Creation
God created all things through Jesus Christ.
How did the Son of God create all things? In Genesis 1.1, the word “create” means to make something out of nothing.
With what then did He make all things?
We are told in Psalm 33.6 and 9, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made: He spake and it was done.”
2 Peter 3.5 says “By the word of God the heavens were of old.”
It was by the power of His spoken word that creation was accomplished.
In Genesis 1 we have the phrase “And God said” at least six times!
Note, God did not just start a process: He created the sun, the moon, the stars, the earth, animals, the atmosphere, seas, trees, all vegetation and man and woman!
“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God” Hebrews 11.3.
Colossians chapter 1.15-23
Paul expands upon the glories of Christ. He is the Image of the invisible God. God is a spirit and therefore invisible. John 1.18 tells us that “no man hath seen God at any time.” He is God “who dwells in light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see” 1Timothy 6.16. But God has been seen at various times and to limited degree, so how do we reconcile this? For example there are a number of Theophanies (appearances of God) in the Old Testament such as the appearance to Abraham in Genesis 18, to Moses in Exodus 34 and to Gideon in Judges 6. The answer to these and other examples is found here in Colossians 1.15. “… who is the image (eikon) of the invisible God.” Christ is and always has been and always will be “the visible representation and manifestation of all that God is” according to W.E. Vine. Paul further underlines this in 2 Corinthians 4.4: “… lest the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them.” John also emphasises this in John 1.18: “… the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” The Lord stated this great truth to Philip in John 14.9: “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” It is worth noting that original man in Adam was created in the image of God, for 1 Corinthians 11.7 says “he is the image and glory of God.” However Adam was created in that image while the Lord Jesus was uncreated. That image in Adam was marred at the fall. Then again Paul speaks of the new man in Colossians 3.10 as being “renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.” Ultimately the purpose of God will be realised in the saints “ for whom He did foreknow He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son” Romans 8.29. Thus as W. E. Vine says, “we in our glorified state will not only resemble Christ but represent Him perfectly and eternally.” The hymn aptly records, “True image of the infinite whose essence is concealed, Brightness of uncreated light the heart of God revealed.”
Firstborn (Greek – prototokos) of all creation.
The word means first in relation to rank and position and does not imply first in relation to time. For example Exodus 4.22 says “Israel is my son, even my firstborn.” Clearly Israel was not the first nation to exist, but God was emphasising His choice of them for Himself and the importance of their position before Him. Here it expresses Christ’s priority to and preeminence over all that has been created (W. E. Vine). Note, it is because He is the image of the invisible God that He is the Firstborn.
Note again the reference in verse 18 “The firstborn from among the dead,” repeated in Revelation 1.5, “The faithful witness, the firstborn from among the dead, the Prince of the kings of the earth.” Clearly Christ was not the first chronologically to be raised from the dead but He is the preeminent one in resurrection and as such is the prototype of the new race.
In Romans 8.29 Paul says “that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Christ is supreme and all others will derive their resemblance and representation from His glorious Person. The Hebrew writer in Hebrews 1.6 projects this to the day of His manifested glory “When He bringeth in again the firstborn into the world He saith let all the angels of God worship Him.” Thus the Lord Jesus will have the first place, and, as His rank demands, He will be the supreme object of worship as He returns in triumph to this world that rejected Him.
Verse 16 is all-encompassing in relation to all created things. They were created “in Him,” emphasising source and origin. They were created “through Him”, that is through His agency and power. They were created “for Him” indicating the goal and purpose of His creatorial work. Note, the scope embraced is heaven and earth, seen or unseen, angelic or human authorities, all are included.
Verse 17 emphasises Christ’s Preexistence – He is before all things – and also the dependence of all created things on Him “for by Him all things consist” or hold together. That includes individual items – elements and atoms and also bodies in relation to each other, upheld by the laws that govern the universe around us.
“He is the head of the body the church” verse 18. This is something that is true of Him in His resurrected and ascended glory. The church which is His body was established in Acts 2, and the truth of the head in heaven linked to the body on earth was manifested to Paul in Acts 9 during his conversion. The doctrine of headship is detailed in the teaching of Ephesians and Colossians. Note that headship is the caring and affectionate relationship of Christ with His church that supplies exactly what is needed. Lordship underlines His authority and control and requires our submission. As the Head He gives direction and intelligence and makes provision as in Ephesians 4.15 – 16. The picture is of the body as a living organism vitally linked to the head. Paul tells us at the end of verse 18 that the objective of God is the preeminence of Christ. He is preeminent in creation in the unseen world and in the church! What about my life? Is Christ preeminent there? This is the One in whom Divine fullness is pleased to dwell!
He is the reconciler of all things (verse 19). Note, God is never reconciled to us, but everything needs to be reconciled to Him. This is because of our estrangement and alienation from God in our sin. In this aspect we were enemies in our minds by wicked (evil) works. The outcome of the work of reconciliation by the Lord Jesus is peace, purification and presentation. He has made peace through the blood of His cross. He has made us holy, pure, in His sight and will present us without blame and beyond any charge through His death.
Note that the scope of the work of reconciliation is “things on the earth or things in the heavens,” and does not extend to things under the earth (infernal), which are beyond the possibility of reconciliation (verse 21).
Paul makes reference again to their faith and hope in verse 23. The faith with which they began is the faith in which they are to continue.
Hendriksen records that “Divine preservation always presupposes human perseverance. Perseverance proves faith’s genuine character and is therefore indispensable to salvation.” Their faith was on a firm foundation and they had to take care not to allow the false teachers to move them away from the hope they had embraced through the gospel. The false teachers claimed they had special knowledge which was only revealed to the initiated, but the gospel was for the whosoever, going out to all under heaven.
Lessons Learned
Christ is preeminent in all things.
It took the blood of His cross to make peace.
The work of Christ is far reaching and is able to bring all things back to God.
One day He will present us beyond reproach before Him.
We must persevere in our faith and be firm to stand against the assault of false teaching.
Next Time: The ministry of Paul and the mystery now made known.