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ἀρχή can name a beginning, an origin, a first place, or a ruler depending on context. That range matters in Colossians because Paul calls Christ the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might have preeminence in everything.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἀρχή (G746) · Open the biblical lexicon
ἀρχή can name a beginning, an origin, a first place, or a ruler depending on context. That range matters in Colossians because Paul calls Christ the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might have preeminence in everything.
The BSB source-word alignment has 56 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include [the] beginning (25), beginning (5), rulers (4), corners (2), rule (2).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 19:4. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 John (8), John (8), Hebrews (6), Acts (4).
This entry includes 7 verse guides that explain exact original-language forms in context.
ἀρχή can name a beginning, an origin, a first place, or a ruler depending on context. That range matters in Colossians because Paul calls Christ the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might have preeminence in everything. The word does not reduce Christ to the first created thing. In Colossians 1, the same Son is before all things and all things were created through Him and for Him. ἀρχή therefore serves the argument of supremacy: Christ stands at the head of new creation life because He is the risen Lord who has priority over all things.
The word also appears in lists of rulers and powers. That means ἀρχή can speak to spiritual and political realities under Christ's rule. Colossians 2 says Christ is head over every ruler and authority and that God disarmed the powers through the cross. Pastorally, the word helps teachers show that the Christian hope is not held hostage by visible or invisible powers. Christ is beginning, ruler, and first place in the order that matters most.
ἀρχή ranges from beginning or origin to rule or ruler. In Colossians, the word serves Christ's supremacy: He is the beginning in relation to resurrection and new creation, not a creature inside the created order.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John uses ἀρχή to speak of the beginning in relation to the Word who already was. The word can mark the start point without making the Word a created thing.
Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power.
Paul uses the plural for rule or authority when speaking of powers brought under Christ's kingdom. This shows the word's governing-authority range.
Far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Christ is exalted above every rule and authority. ἀρχή is part of the powers vocabulary over which Christ reigns.
And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.
Christ is the beginning and firstborn from the dead. The word serves resurrection preeminence within a context that has already declared His role in creation.
To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of God’s creation.
The risen Christ is called the beginning or origin of God's creation. The verse must be read with the wider biblical witness to Christ as faithful witness and sovereign Lord.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Greek word. Beginning as origin or first cause; also means rule/authority when referring to cosmic powers or earthly governance.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 58 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
ruler, beginning
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Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 7 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 55 lexical occurrence verses.
ἀρχή is built from this root:
This guards against viewing Jesus as a late, secondary figure. The One John proclaims is the eternal Son rooted in God’s own eternal being and purpose. 1 John 1:1-4
Mature believers are anchored in the unchanging, eternal Christ rather than novel teachings. 1 John 2:12-14
Faithfulness is measured by continuity with the foundational gospel, not by novelty. 1 John 2:24-27
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
This word helps a preacher show why Colossians will not let Christ be reduced to one spiritual authority within a crowded universe. Paul can call Christ ἀρχή because the whole hymn has already placed Him before all things and over all things. He is the beginning in resurrection life, the One from whom the new creation order takes its shape, and the Lord before whom every ruler and authority is subordinate.
That matters pastorally when believers feel trapped under systems, powers, patterns, or fears that seem ultimate. ἀρχή tells the church to look again at Christ. He is not only present at the start; He has first place, ruling place, and resurrection priority.
Col.1.18
ἀρχή can mean beginning, origin, first place, rule, or ruler. In Colossians 1:18, beginning is joined with resurrection preeminence; in other Pauline passages the plural can name ruling powers.
Biblical beginning language reaches from creation to new creation. Colossians places Christ before creation and at the head of resurrection life, so the word supports both creation theology and gospel hope.
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain