Supremacy Of Christ

I. EXORDIUM:

Is CHRIST Supreme over all things?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show and prove the supremacy of CHRIST.

IV. TEXT:

Colossians 1:18 (Amplified Bible)

He also is the Head of [His] body, the church; seeing He is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead, so that He alone in everything and in every respect might occupy the chief place [stand first and be preeminent].

V. THESIS:

CHRIST is Supreme over all.

VI. TITLE:

Supremacy of CHRIST

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: Apostle Paul

B. Date written: Between 60 to 64 A.D.

C. Purpose: To exhort and edify believers.

D. To whom written: Church in Colosse, a city of Asia Minor

E. Main themes: Church, as body of CHRIST. CHRIST as Head of the Church. Warnings against trusting worldly wisdom

F. Keywords: CHRIST - the Head of all

Colossians 2:10 (Amplified Bible)

And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power].

G. Key verses:

Colossians 2:9-10 (Amplified Bible)

For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature].

And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power].

Supremacy or pre-eminence came from the Greek word: "proteuo" (verb) meaning "first", "highest authority or power", "first place" from root word: "protos" meaning:

a. first in time or place - in any succession of things or person

b. first in rank - influence, honor, chief, principal

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. Head of the Church

"He also is the Head of [His] body, the church;"

Colossians 1:24 (Amplified Bible)

[Even] now I rejoice in the midst of my sufferings on your behalf. And in my own person I am making up whatever is still lacking and remains to be completed [on our part] of Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church.

1 Corinthians 11:3 (Amplified Bible)

But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the Head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the Head of Christ is God.

Ephesians 1:22-23 (Amplified Bible)

And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church],

Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself].

1. The Church is "ekklesia" in Greek, meaning: "a calling out", "meeting", "assembly"

a. congregation = Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both

CHRIST is our Head as the Church, and where the Head is, there the body will be. CHRIST has placed the enemy under His feet of the Church.

B. Beginning and Firstborn among the dead

"seeing He is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead"

1 John 1:1 (Amplified Bible)

[WE ARE writing] about the Word of Life [in] Him Who existed from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our [own] eyes, Whom we have gazed upon [for ourselves] and have touched with our [own] hands.

John 11:25-26 (Amplified Bible)

Jesus said to her, I am [Myself] the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on) Me, although he may die, yet he shall live;

And whoever continues to live and believes in (has faith in, cleaves to, and relies on) Me shall never [actually] die at all. Do you believe this?

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 (Amplified Bible)

But the fact is that Christ (the Messiah) has been raised from the dead, and He became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death].

For since [it was] through a man that death [came into the world, it is] also through a Man that the resurrection of the dead [has come].

For just as [because of their union of nature] in Adam all people die, so also [by virtue of their union of nature] shall all in Christ be made alive.

But each in his own rank and turn: Christ (the Messiah) [is] the firstfruits, then those who are Christ’s [own will be resurrected] at His coming.

First to resurrect, first to ascend, CHRIST is both the beginning and the firstborn.

C. In everything He might have the supremacy