The Preeminence Of Christ Series

BIG IDEA:

CHRIST DESERVES THE PREEMINENCE BY VIRTUE OF:

- HIS POSITION OF HEADSHIP

- AND HIS WORK OF RECONCILIATION

(WITH RESPECT TO ALL OF CREATION AND TO THE CHURCH)

I. (:18b) THESIS: “so that He himself might come to have first place in everything”

Def.: “having paramount rank, dignity, or importance; outstanding, supreme” --(Webster’s)

Only NT usage of this word

You can refute almost any cult or false teaching by examining how they fail to give Christ His due in terms of His Deity or Sufficiency or Supremacy or Exclusivity

II. (:15-17) CHRIST DESERVES THE PREEMINENCE BY VIRTUE OF HIS POSITION OF HEADSHIP OVER ALL CREATION

– THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD

A. Preeminent by Virtue of His Deity = “the image of the invisible God”

Sounds like a contradiction that we can see the image of that which is invisible

cf. John 1:18; Heb. 1:3

B. Preeminent as the Unique Son of God = “the first-born of all creation”

does not require that He be a part of creation and thus “born” in contradiction to His eternal existence;

stressing His special place of privilege and power; the one who inherits all the rights of the first-born;

used here as a title of the one who is the mediator between God and all of creation

C. Preeminent as the Creator of all things – “all things have been created by Him”

“in the heavens”

“on the earth”

“invisible”

“visible”

includes all types of angels and spiritual beings

“whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities”

(Note the false translation of the bible used by Jehovah’s Witnesses which adds in the word “other”)

D. Preeminent as the Goal of Creation

“all things have been created … for Him”

E. Preeminent as the Precursor of Creation

“He is before all things” (in the sense of time)

F. Preeminent as the Sustainer of Creation

“in Him all things hold together”

Discuss some of the scientific questions and confusion regarding this issue;

Points to God as the one who sustains the ordered cosmos which He has designed and created

III. (:18-19) CHRIST DESERVES THE PREEMINENCE BY VIRTUE OF HIS POSITION OF HEADSHIP OVER THE CHURCH

– THE EMBODIMENT OF ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD

(Wiersbe: switches focus from the old natural creation to His new spiritual creation”)

A. Preeminent by Virtue of His Deity = “all the fulness dwells in Him”

consistent with “the Father’s good pleasure”

B. Preeminent by Virtue of His Headship over His Body = the Church

“He is also head of the body, the church”

C. Preeminent by Virtue of His Leadership in Resurrection

“He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead”

IV. (:20) CHRIST DESERVES THE PREEMINENCE BY VIRTUE OF HIS WORK OF RECONCILIATION – WITH RESPECT TO CREATION

A. Emphasis = “through Him” = Christ

Note the word order in the Greek and the repetition of this phrase

B. Universal Scope of Reconciliation – “all things”

1. “things on earth”

2. “things in heaven”

C. Nature of this Reconciliation

1. Directed towards God the Father – “to Himself”

2. “having made peace”

D. Means of Accomplishing this Reconciliation

“through the blood of His cross”

IV. (:21-23) CHRIST DESERVES THE PREEMINENCE BY VIRTUE OF HIS WORK OF RECONCILIATION – WITH RESPECT TO THE CHURCH

A. Need for Reconciliation (Scope = Gentile emphasis)

1. Alienated by Postion

“you were formerly alienated”

2. Alienated by Active Rebellion in Mind

“hostile in mind”

3. Alienated by Active Rebellion in Deed

“engaged in evil deeds”

B. Nature of this Reconciliation

“He has now reconciled you”

C. Means of Accomplishing this Reconciliation

“in His fleshly body through death”

D. Goal of Reconciliation

“in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach”

E. Human Responsibility: Perseverance in the Faith (:23)

1. Perseverance = Necessary Confirmation of the Genuineness of our Faith

“if indeed you continue in the faith”

2. Three Components of Perseverance

a. “firmly established”

b. “steadfast”

c. “not moved away”

3. Benchmark of Perseverance = “the hope of the gospel”

a. Message to the Church at Colossae

“that you have heard”

b. Consistent with the Message to all of Creation

“which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven”

c. Consistent with the Ministry of the Apostle Paul

“of which I , Paul, was made a minister”

* * * * * * * * * *

DEVOTIONAL QUESTIONS:

1) What have been the practical outworkings of Christ having the “first place” in our affections? time? resources? plans? etc. What things tend to compete with Christ having that special supreme place of lordship in your life?

2) What (if anything) is different about the fact that we have been made in the “image of God” and Christ is “the image of the invisible God”?

3) We don’t often think of the invisible realm of angels in terms of “thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities” – why is Paul addressing this here?