POWER

raged for considerably more than a century (322-198). It Is significant that in the Psalms the term 'poor' or 'lowly' has become synonymous with 'pious.' During the earlier part of the post-exilic period the wealthy Jewish families for the most part remained behind In Babylon. In the later period, after the conquests of Alexander the Great (from 322), prosperous communities of Jews grew up in such centres as Antioch and Alex- andria (the Greel£ 'Dispersion'). Slowly and gradually the Palestinian community grew in importance; for a time under the Maccabees there was a politically independent Jewish State. A certain amount of material prosperity ensued. Jerusalem, as being a centre of pilgrimage, received large revenues from the Jewish pilgrims who thronged to it: a Temple-tax swelled the revenues of the priesthood. The aristocratic priestly families were very wealthy. But the bulk of the priest-hood still remained comparatively poor. The Jewish community of Palestine was still mainly agricultural, but more prosperous under settled government (the Herods and the Romans); while Galilee became a hive of industry, and sustained a large industrial popu-lation (an artizan class).

In dealing with poverty the Jewish legislation dis-plays a very humane spirit. Usury is forbidden: the poor are to have the produce of the land in Sabbatical years; and in Deut. tithes are allotted to be given them (142s etc.); they are to have the right to glean (24"- 21), and in the Priestly Code there is the unrealized ideal of the JubUee Year (Lv 25, cf. Dt IS'^-is). All these provisions were supplemented by almsgiving, which in later Judaism became one of the most important parts of religious duty (see Alms, Almsgiving).

2. In the NT. — In the NT period conditions were not essentialy altered. The exactions of tax-collectors seem to ha ve been acutely felt (notice esp. the colloca-tion 'publicans and sinners'), but almsgiving was strongly inculcated as a religious duty, the early Christians following in this respect the example set by the synagogue (cf. Ro 12"; and St. Paul's collection for 'the poor saints at Jerusalem,' Ro IS", Gal 2'°). The early generations of Christians were dravra mostly from the poorer classes (slaves or freedmen), but the immediate disciples ox our Lord belonged rather to what we should call the lower middle class — sturdy Galilsean fishermen, owning their own boats, or tax-collectors. It should be noted that in the Gospels Ug- in the Beatitudes) the term 'poor' sometimes possesses a religious connotation, as in the Psalms.

G. H. Box.

POWER.^In general the word means ability for doing something, and includes the idea of adequate strength, might, slcill, resources, energy, and efficiency, either material, mental, or spiritual, to effect intended results. Strictly spealiing, there is no real power or authority in the universe but that which is ultimately of God (Ps 62", Jn 19", Ro 13'). But this Almighty One has originated innumerable subordinate powers, and some of these are possessed of ability to perform acts contrary to the will and commandments of the Creator. And so we may speak of the power of God, or of man, or of angel, or of demon, or of powers inherent in things inanimate. Inasmuch as in the highest and absolute sense 'power belongeth unto God,' it is fitting to ascribe unto Him such doxologies as appear in 1 Ch 29", Mt 613. In jit 26" the word 'power' is employed for God Himself, and it is accordingly very natural that it should be often used to denote the various forms of God's activity, especially in His works of creation and redemption. Christ is thus the power of God both In His Person and in His gospel of salvation (1 Co 1"- ", Ro 1"). The power of the Holy Spirit is also another mode of the Divine activity. By similar usage Simon the sorcerer was called 'the power of God which is called Great' (Ac 8'°), i.e. a supposed incarnation of the power of God. The plural powers is used in a

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POWER OF THE KEYS

variety of meanings. (1) In Mt T^, Lk 10", Ac 2^ 8", 'powers,' or 'mighty works,' along with 'signs and wonders,' are to be understood as miracles, and were concrete manifestations of supernatural power. (2) ' The powers of the heavens' (Mt 24=', Mk 13^^) are under-stood by some as the forces inherent in the sun, moon, stars, and other phenomena of the heavens, by virtue of which they 'rule over the day and over the night' (Gn 1"); by others these heavenly powers are under-stood to be the starry hosts themselves conceived as the armies of the heavens. (3) Both good and evil angels are designated by the terms 'principalities and powers' in such passages as Eph 1» 3'° 6", Col l'* 210. is^ 1 p 322. The context of each passage must show whether the reference is to angels or demons. In Eph 22 Satan is called 'the prince of the power of the air,' and these powers are further defined in 6'2 as 'world-rulers of this darkness, the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.' These are thought of as so many ranks of evil spirits who are ever at war with God's hosts, and seek to usurp the heavenly regions. (4) In Ro 13' civil magistrates are called 'the higher powers' because of their superior rank, authority, and influence as officers ordained of God for the administra-tion of justice among men (cf. Lk 12", Tit 3'). (5) ' The powers of the age to come ' (He 6') are best under-stood of all supernatural gifts and spiritual forces which belong to the age or dispensation of the New Covenant, of which Jesus is the Mediator (cf. He 9"). They include the 'greater works' (Jn 14") which Jesus assured His disciples they shoidd do after His going unto the Father and sending them the Spirit of truth. See Authority, Kingdom of God. M. S. Terry.

POWER OP THE KEYS.— In ecclesiastical history the phrase is associated primarily with the so-called 'Privilege of Peter," upon which the dogma of papal supremacy has been built, but also with the delegated authority of an official priesthood to pronounce sen-tence of the absolution or the retention of sins.

1. The fundamental passage is Mt 16". When St, Peter at Csesarea Philippi had made his great confession of Jesus as the Christ, Jesus blessed him and announced that upon this rock He would build His Church. Then He added, ' I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shaU be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed m heaven.' That this double promise, like the one in the preceding verse, was made to St. Peter personally can hardly be doubted. The question is as to what it means. Evidently Jesus is carrying out the figure He has already used of a building founded upon a rock — the rock, viz., of believing confession, of which the Apostle was the splendid type; and He now declares that as the reward of a confession which stamped him as the first true Christian, the bottom stone of the great edifice that was about to rise, he should have the privilege of wielding the keys of that Church of Christ which was to be realized in the Kingdom of heaven. There are some who think that by this gift of the keys St. Peter was appointed to the position of a steward in charge of his Lord's treasuries, entrusted with the duty of feeding the household (Lk 12«2, cf. Mt 13M). But from the use of the word 'key' by Jesus Himself in Lk 1V% and from the analogy of Is 2222, Rev 3', it is probable that the keys are those not of the storehouse but of the mansion itself, and that the gift of them points to the privilege of admitting others into the Kingdom. The promise was fulfilled, accordingly, on the day of Pentecost, when St. Peter opened the doors of the Christian Church to the Jewish world (Ac 2"); and again at Cffisarea, when he, first of the Apostles, opened that same door to the Gentiles (Ac IOm-is 157). But, as the two incidents show, there was nothing arbitrary, ofBcial, or mysterious about St. Peter's exercise of the power