colossians 1:15-23 the preeminence of christ

Colossians 1:15-23The Preeminence of Christ

Colossians 1:15-18

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight--

Colossians 1:19-22

23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Colossians 1:23

MisconceptionsMisconceptionsin thein the

Colossian HeresyColossian Heresy

• Denial of Deity of Christ• Created being• Below Angels - which elevated• Not eternal

• God did not create the world directly - but by a series of emanations.

Col 1:18

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

• Preeminent: • “to have first place” (Kubo)• “ to hold the first place...Christ is first with Paul in time and in rank” (Robertson)

• In All Things:• In material creation (vv. 15-17)• In spiritual creation (v. 18)

Christis

Supreme

Deity (v. 15a, 19)

Creation (vv. 15b-17)

Church (v. 18)

Sinner (vv. 20-23)


I. Relationship to Deity (vv. 15a, 19)

...To Deity (vv. 15a, 19)

A. To the Father: (v. 15a)

• Invisible God = Father (Jno. 1:18; 5:37)• Image

- “essentially and absolutely the perfect expression and representation of the

Archetype, God the Father” (Vine) - “Jesus is the very stamp of God the Father”

(Robertson)

RepresentationRepresentation ManifestationManifestation

...To Deity (vv. 15a, 19)

A. To the Father: (v. 15a)

B. To the Godhead: (v. 19) (Col. 2:9)

Fullness of Deity dwells in Christ

“A recognized technical term in theology, denoting the totality of the Divine powers and attributes (Lightfoot). It is an old word from pleerooo (NT:4137), to fill full, used in various senses as in Mark 8:20 of the baskets, Gal 4:10 of time, etc. The Gnostics distributed the divine powers among various aeons. Paul gathers them all up in Christ, a full and flat statement of the deity of Christ...All the divine attributes are at home in Christ.”

(A. T. Robertson)

Fullness

“This is to us a most precious truth. We have a Saviour who is in no respect deficient in wisdom, power, and grace to redeem and save us. There is nothing necessary to be done in our salvation which he is not qualified to do; there is nothing which we need to enable us to perform our duties, to meet temptation, and to bear trial, which he is not able to impart. In no situation of trouble and danger will the church find that there is a deficiency in him; in no enterprise to which she can put her hands will there be a lack of power in her great Head to enable her to accomplish what he calls her to. We may go to him in all our troubles, weaknesses temptations, and needs, and may be supplied from his fullness‑just as, if we were thirsty, we might go to an ocean of pure water and drink.”

- Albert Barnes,



II. Relationship to Creation (vv. 15b-17)

...To Creation (vv. 15b-17)

A. Firstborn of every creature: (v. 15b)

B. In him - all things created (v. 16)

C. By him - all things created (v. 16)

D. For him - all things created (v. 16)

E. Before all things (v. 17)

F. By him all things consist (v. 17)

•The beginning of creation•The end of creation•The power who holds creation

together

• Creator• Sustainer• Final Goal

ChristIs:




III. Relationship to Church (v. 18)

...To Church (v. 18)

A. Head of the body - authority

B. The beginning - source / origin

C. Firstborn from the dead - Res.





IV. Relationship to Sinners (vv. 20-23)

...To Sinners (vv. 20-23)

A. The change (vv. 20-22)

Reconciled

Aliens

Enemies

Wicked

Holy

Blameless

Irreproachable



B. How?

•Body (v. 22)•Blood (v. 20)



B. How?

C. Conditional (v. 23)





IV. Relationship to Sinners (vv. 20-23)

Christis

Supreme

Deity (v. 15a, 19)

Creation (vv. 15b-17)

Church (v. 18)

Sinner (vv. 20-23)

colossians 1:15-23 the preeminence of christ

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