I came back to this conception of “forms” or “ideas” presented by Plato (also addressed by Aristotle above) because Ferdinand Baur (in “Paul, the Apostle of JC”) associated Paul’s “aeons” to “cosmic powers”, in the same way that Plato’s “forms” possess an eternal (Greek: aeon) mode of being that underlies the visible world we belong to. IOW, Paul’s “aeons” may be derived from Plato’s “eternal” (Greek: aeon) “forms”. If you have no idea what I am talking about with regards to Paul’s “aeon” see here (
Paul’s aeons, post #129). Simply, Paul’s “aeons” may be equivalent to Plato’s eternal (Greek: Aeon) forms.
What are Plato’s forms?
Plato’s “forms” are eternal models of perfection, eternal blueprints of perfection, unchanging Goodness, unchanging truth, unchanging justice, etc.,…you get the picture. Whereas, the material world, according to Plato, is temporary, changing, becoming something. Plato contrasted the permanence of the eternal (Greek: aeonic) forms to our temporary existence, sometimes referred to as non-existence (due to it being temporary) in the same way that Paul contrasted this material world with the future kingdom of God. Therefore, I posit Plato’s eternal (aeon) forms and Paul’s aeons are based on the same idea of eternal truths perceived only by the rational beings.
Although all humans have the unique capability to perceive the eternal “forms”, very few do, according to Plato, because they are distracted by material or worldly pursuits, in the same way Judaism claimed very few Jews could spiritually perceive the hidden world around us. Where Greek moral philosophers and sages climbed to the pinnacle of human understanding to obtain Wisdom, to see the true reality, to see the eternal (aeon) reality, Jewish prophets/apostles were doing the same thing, even calling it Wisdom (1 cor. 1:24) as the philosophers did, aka, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, “the way, the truth, the [eternal] life.”
Moreover, just as Plato claimed that the wise human soul had a connection to the eternal (aeon) forms so did Paul claim that the sons of light had a connection to the “aeons“. Apparently, there are aeons or cosmic powers perceived by both sages and prophets belonging to either dark or light. Nevertheless, both eternal in their mode of being.
I must admit that it is a bit ambiguous trying to harmonize the Plato’s eternal (aeon) forms with Paul’s “aeons” but I think they are related. Bottom line is that I think both Paul and Plato were perceiving an eternal reality, a superstructure around the material universe, but ”seeing through a glass dimly”. (1 cor. 13:12))