But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor 2:7-8).
Stan suggested to me that “the rulers of this age” might well refer to Satan and his fallen angels. The other option, of course, was that Paul was referring to the Jewish leaders, Pilate, and the Romans.
Dwight Hunt made this excellent defense of the view that Paul was talking about humans, not fallen angels:
Some have suggested that the expression “rulers of this age” refers to demonic forces. In many places, Paul does mention such forces (e.g., Rom 8:38–39; Eph 6:12). However, these passages in chaps. 1 and 2 contrast God’s wisdom and power demonstrated in the Gospel with man’s wisdom and power. It would seem awkward to interject an unconnected subject here. Also, the rulers of this age are identified as those who crucified Christ (v 8). Paul probably had people like Pilate, Herod, and Caiaphas in mind. These leaders are coming to nothing. This word, which means “to make inoperative,” is used in 1:28. Opposite the wisdom of men is God’s wisdom in a mystery (“1 Corinthians” in The Grace New Testament Commentary, p. 718).
The expression “the ruler of this world” was used three times by the Lord Jesus to refer to Satan (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). But notice that the Lord spoke of the singular ruler, not the plural rulers. And He spoke of the ruler of this world, not the rulers of this age.
The expression the rulers of this age occurs only three times in the NT, all in Paul’s epistles (1 Cor 2:6, 8; Eph 6:12). In Eph 6:12, the term “the rulers of…this age” refers to fallen angels, since Paul goes on to identify these rulers as “spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” However, in the two occurrences in 1 Corinthians 2, the context is completely different, as Hunt pointed out. There is nothing there about “spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Instead, Paul was contrasting human wisdom with divinely revealed wisdom.
Hunt lists some of the rulers of this age who condemned Jesus: one Roman official—Pilate, one Jewish official–Caiaphas, and one who was an official of both Israel and Rome—Herod. We could add Annas, the former high priest and Caiaphas’s father-in-law. The unnamed Roman centurion at the cross could be mentioned as well.
Fallen angels were surely involved in the crucifixion. Luke 22:3 says that “Satan entered Judas.” Luke then adds, “So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude” (Luke 22:4-6).
But that wasn’t Paul’s point in 1 Cor 2:8. He was talking about the human rulers responsible for Jesus’ death.
Keep grace in focus, and God will continue to renew your mind and transform your life (Rom 12:2).
