116 Andreas Hock the beginning of v. 15 as a plural entity: ta;" ajrca;" kai; ta;" ejxousiva", “the Sovereignties and Powers” (see 1,16). Are they the good or the fallen angels (18)? Of particular relevance is Col 2,10 where Paul underlines Christ’s headship over all angelic powers (v. 10b, o{ ejstin hJ kefalh; pavsh" ajrch'" kai; ejxousiva"), presumably both good and fallen angels (19). Noticeable also is the link between man and angel in v. 10a (kai; ejste; ejn aujtw/' peplhrwmevnoi): the propinquity of human beings and angels in one verse might suggest that the author had the faithful spirits in mind. In 1,13 he contrasts the evxousiva" tou'" skovtou", “powers of darkness”, arguably the diabolical spirits, with the ajrch'" kai; ejxousivai" in 1,16 and 2,10. The latter in all likelihood represent the angelic hierarchies (20). In our view, therefore, the “Sovereignties and Powers” of 2,15 are primarily the angels, and not demons (21). 4. Who is Who in the parade? There are, therefore, three principal reasons that favor a positive interpretation of the triumph in 2 Cor and Col: (a) the subjects paraded are found “in Christ”, (b) the literary context is positive, (c) the subjects are human and angelic evangelizers. With this in mind we will now attempt to (18) ZORELL, Lexicon, affirms that Paul had the good angels in mind: “per metonymiam exousia" dicitur … angelorum quidam ordo; Potestates: plur. E 3:10. C 1:16; 2:15. 1P 3:22; j se lapsis angelis Eph 6:12” (459); “ajrcai" vocantur quidam angeli principatus, Col 1:16; 2:15; etiam lapsi, Rom 8:38” (178); “Col 2:15 moriens se exuit sc. Corpore. Mea actione seu potentia exuo ac plane spolio alqm: Deus angelicas potestates in Christi morte” (139). J.D. DUNN, The Epistle to the Colossians and to Philemon. A Commentary on the Greek Text (Grand Rapids 1996) 166-170, and A. von SPEYR, The Letter to the Colossians (San Francisco 1993) 93-94, are undecided about their identity. (19) CALLAN, Epistles, 171, opts for the demons: “He triumphed over the hostile powers that had held man captive. [...] ‘Principalities and powers’, these two terms are used above (1:16; 2:10) in a favorable sense for good angels, but here they are taken in an evil sense for demons, as in Eph 6:12”. J. MURPHY-O’CONNOR, Colossians, NCCHS, 914h, are in accord with Callan: “The dying Jesus like a king divests Himself of that ‘flesh’ which is the tool and medium of the powers of evil, thus reducing them to impotence”. (20) A literary device known as pars pro toto. (21) Agreeing with D.J. LEAHY, The Epistle to the Colossians, CCHS, , 912c: “Having stripped the angels God exposes them ‘in public’ in the triumphal procession”. See also St. Paul’s Captivity Epistles, NaBi, 178: “The angelic principalities and powers are insignificant by comparison with Him [Christ]: God has overpowered them and publicly exposed them through the death of His Son”. Likewise J.A. GRASSI, The Letter to the Colossians, JBC, 55:25: “The ruling angelic powers were believed to have control over material things; Christ, by putting aside His material body, was able to escape their control and triumph over them. [...] They are henceforth under His command (2:10) and have no power to harm or control believers”. See also M.P. HORGAN, The Letter to the Colossians, NJBC, 54:20. (22) T. O’CURRAOIN, 2 Corinthians, NCCHS, 889g, maintain that “the thought of the result (work in Corinth) overwhelms him [Paul] with gratitude to God who, like an emperor in a Roman procession ‘leads’ the apostles like captives ‘around in his triumph’; like captives they are publicly exposed ‘in the Christ’”. M.E. THRALL, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians (ICC; Cambridge 1965) I, 195: “Whatever the exegetical difficulties, it is surely right to understand the verb in its usual, attested sense when followed by a direct object, ‘lead (as a conquered prisoner) in a triumphal procession”. See also P. BARNETT, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians (NICNT; Grand Rapids – Cambridge 1997); and P. DUFF, “Metaphor, Motif, and Meaning: The Rhetorical Strategy behind the Image ‘Led in Triumph’ in 2 Corinthians 2:14”, CBQ 53 (1991) 79-92; C. BREYTENBACH, “Paul’s Proclamation and God’s ‘THRIAMBOS’. Notes on 2 Corinthians 2:14-16b”, Neot 24,2