doctrine, the world as distinguished from the true peo- ple of God. The word σκότος is used elsewhere, the abstract for the concrete, for those in darkness, i. e. for those who belong to, or constitute the kingdom of darkness, Luke 22,53; Col. 1,13. Our conflict, there- fore, is with the potentates who are rulers of the king- dom of darkness as it now is.
They are further called τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας, spiritual wickedness, as the phrase is rendered in our version. But this cannot be its meaning; it is not wickedness in the abstract, but wicked spirits, the context and the force of the words themselves show to be intended. Beza and others understand the words as equivalent to πνευματικαὶ πονηρίαι, spiritual wicked- nesses. This would give a good sense. As these spirits are called ἀρχαί and ἐξουσίαι, so they may be called πονηρίαι. But τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας cannot be resolved into πνευματικαὶ πονηρίαι. Ta πνευματικὰ is equivalent to τὰ πνεύματα, as in so many other cases the neuter adjective in the singular or plural is used substantively, as τὸ ἱππικόν, the cavalry ; τὰ αἰχμά- λωτα, the captivity, i.e. captives. Spirits of wicked- mess then means wicked spirits. The beings whom the apostle in the preceding clauses describes as principali- ties, powers, and rulers, he here calls wicked spirits, to express their character and nature.
The principal difficulty in this verse concerns the words ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις. A very large class of com- mentators, ancient and modern, connect them with the beginning of the verse, and translate, “ our conflict is