The Supremacy of Christ
Colossians 1:15-20
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And 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. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and 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.
I A Scope of the Supremacy of Christ
A Christ and Deity
Verse: 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Cross: 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. Jn. 1:1-4
1 Christ is the Exact Representation of the Godhead
Word: image (eikon) from which we get our English word icon (made in someone¡¦s likeness referring to a statue, coin, or portrait.
While man is made in the image of God, he is not a perfect image of God. Man is a triune being (body, soul, and Spirit), but he is not perfect in his moral attributes nor does man possess any incommunicable attributes such as omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, or immutability.
Jesus though, is the exact representation of God in substance and purpose. He is the representation and manifestation of the Godhead ¡V the full, final, and complete revelation of God. Jesus is God in the flesh.
Idea: Paul offers this treatise to combat the heretical view that Jesus was one among the lesser spirits inferior to God. Understanding that the Colossian heresy viewed matter as evil and spirit as good, Paul attacks this teaching by stating that Jesus is God (equal in spirit) in the flesh (good in matter). And to think of Christ in any other terms is blasphemy.
2 Christ has Authority Over All of Creation
Cross: 1In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. Heb. 1:1-2
Note: From the Arians to modern day cults including the Jehovah¡¦s Witness, this passage has been misinterpreted and misunderstood attempting to state that Christ was a created being.
Word: Firstborn (prototokos) while prototokos can mean firstborn chronologically (priority in time) its reference in this text primarily refers to position or rank (supremacy in position).
At no time should one conclude that Christ was a created being, but rather that he was before creation and given authority over it in rank and dignity.
B Christ and Creation
Verse: 16For by (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 were created by (through) him and for (unto) him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Cross: ¡Kand through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God¡¦s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word¡K Heb. 1:2-3
1 The Author of Creation
Idea: As the physical representation of the Godhead, all creation derives its existence, sustenance, and purpose in Christ alone. This is an additional statement to thwart the erroneous teachings of the Colossian heresy that matter is evil. No only is Christ God in the flesh, but all of creation has its being and purpose because of Him. He is not a lesser created spirit, but the perfect and holy God of creation. And as the creation story accounts in Genesis 1, all of His creation (physical and spiritual) is good.
a by (in) Him (en)
Idea: Creation occurred from within His person and power. All creation comes as a result of His ministry within the Godhead ¡V the act of creation rested upon Christ.
b by (through) Him (di)
Idea: Christ was not only the originating center of creation, but he was also the mediating agent. The word used for through is often used of Christ¡¦s redemptive mediation between God and man. In this text though, the entire universe is mediated from God through Christ.
c for (unto) Him (eis)
Idea: Everything created is for His glory and goodness. In a sense, Christ is the end for which all things exist, move, and have their being.
Quote: All of creation was meant to serve His will, to contribute to His glory¡KTheir whole being, willingly and unwillingly, moves¡K to Him; whether, as His blissful servants, they shall be as it were His throne; or as His stricken enemies, His footstool. Moule
Note: A Glimpse at Creation ¡V the size of our universe is staggering.
„« The sun has a diameter of 864.000 miles (100x the size of earth) and could hold 1.3 million planets the size of the earth.
„« The star Betelgeuse has a diameter of 100 million miles (larger than earth¡¦s orbit around the sun).
„« It takes sunlight traveling 186,000 miles per second (about 8.5 minutes) to reach the earth. That same light would take over 4 years to reach the next closest star (Alpha Centauri) 24 trillion miles.
„« Our Galaxy, the Milky Way, contains hundreds of billions of stars and astronomers estimate that there are a billion other galaxies. Estimating that the numbers of stars in the universe is 1025.
„« A change in the Earth¡¦s rotation around the sun or on its axis would be catastrophic.
„« It further states that if the earth was any closer or farther from the sun it would be uninhabitable.
„« If the moon were any closer to Earth the tides would inundate the continents.
„« A change in the composition of gases would be fatal to all life on Earth.
„« A slight change in the mass of the proton would result in the dissolution of hydrogen atoms that would result in the destruction of the universe.
Note: The reference to thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities is an allusion to the various ranks of angels the Colossian errorist taught. Paul is not agreeing that they are correct in their assessment of the angelic order, but rather that Christ is the One who created them and who has dominion over them.
2 The Sustainer of Creation
Idea: Christ is more than the author of life and creation, He and no other (autos) is the sustainer of it. He only has to withdraw His hand and it would completely collapse.
Verse: 5Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created. 6He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away. Ps. 148:5-6
Note: One again, Paul¡¦s statement to supremacy of Christ is to address a particular portion of the Colossian heresy. That Christ holds all of creation in his hand and the He is vigilant to watch over and care for His creation addresses the notion that the lesser angelic order was disinterested in creation and left us to fend for ourselves. There remains today a teaching that God created and left us to figure it out for ourselves.
C Christ and the Church
Verse: 18And 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.
Note: Body ¡V a reference to the church ¡V the church is a living organism composed of individual members vitally joined together in Christ (see Romans 12:3-4). The church is also the means by which Christ carries our His mission and purpose to redeem His fallen creation. Finally, the church is a family intimately united together and responsible for one another (see Ephesians 5:22f).
1 Christ is Head of the Church
Idea: To be the head of the church is to be the directing brain ¡V He is the sovereign chief and leader who guides and governs according to His grace. In turn, He controls every part providing life and direction. He energizes and coordinates each individual member of the body.
The anatomy of the Church ¡V Christ is the head, the Word of God is the heart, the church is the torso, and Christians are the limbs and organs according to their giftedness and SHAPE.
2 Christ is the Source of the Church
Idea: Beginning (arche) the church finds its origin and source in Christ alone ¡V Jesus is the creative initiative of the church.
3 Christ is the Firstborn from the Dead
Idea: Firstborn (prototokos) firstborn denotes both order and rank. Because Christ is the first and only being to be resurrected from the dead not to die again, He has supremacy.
Note: Paul explained this point to help the Colossian believers to understand the Christ was not some angel who serves the church, but that He is the Sovereign who has authority and rule over the church.
II The Basis of the Supremacy of Christ
Verse: 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and 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.
A The Fullness of God in Christ
Word: pleroma ¡V to be completely filled (not by another source but of itsself). In Christ all of the fullness of God was present ¡V Jesus, and Jesus alone, was in full nature God and in Him the fullness of saving grace and redemption was constituted. One need to look no further than Christ for God¡¦s grace and forgiveness.
B The Reconciling Work of Christ
Cross: After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hb. 1:3
Word: Reconcile (apokatallassai) to totally, thoroughly, and completely change one¡¦s state and standing from enmity to friendship.
Idea: Through the sufficient work of Christ on the cross where His blood was shed (see Hebrews 9:22), Christ had made a provision for all things to be reconciled with God.
Exegesis
Christ is the visible and physical representation of the unseen triune God (He is God in the flesh.) ¡V the One who has priority in time and supremacy in position and rank over all creation. In Christ alone, the act of creation occurred because He is the originating center of all that is created based upon His person and power as God. Things that are in heaven and spiritual, and things that on earth that are physical; things visible to the eye, and things that cannot be seen with the eye; whether they are of the angelic order of thrones, or powers, or of rulers, or of authorities; not one thing came into being unless it was created through Him because He is more than just the origin of creation, He is also the mediating agent of creation. Furthermore, while things were created through Him, everything was also created for His glory and goodness. Christ is the end for which all things exist, move, and have their being.
Christ is more than the author of life and creation though, He, and He alone, is the sustainer of it too. He only needs to withdraw His hand and all of creation would completely collapse. And He is the directing brain and sovereign chief of the church, the body of Christ. He is the creative initiative and origin of the church, and He is first in order and rank to be resurrected from the dead not to die again. So that in everything, with regard to creation, order, and time, He stands alone unique and supreme unlike any other because He is God in the flesh.
The triune God was pleased to present Himself in all of His fullness in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ ¡V and that through Christ, and Christ alone, He would totally, thoroughly, and completely change a person¡¦s state and standing from enmity with God to friendship with God by reconciling the creation to Himself through the death of Christ on the Cross. Whether things are earthly and physical, or whether are heavenly and spiritual, He did this by making a provision of peace through the sufficient work of Christ on the cross where His blood was shed for all of creation. For without the shedding of blood, there would have been no remission or forgiveness of sin.
