Found more than fifty times in the New Testament and used in every New Testament book except Second Corinthians, Galatians, First Thessalonians, First Timothy, Second Timothy, Philemon, James, First Peter and Third John, the Greek noun “arche” meant “beginning,” “rule,” “authority,” or “origin.”
Jesus said man and woman were made from the “beginning” (they did not evolve after millions of years), Mt. 19:4. Divorce was not from the “beginning” (Mt. 19:8). Mark introduced his account of Jesus’ life with this term (Mk. 1:1). In the “beginning” was the Word (Jn. 1:1). Jesus knew from the “beginning” who would betray Him (Jn. 6:64). Satan was a murderer from the “beginning” (Jn. 8:44). In verses like Rom. 8:38; 1 Cor. 15:24; Eph. 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col. 1:16; Tit. 3:1, this term means “rule,” “authority,” “power,” etc.
The Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (1:161), in quoting Delling (479), noted how this noun “always signifies primacy” in matters “a) of time: beginning (origin), b) of place: point of origin or departure, or c) of rank: power, dominion, kingdom, office.”