The Preeminence Of Christ Lesson 2 Series

A. INTRODUCTION/REVIEW

KEY WORD: Preeminence. “That in all things He might have the preeminence” (Col. 1:18)

THEME: The position privilege and power of the believer.

PURPOSE: To deal with false doctrines of angel worship, asceticism, Hebrew legalism, and attraction to philosophy.

B. PREEMINENCE IN SALVATION (1:13-14)

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14).

1. Delivered means divine rescue. “He (Christ) has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (1:13).

a. Darkness means two things: (a) absence of light, i.e., blindness, lostness, alone. (b) opposition to light, i.e., Satan does the “works of darkness” (Luke 22:53, Acts 16:18), ethical rebellion to purity, honesty and truth.

b. Light contrasted to darkness. You become a citizen of the kingdom of light and love and life.

c. Delivered describes captives, who now belong to a new kingdom.

2. Redemption here emphasizes freedom secured, based on the price paid. “In whom we have redemption, through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (1:14).

a. Redemption means to buy back. We belonged to God by creation, now we belong to Him by redemption.

b. Forgiveness means deliverance from guilt and penalty of sin.

C. PREEMINENCE IN CREATION (1:15-18)

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 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. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 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” (Col. 1:15-18).

1. “Who (Christ) is the image of the invisible God” (1:15).

a. Error is best met by a positive statement of truth.

b. Image means likeness or representation. (a) In the likeness of God, Christ showed us what the Father was like. (b) In the representation of God, Christ showed us the exact reflection of God (like a face in a mirror).

c. Image means unique majesty and supreme deity.

d. Invisible means not seen by physical sight and not discovered by unaided reason. Christ is the only way to see the unseeable God. God cannot be known except in and through Christ.

2. “The firstborn of all creation” (1:15). Does not mean Christ was first thing created, because “all things were created through Him” (1:16).

a. First born in family means first in time and supremacy in position. Christ is the Word and “all things were made by him” (John 1:3, KJV).

b. Firstborn means He is the universal sovereign who one day will receive all things.

3. By him (Christ) all things were created” (1:16).

In Him Source ? Conditioning cause His power

Through Him Agent ? Mediating cause His work

Unto Him Goal ? Final cause His glory

4. “That are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities or powers” (1:16).

a. To counteract worship of angels, Paul shows Christ created angels, their power, and the laws that govern them.

b. Christ is superior to all unseen spirits, i.e., good and evil.

c. Christ’s existence is absolute, changeless and eternal.

5. “In Him all things consist (hold together)” (1:17).

a. The power of Christ holds the atoms together. “This presents an overwhelming vision of His glory and a new beautiful splendor to the mystery of the universe.”

D. PREEMINENCE IN THE CHURCH (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” (Col. 1:18).

1. Colossians centers on Christ as the head of the body; Ephesians centers on the body of which Christ is head.

a. The head is the source for direction, control and coordination.

b. The church is more than an earthly entity, it is His body made up of a community of believers with Christ.

2. The church is also presented as a family, “the firstborn.”

a. Firstborn means first to rise from dead.

b. Firstborn means others will follow.

c. Resurrection means both spiritual and physical.

3. Preeminence means “to have first place.”

a. Permanent position.

b. First place over angels, the universe and believers.

If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart: