASB Translation beginning (38), corners (2), domain (1), elementary (1), elementary* (1), first (1), first preaching (1), principalities (1), rule (4), rulers (6). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 746: ἀρχήἀρχή, ἀρχῆς, ἡ (from Homer down), in the Sept. mostly equivalent to רֹאשׁ, רֵאֹשִׁית, תְּחִלָּה; 1. beginning, origin; a. used absolutely, of the beginning of all things: ἐν ἀρχή, John 1:1f (Genesis 1:1); ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, Matthew 19:4 (with which cf. Xenophon, mem. 1, 4, 5 ὁ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ποιῶν ἀνθρώπους), Matthew 19:8; John 8:44; 1 John 1:1; 1 John 2:13; 1 John 3:8; more fully ἀπ' ἀρχῆς κτίσεως or κόσμου, Matthew 24:21; Mark 10:6; Mark 13:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (where L (Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading) ἀπαρχήν, which see); 2 Peter 3:4; κατ' ἀρχάς, Hebrews 1:10 (Psalm 101:26 b. in a relative sense, of the beginning of the thing spoken of: ἐξ ἀρχῆς, from the time when Jesus gathered disciples, John 6:64; John 16:4; ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, John 15:27 (since I appeared in public); as soon as instruction was imparted, 1 John 2:( 2. the person or thing that commences, the first person or thing in a series, the leader: Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:8 Rec.; 3. that by which anything begins to be, the origin, active cause (a sense in which the philosopher Anaximander, 4. the extremity of a thing: of the corners of a sail, Acts 10:11; Acts 11:5; (Herodotus 4, 60; Diodorus 1, 35; others.). 5. the first place, principality, rule, magistracy (cf. English 'authorities') (ἄρχω τίνος): Luke 12:11; Luke 20:20; Titus 3:1; office given in charge (Genesis 40:13, 21; 2 Macc. 4:10, etc.), Jude 1:6. Hence, the term is transferred by Paul to angels and demons holding dominions entrusted to them in the order of things (see ἄγγελος, 2 (cf. Lightfoot on Colossians 1:16; Meyer on Ephesians 1:21)): Romans 8:38; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 1:21; Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:16; Colossians 2:10, 15. See ἐξουσία, 4{c}. ββ. Archē appears fifty-six times in the New Testament and consistently conveys the idea of primacy—whether temporal (“the start”), causal (“the source”), or governmental (“the ruler”). Scripture applies the term to creation’s dawn, to governing powers seen and unseen, and supremely to the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who frames all history as “the Beginning and the End.” Temporal Beginning and Creation John 1:1–2 opens eternity to us: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Here archē reaches behind Genesis 1:1, stressing that the Son already existed when time began. Hebrews 1:10 echoes the same truth, crediting the Son with laying earth’s foundations “in the beginning.” 2 Peter 3:4 and Hebrews 6:1 use archē to mark the first stage in a sequence, whether cosmological or instructional, reinforcing God as the initiator of both creation and revelation. Christ as the Beginning Colossians 1:18 heralds Christ as “the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.” Revelation assigns Him the title twice: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 21:6; 22:13) and calls Him “the Beginning of God’s creation” (Revelation 3:14). Far from depicting Him as created, these passages present Him as the originator, sustainer, and goal of all things, grounding Christology in His eternal, sovereign status. Principalities and Powers Archē also denotes ranks of authority. Paul speaks of unseen adversaries: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities” (Ephesians 6:12). These spiritual archai are part of a hierarchy that Christ decisively defeated at the cross: “Having disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them” (Colossians 2:15). Yet archē can describe earthly authorities as well: “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities” (Titus 3:1). Believers honor legitimate governance while recognizing that ultimate allegiance belongs to the Lord who triumphed over every power. Redemptive-Historical Beginnings Mark’s “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ” (Mark 1:1) signals a new epoch in salvation history. Luke references those who were eyewitnesses “from the beginning” (Luke 1:2). Peter recalls Pentecost when the Spirit first fell: “the Holy Spirit came on them, just as He had come on us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15). These occurrences showcase archē as the launch point of God’s redemptive acts that continue until consummation. Ethics Grounded in the Beginning Jesus roots teaching on marriage in creation’s order: “From the beginning of creation God made them male and female” (Mark 10:6; cf. Matthew 19:4, 8). By appealing to archē, He binds ethical standards to God’s original design, transcending every later cultural adjustment. Similarly, prophetic descriptions of future tribulation (Matthew 24:21; Mark 13:19) and His words on the permanence of divine truth rest on what has been established “since the beginning.” Johannine Appeals to Original Truth John emphasizes abiding in the gospel first received: “Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you” (1 John 2:24). Love for the brethren is “the message you have heard from the beginning” (1 John 3:11). False teachers are exposed by their deviation from what was “from the beginning” (1 John 1:1; 2 John 5-6). Archē, therefore, secures doctrinal purity and ethical fidelity. Eschatological Consummation In Revelation, the risen Christ encompasses all history. The One who was at the beginning will also bring history to its “end,” underscoring that the same Lord who created will consummate. Believers draw hope from the assurance that their future rests with the very One who spoke the first word. Theological and Ministry Implications 1. Doctrine of God: Archē upholds divine eternality and initiative; creation begins when God wills it. In every dimension—cosmic, christological, ethical, or pastoral—archē reminds the church that the God who initiated all things also directs their course and secures their consummation in Christ. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 19:4 N-GFSGRK: κτίσας ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἄρσεν καὶ NAS: that He who created [them] from the beginning MADE KJV: made [them] at the beginning made them INT: having created [them] from [the] beginning male and Matthew 19:8 N-GFS Matthew 24:8 N-NFS Matthew 24:21 N-GFS Mark 1:1 N-NFS Mark 10:6 N-GFS Mark 13:8 N-NFS Mark 13:19 N-GFS Luke 1:2 N-GFS Luke 12:11 N-AFP Luke 20:20 N-DFS John 1:1 N-DFS John 1:2 N-DFS John 2:11 N-AFS John 6:64 N-GFS John 8:25 N-AFS John 8:44 N-GFS John 15:27 N-GFS John 16:4 N-GFS Acts 10:11 N-DFP Acts 11:5 N-DFP Acts 11:15 N-DFS Acts 26:4 N-GFS Romans 8:38 N-NFP 1 Corinthians 15:24 N-AFS Strong's Greek 746 |
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