The Powers

Today’s devotion touches briefly on a theological concept that perhaps we don’t talk about enough in the church. Walter Wink did a lot of work on the language and idea of “principalities and powers” in the New Testament. As the devotion refers to, Wink’s main thrust is that this language refers to the power of a system that takes on a life of its own, and can easily become a force that enslaves and oppresses. Political systems and parties, for instance, usually begin with a positive impulse toward freedom, or toward providing for those in need. But over time, the sum of many individual choices leads to corruption, and the system seems irredeemable. As the author mentions, school boards, corporations, and even families can become these types of oppressive structures, influenced and even held captive by the force of evil in a fall world.

Paul says that through his death and resurrection Jesus conquered these powers and principalities, which ultimately were the forces responsible for killing him.  Being raised from the dead, he showed they have no power over him. And that same victory Jesus won is extended to us.

When have you experienced the corruption of a system?  Were you eventually freed from it? If so, how? If no, can you imagine such freedom?