What is meant by “led a host of captives”?

Explanation:

When explaining that Christ gives spiritual gifts to the church, Paul quotes from Psalm 68:18. He applies the verse to Christ so that the verse is saying that when Christ ascended, he led a host of captives. What does it mean to lead a host of captives? The imagery has to do with defeating and capturing an enemy before leading them from the battlefield as prisoners. So who are the prisoners that Christ takes captive? In Ephesians 1:21, Ephesians 2:2, and Ephesians 6:12, Paul mentions rulers and authorities.⁴ First, in Ephesians 1:20–21 we learn that Christ has been seated in the heavenly places over all rulers and authorities. Next, in Ephesians 2:2 Paul writes that the Ephesians were once dead because they walked according to the spirit that is at work in the sons of disobedience. Finally, in Ephesians 6:12, Paul says that we contend against the dark rulers of this present age. Thus, when Paul quotes Psalm 68:18 where it says he led a host of captives, he likely has in mind that Christ conquered the dark spiritual forces, and symbolically leads them captive.⁵

Counterargument:

The problem with this argument is that it does not seem like the supporting passages indicate that Jesus takes his enemies captive. For example, in Ephesians 1:20–22 we learn that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, far above all rulers and authorities. Still, this passage says nothing about the rulers and authorities being evil or about Christ’s enemies. Maybe Paul is saying that Christ is above all rulers and authority, both enemy and non-enemy. Second, in Ephesians 2:2, Paul seems to have in mind the spirit of the world. In Ephesians 2:3 he explains that the spirit of the world has to do with the passions of flesh. The spirit of the world and the passions of the flesh do not seem to be the same as the rulers and authorities Paul mentions in Ephesians 1:21. Finally, in Ephesians 6:12, Paul warns the Ephesians to stand strong for the battle is against the principalities and rulers of this present dark age. Of course, if Christ has conquered these evil rulers so that they are now like prisoners being led from the battle, why are the people of God still defending against them?

Response to counterargument:

The point is not that Paul explicitly connects Ephesians 4:8 with Ephesians 1:20–22, Ephesians 2:22, and Ephesians 6:12. Rather, the point is that Paul has introduced an enemy, which has to do with the powers of darkness, death, and the flesh. Further, we know that Christ made redemption through his blood (Ephesians 1:7) and that God has seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all else (Ephesians 1:20–21; Ephesians 4:10). So we know from Ephesians that there is an enemy and that Christ is raised above all rule and authority. With these themes in mind, we can understand why Paul introduces Psalm 68:18. For Psalm 68:18 has to do with ascending and conquering an enemy. Likewise, Christ has ascended above all ruler and authority, after conquering his enemies.

Explanation:

In order to understand what it means that Christ led a host of captives, it is helpful to consider the fact that Paul is applying the words of Psalm 68:18 to Christ. So, to understand what it means that Christ leads a host of captives, it helps to consider the meaning of Psalm 68:18 in its original context. There we learn that the psalmist explains that God scatters his enemies (Psalm 68:1) and provides for the needy (Psalm 68:10). God’s chariots are twice ten thousand, and Sinai is his sanctuary (Psalm 68:17), God ascends on high, and leads a host of captives (Psalm 68:18). In other words, God is a mighty ruler who conquers his enemies so that there is a procession of prisoners following behind him.

Now Paul applies Psalm 68:18 to Christ, stating that when Christ ascended on high, he led a host of captives. In other words, after Christ conquered his enemies, he ascended on high, so that there was a procession of prisoners in his wake. These prisoners include death, Satan, and his minions. ⁶

Counterargument:

While it might help to consider the meaning of Psalm 68:18 in its original context, the real meaning of the phrase must be understood in the context of Ephesians 4:8. That is, Paul has used the text for a particular purpose, so our task is to understand what Paul means when he applies Psalm 68:18 to Christ, not what the original author of the psalm meant. This is obvious from the fact that the original author has Yahweh God, and not Jesus Christ in mind.

Response to counterargument:

Paul chose Psalm 68:18 for a reason, so it is important to consider the meaning of the psalm in its original context in order to understand Paul’s meaning. His meaning will be consistent with that of the psalm’s. Thus, it is fruitful to understand the psalmist’s meaning in order to appreciate what Paul is saying. Of course, the notion that Christ conquers his enemies so that when he ascends, he leads a host of captives, is consistent with the message of Ephesians, and Psalm 68:1–35.

Possible weaknesses:

The one weakness of this argument is that it does not explain why, if Christ’s enemies are now his prisoners, Paul warns the Ephesians to resist the dark spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12). Still, we know from elsewhere that Christ disarmed the rulers and triumphed over them at the cross (Colossians 2:15), so the imagery of Christ leading a host of captives when he ascends on high is fitting.

Explanation:

When Paul explains that Christ gives spiritual gifts, he applies Psalm 68:18 to Christ. Paul’s rendering of Psalm 68:18 follows the Septuagint closely. As Paul has it in Ephesians 4:8, the text says that When he ascended on high, leading captivity captive. What are we to make of the notion that Christ leads captivity captive? Paul’s point here seems to be that Christ led those who were held captive, captive. In other words, those who were held captive by death and Hades have been set free by Christ.⁹

Counterargument:

The trouble with this interpretation is that the text does not say that Christ leads those who were captive to freedom. Rather, it says that he leads captivity captive. This implies that whoever captivity refers to, captivity is now captive in the sense of being a prisoner of Christ. That captivity is a prisoner of Christ suggests that captivity has been defeated, not freed from Christ. This is likely why the ESV renders both Psalm 68:18 and Ephesians 4:8 as leading/led a host of captives. In other words, they take leading captivity captive to mean that there is a line of prisoners following after Christ once he triumphed over sin and death. Paul alludes to something similar in Colossians 2:15 where he writes that God disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.¹⁰

Response to counterargument:

To be a prisoner of Christ is not a negative. Rather, Paul could be using the term figuratively to imply that, while these were once prisoners to death, which is negative, they are now prisoners of Christ, which is positive. Paul does not have to explain that to be a prisoner of Christ is positive because Christ is the redeemer who has been raised above all rule and authority (Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 1:20).

Explanation:

We want to know what Paul means when he applies Psalm 68:18 to Christ and the fact that Christ led a host of captives. One way to understand what Paul means is to look to Ephesians 4:9–10. There Paul gives us a brief commentary on how Psalm 68:18 applies to Christ. He explains that Christ’s ascension implies that he also descended to the lower regions. Also, he who descended to the lower regions also ascended far above the heavens. So what does it mean that Christ descended to the lower regions? It means either that Christ partook in death in order to rescue those who have died ¹¹ or that between his death and resurrection he went to Hades and rescued those who were held captive by death. ¹² In either case, Christ rescues those who were formerly captive. That is, Christ takes captive those who were in captivity in order to rescue them.

Counterargument:

While it is true that Paul offers a brief commentary on Psalm 68:18 by explaining what is implied by the fact that Christ ascended, he does not say anything about what it means that Christ led a host of captives. In other words, Paul does not connect the fact that Christ descended with the fact that Christ leads a host of captives, so we are not free to make this inference. Rather, we are free to infer that, as Paul explained, the fact that Christ ascended means he also descended to the lower regions of the earth, only to be raised above all things. That Christ descended to the lower regions of the earth before being raised above all things could just as likely mean that he conquered sin and death so that the ones he leads captive are sin and death.

Possible weaknesses:

The one weakness of this interpretation is that it goes against the natural reading of Ephesians 4:8. That is, the natural reading of Ephesians 4:8 and Psalm 68:18 is that leading a host of captives has to do with God’s leading a host of prisoners. This view wants us to hold that the text is really about Christ’s freeing those who were bound by sin. Unfortunately, this is not the natural meaning of Ephesians 4:8, and so without strong argumentation, it is hard to see why we should overturn the natural meaning.