Colossians 1:15-19
How do our contemporaries see Jesus?
- As a great teacher.
- As the founder of one of the world’s religions.
- As a healer and a worker of miracles.
- As a great man.
Every one of these descriptions is true. But every one of them places Jesus on a level far lower than the one He actually occupies. In the text we are about to consider, the apostle Paul blows apart every notion of Jesus as merely a man. He describes Him in cosmic terms. If what Paul says is true, then Christ is worthy of our worship and our service. If what the apostle says about Jesus is not true, then He remains nothing more than an ordinary man.
In this text the apostle Paul gives Jesus seven great titles. But in order to understand more clearly why he does this, we need to see the letter in its historical and literary context. It was written with two main purposes. First, to encourage and strengthen the relatively new Christian community in Colossae; and second, to guard them against the seduction of false teachers — probably from various branches of mystical Judaism — who tended to belittle Christ for the sake of their own false doctrines.
Paul’s answer to both needs is to help them enlarge their vision of who Christ is — His greatness and His supremacy. If believers understand more clearly whom they have in Christ, then all other religions and teachings would lose their pull. Only in Him can we have fullness. Only in Him can we be complete.
A HYMN TO CHRIST (1:14-20)
Our text today is a classic passage on the doctrine of Christ. More than that, we could call it the summit of Christology. If we look deeply into it, it will become clearer and clearer to us who Christ is. So I encourage you, as we read it, to open your ears wide, to hear the power of these words and to let them sink deep into our souls. The verses we will examine run from 15 to 19, but for the sake of completeness we will read from 14 to 20 (Colossians 1:14-20):
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:14-20)
CHRISTIAN HYMNS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT LETTERS
This text sounds like a hymn inserted into the letter. Whether it is Paul’s own composition or an anonymous hymn known in the first-century churches, we do not know. But the passage is skillfully arranged and rhythmically balanced, and for that reason it deserves to be called a poem.[i]
In a number of places in the letters we come across evidence of poems. They can be recognized by the following marks:
- At these places the flow of thought seems to be interrupted in order to insert the hymn or the poem.
- The style is elevated and differs from the normal prose of the letter.
- They usually begin with some introductory phrase that signals a change (here it is the relative pronoun “who”).
- They tend to stand out or contrast against the background of the rest of the text.
- The vocabulary of the hymns is rare and highly stylized.[ii]
Besides our text, we see examples of early hymns and poems in Ephesians 5:14; Philippians 2:6-11; 1 Timothy 3:16; and 2 Timothy 2:11-13. Our passage is remarkable not only for the depth with which it reveals Christ, but also for the beauty it possesses as a literary work in its own right. In it we can see seven titles that reveal the supremacy of Christ.
1. THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD (1:15a)
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (Colossians 1:15)
“THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD”… This phrase introduces two opposite concepts — that of the visible and that of the invisible. An image is something we can see. The invisible, by definition, is something we cannot see.[iii] Judaism was renowned for its belief in one God who could not be seen. In fact, the Ten Commandments forbid every attempt to make an image of God, like the images of idols that were so widespread in the ancient world. The Israelites were to know God as a spiritual being, not as something material. And indeed, the Lord Jesus Himself confirmed that “God is spirit” (John 4:24). This understanding of the invisibility of God is part of our Christian understanding as well. Here are a few verses we might mention in this regard:
- Romans 1:20
20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)
- 1 Timothy 1:17
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
- Hebrews 11:27
27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:27)
The astonishing truth of Christianity is that the invisible God allows Himself to be seen in the face of Jesus Christ of Nazareth in Galilee. The word “image” in Greek is eikon, and it means “an object formed in such a way as to resemble the appearance of something,” “a likeness, a portrait,” or in other words “something that has the same form as something else.”[iv] The Gospel of John presses us in particular to reflect on this paradox (John 1:14,18).
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. (John 1:18)
And in John 14:8-9 we also read:
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 14:8-9)
John tells us very plainly that the Father and the Son are distinct persons of the Trinity, but that at the same time, in the Son, the Father can be seen in all His glory. Extraordinary! So, with respect to God, Christ is first in revealing Him. Yes, nature reflects God’s power and divine nature, but there is no one who reveals God better than Christ.
2. THE FIRSTBORN OVER ALL CREATION (1:15b-16)
Christ has first place not only in the revelation of God, but also with respect to creation. The second title of Christ in this hymn is “THE FIRSTBORN OVER ALL CREATION.”
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. (Colossians 1:15-16)
This verse uses the Near-Eastern concept of “firstborn” (prototokos). The word “firstborn” can indicate both the order of birth and the special status that the eldest son held in the family.[v]
“The firstborn over all creation” does not mean that Jesus is the first created being, but that He surpasses all created things. Two Old Testament references show this use of “firstborn” as a mark of preeminence.
- Exodus 4:22
22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, (Exodus 4:22)
- Psalm 89:27
27 And I will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth. (Psalm 89:27)
So when the apostle Paul says of Jesus that He is “the firstborn over all creation,” he means that Jesus is above everything created in this world. When he speaks of everything having been “created” through Him, the apostle Paul has in mind not so much the flora and fauna of nature as conscious beings — both human and spiritual.
16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. (Colossians 1:16)
It is quite possible that the Jewish opponents of the church in Colossae practiced the worship of angels (2:18). The Jews as a rule had a special regard for angels as the mediators of the Law (Hebrews 1:4-14). They looked at Jesus as a man and not as God. But this Christian hymn proclaims that Jesus is the creator of all spiritual beings lower than Himself — including the angels. He is above all angels and demons, above all beings, not only physical but also spiritual. In fact, they were created in order to serve Him, since the text says that they were created not only “through” Him but also “for” Him.
3. BEFORE ALL THINGS (1:17a)
17 He is before all things, (Colossians 1:17)
The third title of Christ is that He is “BEFORE ALL THINGS.” In Greek the word for “before” is pro, “a marker of a point in time preceding another point in time; earlier, prior.”[vi] This passage teaches the preexistence of Christ. It means that He existed even before He became incarnate or was born in the flesh on this earth. He is not merely a man, nor is He a created being. He precedes everything. We see this not only here but everywhere in the New Testament. For example:
John 1:1-3
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3)
John 8:58
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58)
John 17:5
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. (John 17:5)
Jesus is the “I AM,” the eternally existing God, “who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8).
So we see that Christ is first not only in the revealing of God, not only in creation, but also in time. He is before the beginning of everything, because He Himself is the beginning.
4. IN HIM ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER (1:17b)
The fourth title of Christ is that “IN HIM ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER.”
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:17)
In Greek this word is synistemi, and it means “to bring two things close to one another by gathering, uniting and drawing them together.”[vii] This word occurs also in 2 Peter 3:5:
5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. (2 Peter 3:5)
We find similar ideas in the following verses as well:
Psalm 75:3
3 When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. (Psalm 75:3)
Hebrews 1:3a
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. (Hebrews 1:3)
What these truths reveal to us is that, as the creator and maker of everything, Jesus is not merely like some watchmaker who makes the watch, winds it, sets it, and leaves it to run on its own. He is the One who constantly sustains and binds the universe together into one, in spite of all the micro and macro forces that try to blow it apart.
Christ is first in holding everything in its place.
5. THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH (1:18a)
The fifth title of Christ in this incredible hymn is “THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH.” Up to this point we have considered the supremacy of Christ with respect to the revealing of God’s nature, with respect to creation, with respect to time, and with respect to the sustaining of all things in existence. Now we see that Christ has supremacy also with respect to the church. He is its head.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; (Colossians 1:18)
Here Paul only mentions the analogy between the head and the body and Christ and the church. In the next chapter he develops it, when he speaks of the opponents of the church as those who have lost their connection with the head, Christ (Colossians 2:18-19).
18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. (Colossians 2:18-19)
In Greek the word for head is kephale. It means both a physical head, in the analogy between the head and the body, and a higher position or rank.[viii] We see this second, figurative use in Colossians 2:10:
10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2:10)
But in our passage in 1:18a the emphasis is on the vital connection and authority that Christ has over the church. We are Christ’s body here on earth, and we must serve under His leadership. Christ has supremacy not only over the rulers and authorities, but He also holds the supreme position within the church itself.
6. THE BEGINNING (1:18b)
In addition to the concept of the preexistence of Christ — that He is “before all things” — the apostle Paul stresses the fact that Christ is “THE BEGINNING.”
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:18)
In the Protestant translation this word is rendered “the ruler.” But in Greek the word is arche, and its basic idea is not “ruler” but “the starting of something as an action, process or state; a beginning, a point in time from which a given thing continues.” Yet this beginning is not merely a thing but a person, “the firstborn from among the dead,” the One with whom everything begins.[ix] In the Orthodox Bible this word is translated “first-fruit,” and in the “Veren” translation as “the beginning.” At the end of Revelation Jesus says (Revelation 22:13):
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Revelation 22:13)
Christ shares this title of His with God the Father (Revelation 21:6):
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. (Revelation 21:6)
Christ is the One with whom everything begins. He has first place not only in creation and in everything God has made so far, but He also has first place and is the beginning of the new creation as well — that which God began with His resurrection.
7. THE FIRSTBORN FROM AMONG THE DEAD (1:18c)
From the context of our text it is clear that when he speaks of Christ as the beginning, the apostle Paul links this beginning with the resurrection of the dead. For he explains:
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:18)
In verse 15b the word “firstborn” was used in the sense of preeminence, independent of the order of birth. But here the very idea of order of birth is in view. Christ is “the firstborn from among the dead” in the sense that He is the first to be raised from the dead to eternal life (Revelation 1:5). His resurrection encourages us too, that we also will be raised at His coming. He is our hope. A living Lord — a living hope!
- John 11:25-26
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
- Acts 26:22-23
22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26:22-23)
- 1 Corinthians 15:20
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20)
Among everything else, Christ has first place in the resurrection of the dead as well. He is the firstborn among them all.
The seven titles of Christ listed in this hymn end in a climax that explains why Christ is what He is. The purpose is this:
18 so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:18)
“Supremacy” in Greek is proteuo, and it means to be in first place in a given group, to be first among the first.[x] The titles the apostle Paul lists in this hymn are not given to Christ in order to make Him supreme. They are given to Him because He is supreme, and they describe Him in the best possible way. He is in first place — high above every man or spiritual power in all of creation. He is the champion of champions.
ALL HIS FULLNESS (1:19)
The hymn reaches its climax, its high point, in the supremacy of Christ with respect to creation. Now, at last, the apostle Paul considers His relationship with God as well.
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him… (Colossians 1:19)
In Greek the word for “fullness” in this verse is pleroma. “Fullness” is what brings completeness and perfection. Here it is the “sum total,” the “grand total,” of God’s deity.[xi] The word pleroma was used as a religious term in the Gnostic writings of the second century, but here in Colossians it affirms that God is fully present in Jesus, and that He is fully divine. This word is used in a similar way in the next chapter, as well as in the letter to the Ephesians.
- Colossians 2:9-10
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2:9-10)
- Ephesians 3:19
19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)
- Ephesians 4:13
13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13)
So then, who is Jesus? Is He only a rabbi or a good teacher? Is He only a prophet? Is He only a good example worthy of imitation? Yes, all of these things. But not only that — much, much, much more — He is supreme. He is:
- THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD
- THE FIRSTBORN OVER ALL CREATION
- BEFORE ALL THINGS
- IN HIM ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER
- THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH
- THE BEGINNING
- THE FIRSTBORN FROM AMONG THE DEAD
Consider who Christ is, and how do we receive Him, and how do we treat Him? Do we value Him enough? Do we honor Him as we should? Is serving Him something small or unimportant? He is the first. He already has first place in everything — but have we given Him first place in our lives as well!
[i] Wright, Colossians, p. 68.
[ii] Ralph P. Martin, “Hymns, Hymn Fragments, Songs, Spiritual Songs,” DPL 419-423, citing E. Stauffer, New Testament Theology (Macmillan, 1956).
[iii] “Invisible” is aoratos, “that which cannot be seen, unseen, invisible,” from a-, “not,” + orao, “to see” (BDAG 94).
[iv] Eikon, BDAG 283, 2.
[v] Prototokos, BDAG 894, 2a.
[vi] Pro, BDAG 864, 2.
[vii] Synistemi, BDAG 973, B3.
[viii] Kephale, BDAG 541-542.
[ix] Arche, BDAG 137, 2. The idea of ruler or authority, which we saw in 1:16b above as “rulers” (NIV) or “principalities” (KJV), derives from the concept of one who begins or initiates.
[x] Proteuo, BDAG 892.
[xi] Pleroma, BDAG 828, 3b.