Meaning
Principality <1,,746, arche>
"beginning, government, rule," is used of supramundane beings who exercise rule, called "principalities;" (a) of holy angels, Eph 3:10, the Church in its formation being to them the great expression of "the manifold (or "much-varied") wisdom of God;" Col 1:16; (b) of evil angels, Rom 8:38, Col 2:15, some would put this under (a), but see SPOIL, B. No. 4; (a) and (b) are indicated in Col 2:10. In Eph 1:21, the RV renders it "rule" (AV, "principality") and in Tit 3:1, "rulers" (AV, "principalities"). In Jud 1:6, RV, it signifies, not the first estate of fallen angels (as AV), but their authoriative power, "their own" indicating that which had been assigned to them by God, which they left, aspiring to prohibited conditions. See BEGIN, B.
