ἀρχή

ἀρχή, -ῆς, ἡ

[in LXX for קֶדֶם, רֹאשׁ, רֹאשׁ, etc. ;]

1. beginning, origin;

(a) absol., of the beginning of all things: of God as the Eternal, the First Cause, Åb 21,6 (cf. 18); similarly, of Christ, Åb 22,13 of Christ as the uncreated principle, the active cause of creation, Åb 3,14 in his relation to the Church, Kol 1,18 ἐν ἀ., Joh 1,1-2; ἀπ᾽ ἀ. (and ἀπ᾽ ἀ. κτισεως), Matt 19,4, 8; 24,21, Mark 10,6; 13,19, Joh 8,44, 2 Thess 2,13, 2 Pet 3,4, 1 Joh 1,1 Joh 2,13-14 Joh 2,24; κατ ἀρχἀς, Hebr 1,10

(b) relatively: Hebr 7,3 ἀ. ὠδίνων, Matt 24,8, Mark 13,9; τ. σημείων, Joh 2,11 τ. ὑποστάσεως, Hebr 3,14 τ. λογίων, Hebr 5,12 ὁ τ. ἀρχῆς τ. Χριστοῦ λόγος, the account of the beginning, the elementary view of Christ, Hebr 6,1 ἀρχὴν λαμβάνειν, to begin, Hebr 2,3 ἐξ ἀ., Joh 6,64; 16,4; ἀπ᾽ ἀ., Luk 1,2, Joh 15,27, 1 Joh 2,7 Joh 2,24 Joh 3,11, 2 Joh 5-6; ἐν ἀ., ApG 11,15; 26,4, Fil 4,15; τὴν ἀρχήν, adverbially, at all (Hdt., al.; v MM, see word): Joh 8,25,

2. an extremity, a corner: ApG 10,11; 11,5.

3. sovereignty, principality, rule (cf. DB, i, 616 f.): Luk 12,11; 20,20, Rom 8,38, 1 Kor 15,24, Ef 1,21; 3,10; 6,12, Kol 1,16; 2,10, 15 Tit 3,1, Jud 6 (Cremer, 113).†