Colossians 1:15-20b

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.

Jesus is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (v17). Hebrews 1:3 says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.” It is the similar language used here that leads some to think that maybe Paul was the mystery author of Hebrews. More likely, the author was someone who knew Paul, who learned from him, traveled with him perhaps. We don’t know. But Jesus is the sustainer of all things. Did you take a breath just now? It’s because Jesus is sustaining the universe by His powerful word. Did you take another breath? It’s because there is not a single rogue molecule floating around by chance or chaos. Jesus is holding all things together. He is the sovereign Lord.

Jesus is the head of the Church, which is His body (v18). Jesus is the only authority in all matters, broadly in all of creation, and specifically in His Church. We are set free from the commandments of men, because Christ is the Lord in His Church. He is also the head of His Church in the sense that He is the source of all spiritual life in the body. Paul says that Jesus is the beginning and the end, or the new beginning, as the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy (v18), the preeminence. This points to the resurrection of Christ, the ground of our hope. Because Jesus is raised from the dead, we have hope of resurrection. It is precisely because of the truth of Christ’s resurrection, that we expect and hope for our resurrection. And so Paul argues that because Jesus is supreme, preeminent, both in creation and redemption, He is sufficient for us in all matters. This is the message of the Bible as a whole. Jesus has always been supreme and preeminent, even before creation, but now, as Creator, Sustainer, and – by His death and resurrection – Redeemer, He is even more glorified and honored. That’s creation’s purpose.

God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him (v19). The word “fullness” was a word used by the false teachers to encourage spiritual fullness by following these mystical rituals. So Paul is saying, “No, fullness is in Christ alone; nothing else is needed.” True spiritual fullness lies in Christ. And this magnificent thought can’t escape Paul’s mind as he writes, because he comes back to it in Colossians 2:8-10: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” We’ll talk more about that passage when we get there. One commentator adds that Paul says, “God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,” to point out that Christ has earned “the name above all names.” The fullness of God here is Jesus’ worthiness of glory, honor, and majesty that brings the Father pleasure. Without Christ, we have nothing, for all the fullness (of everything) is found in Him. Here we see the sufficiency of Christ’s person.

Finally, Paul says, “God was pleased to reconcile all things – on earth and in heaven – to Himself through Jesus by making peace through His blood” (v20). As sin destroyed the relationship between creatures and the Creator, between man and God (and as Calvin declares, even between angels and God), so Christ restores that fellowship and relationship between man and God (and according to Calvin, guarantees well-grounded peace with God for sinless angels as well), and He does it through the death of His cross. Christianity requires the cross. Here we see the sufficiency of Christ’s work – “even angels long to look into these things” (1 Peter 1:12). See also Romans 8:18-21.

What does my faith give me?

I received a comment from John Hoopman yesterday and wanted to respond and perhaps open a dialogue here today. Here is his comment/question:

I was wondering if you mind taking a moment and sharing something with me about your beliefs? This could also apply to any of your visitors here at the blog: if anyone reading this would like to email me your answer, I’d greatly appreciate it. The question is this: thinking about your religious belief and its importance to you, what is the SINGLE greatest thing that you think your faith gives you know or will give you in the future? When thinking about it, please consider that you are trying to convince another human being that your faith is the one they should choose and you can only make one single argument for accepting it. I greatly appreciate the help. Again, I’m not looking for a series of good reasons for believing what you do. Please limit your answer to ONE thing or advantage that your faith gives you.

And here is my response:

Thanks for the question John! Unlike some comments here, yours in well-worded and polite in tone, in as much as one can decipher tone from reading. Before giving a plain and simple answer, let me comment on the context of your question. Immediately after the question, John states, "Please remember that you are trying to convince another human being that your faith is the one they should choose and you can only make one single argument for accepting it." I'll say quite frankly that I have no power or ability to convince anyone to receive Jesus Christ as Lord. Only the Holy Spirit can do that; however, He does that divine work through means, most often through the hearing and/or reading of the Bible, the Word of God. Now, it's one thing to convince a sinner who sees their sin in light of the Holy God and realizes their need for salvation from the wrath of God, but it's another thing completely to convince a sinner who has already made up their mind not to come to Jesus thinking Him to be foolishness. Of those folks, the Bible says that God has given them over to sin. The Gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. My hope, John, would be that you may be described as the former and not the latter.

The question again is, "What is the single greatest thing that you think your faith gives you now, or will give you in the future?"

It's a simple answer. The single greatest thing that I think my faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior has given me in the past, gives me now, and will give me in the future, is eternal life. I have eternal life, and will have eternal life by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Now, you'd be wise to ask, "What is eternal life?" because it may sound silly, living in the twenty-first century kingdom of post-modernism and moral relativism. It may sound silly, given that, from humanity's limited perspective, no one has ever lived forever. You might realize that everyone dies. And the reason that everyone dies is sin. Everyone sins; everyone dies. All have sinned, and the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Jesus, as the Son of God, as God Incarnate, came to give life to sinners. He said in John 11:25-26, "He who believes in Me will live even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die."

What does it mean to die? Death means separation from God. When a person dies, from our perspective, their body ceases to be controlled by them. We do not perceive any existence for that person, even though we can still see their lifeless body. But a person is not their body. A person is more than mere flesh and blood. We continue to exist after the first death. This death is merely a door to a different kind of life. We'll be in paradise or hades (sheol) after walking through this door of the first death. And after that comes judgment. In the end, Jesus will return to judge, and those in paradise will receive new bodies, imperishable, and live forever with God Himself in a perfect relationship. It will be a quality of life that we can't fathom. Those in hades (sheol) will die forever in everlasting torment. It will likewise be something we can't fathom.

Thus, we return to the question, "What is eternal life?" Jesus answers it for us in John 17:3, "This is eternal life, that they (believers) know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." The word "know" is not to be understood as "have an acquaintance with." Rather, "know" means here to have a lasting and intimate relationship. God made us to fellowship with Him; we sinned against Him and separated ourselves from Him. He has worked to reconcile that relationship; and it will last forever. So there you have it, John: a simple answer to a good question. My faith gives me eternal life. Would you like to have eternal life? Come to Jesus, and live forever.

Colossians 1:15-20a

We’re looking at verses 15-20 of chapter 1, in which Paul transitions from introduction and prayer to the exaltation of Jesus Christ as supreme and sufficient. Jesus is sufficient because of His supremacy over all. This book could be called, “The Incomparable Christ,” and this portion of the text shows why. Let’s take a look over the next few days.

¹⁵He [Jesus] 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.

Paul has told us that we as believers have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of light (v13). We have been delivered, redeemed through the forgiveness of sins by the Son of God’s love, Jesus Christ. The Colossian believers were being assaulted by false teaching that Jesus was insufficient. And so now Paul, throughout v15-18 en route to proclaiming Christ’s supremacy, elaborates on why and how Christ is sufficient. Some suggest that this portion of the text is a hymn, though perhaps Paul is elaborating on a hymn familiar to early believers.

Paul calls Jesus “the image of the invisible God and the firstborn over all creation” (v15). One thought might lead us back to Genesis 1-2 where we read that God has created man in His image. And that might lead us to believe that Paul is suggesting, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Arians before them, think, that Jesus was somehow the first created being. But that’s not at all what Paul is saying, and he’ll elaborate by saying that Jesus is the creator of all things; in fact, all things were created by Him and for Him. He’ll say that Jesus is before all things, the sustainer of all things. Indeed He is the very beginning. And so Paul is not agreeing with the Arians or Jehovah’s Witnesses. Rather, Paul is saying that Jesus is God Incarnate (Colossians 2:9).

God is Spirit – Paul’s audience knew that. But Jesus is not Spirit; He has taken on a physical body. Philippians 2:7 says that He made Himself nothing, emptied Himself by taking on humanity. Jesus represents to us what the invisible God looks like. Jesus, as God in the flesh, reveals God to mankind (2 Corinthians 4:4-7). In John 14:8-9, Philip tells Jesus to “show us the Father.” And Jesus replies, “If you’ve seen Me you’ve seen the Father.” You want to know what God the Father looks like? Look at the Son. He is the perfect reflection of the Father. He is the manifestation of God. He is the image of the invisible God, equal to Him, and the visible representation of that spiritual reality which transcends our sight and our senses. When the invisible God looks into a mirror, He sees, as we do, Jesus. But there’s a lot more here. “Seeing” Jesus means more than viewing His physical nature with our eyes; it means embracing His words as truth, clinging to Him as life, not His body but His Person. Seeing Him is equivalent to knowing Him intellectually and relationally (John 14:16-19, 22-26). Hearing Jesus’ words and doing them is equal to seeing Him. Jesus is the spoken word of God, and seeing God the Father lies in perceiving Jesus’ words.

But the question still remains: If Jesus was the firstborn, wasn’t there a time when He didn’t exist? Isn’t Paul saying that Jesus is the highest of all creatures – emphasis on “creatures”? No. John 1:1-2,14,18 is helpful here: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning… The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us… No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.” We talked about this in our study through John’s gospel. Jesus has always existed, thus the phrase in the Nicene Creed, “eternally begotten of the Father… begotten not made, one in being with the Father (homoousios – same substance vs. homoiousios – similar substance).” In the early Church, it was three centuries before a heresy arose within Christian circles that denied Jesus’ divinity. In fact, the early Church was so convinced that Jesus was divine that the only heresy about Christ that flourished within the Christian Church for the first three centuries was the denial that He was human.

The Nicene Creed goes on to say, “Through Him all things were made.” All things were created by Jesus – and for Jesus (v16). Elsewhere we read that through Jesus all things were created (John 1:3). Tomorrow, we’ll see how all things hold together in Him; He is the sustainer of everything (Hebrews 1:3). Paul says it several times, “all things,” and he gives a list just in case we’re not getting that he means “all things.” The list includes “things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities.” The false teachers influencing the Colossian church were suggesting a divine between the material world and the spiritual world, and Paul is saying that Jesus is creator of all. And He not only created it all, but it was all created for Him, for His pleasure, for His glory.

But what does Paul mean by firstborn? He means what the author of Hebrews means in Hebrews 1:2, “heir of all things.” When you think of firstborn in the context of a monarchy, you think of the heir; you think of the one who has primacy given to him. See Exodus 4:22 regarding Jacob and Esau. Paul is speaking of a primacy of power here, not a priority of time sequence. He is not saying that Christ was born first, and then everything else came. Rather, he is saying that Christ has supremacy over everything (v18). Jesus Christ is Lord of all (see the chart below).

He is all things; He is our all-in-all. He is sufficient, because He is supreme.

Christ's Lordship in Creation (Beginning)	Christ's Lordship in Redmption (End)
v15 - He is the firstborn over all creation	v18 - He is the firstborn from among the dead
v17 - All things hold together in Him	v19 - All God's fullness dwells in Him
v16 - All things in heaven and earth were created by Him	v20 - All things in heaven and earth were reconciled to God by Him

Colossians 1:12-14

⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. ¹³For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption [through His blood], the forgiveness of sins.

In v12-14, we read that God has decisively saved the Colossian believers, a message contrary to the false teaching they had been hearing – that the spiritual powers (cosmic beings or angels) could disqualify even believers from life with God and therefore more than Christ was necessary (He was insufficient). Thus, Paul uses the word “qualified” in v12 as a direct rebuke of the false teachers’ language. In v13, Paul switches from a “you” focus to an “us” focus (pointing out that what’s coming is true for all Christians) when he uses the word “rescued” reflecting on Old Testament imagery of the Exodus and deliverance from exile in Babylon. This Jewish-influenced audience would have grasped that illustration and been encouraged even more to believe Paul’s message as a result. He also says that God “brought us” into the kingdom of Jesus, literally “the Son of His love,” meaning the real love of God, of which every being other than Jesus can be nothing more than a reflection. So God the Father rescues us from the dominion of darkness and delivers us into Jesus’ kingdom, the kingdom of light. Paul’s mention of darkness and light and calling Jesus the Son of God’s love is inline with the synoptic gospels (John 3:19-21; 2 Corinthians 4:3-7), which may have begun to circulate around this time.

In v14, Paul masterfully begins his transition from prayer to the exaltation of Jesus Christ, which is fully revealed in the second half of this chapter. As the beginning and end of all things, Christ is supreme, and Paul’s first acknowledgement here is that we have redemption in Him, meaning the forgiveness of sins, which entails both pardon for sin’s guilt and deliverance from sin’s power. Our primary and most basic need is this – and Christ provides it. Thanks be to God! The false teachers in the midst of the Colossians were probably teaching that we have forgiveness from sin in Christ, but that we need deliverance from the mystical and cosmic powers of darkness through various pagan rituals and Gnostic experiences. Paul refutes that here in the beginning of his exaltation of Christ. He points out that we already have complete redemption; we are no longer under its dominion. Elsewhere, Paul teaches that we are waiting for redemption (Romans 8:23) or criticizes those who over-emphasize the already aspect of it (1 Corinthians 4:8-13). Perhaps we can learn from this to balance our understanding and appreciation of the “already / not yet” reality of the Christian life.

One thing Paul does very clearly here is separate Christians from non-Christians. The difference is one of darkness and light. And what fellowship can light have with darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14-16)? And perhaps the most important thing to walk away with here is the understanding that this distinction is made by God. We were delivered, rescued, redeemed, saved from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of light. God qualified us for this inheritance; we did not qualify ourselves through faith. He qualified us through faith.

Though sounding harsh, Vincent Cheung makes a valid observation: “The ways that Scripture uses the contrast between light and darkness suggest that the metaphors apply to at least four major areas of differences between Christians and non-Christians – the ethical, intellectual, existential, and eschatological. Ethically, non-Christians are evil and filthy people. Intellectually, they are stupid and irrational people. Existentially, they are restless and miserable people. Eschatologically, they are condemned and doomed people. In contrast, because of the grace of God and the work of Christ, Christians are righteous, enlightened, joyous, and redeemed… Those who deny the nature and degree of these differences also deny the necessity and magnitude of the work of Christ, and thus deny the Christian faith… Finally, to diminish the contrast between light and darkness also distorts the nature of gospel ministry. Jesus said to Paul in commissioning him to the ministry, ‘I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me’ (Acts 26:17-18). This is consistent with what Paul says in our passage, that Christians are called to receive forgiveness and an inheritance, but that, on the other hand, non-Christians are under ‘the power of Satan,’ that they are ‘darkness,’ and that someone must ‘open their eyes’ in order for them to see the truth – not that they are physically blind, of course, but that they are intellectually dull.” Any thoughts on that?

Colossians 1:10-12

¹⁰And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

This four-step process, stemming from God’s work of filling us “with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding,” is how we can live a life worthy of the Lord and how we may please God in every way. As we look closer at these four steps that Paul provides, let’s consider that we simply don’t pray like this for the brethren:

1. Bearing fruit in every good work (John 3:21; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 1:9-11, 2:12-13) is accomplished as a result of obedience to God’s word and constantly putting to death all that is carnal, or fleshy, within you. Galatians 5:16 says, “Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” This daunting task is only possible – and certain to occur – as God works in us to accomplish it.
2. Growing in the knowledge of God (2 Peter 3:18) is mentioned again. Paul has prayed that his audience would be filled with all knowledge, and a fruit of that is growing in knowledge. It sounds strange, but the point is simple. We will not reach the fullness of knowledge in this life, and so it’s a prayerful pursuit that is indeed, as I’ve titled my Bible Commentary, A Work In Progress.
3. Being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might – Courage and consistency is Paul’s desire for the Colossians, and he knows that it comes from God. We can’t have it without God’s blessing. And Paul adds an effect of it. Why do we need this strengthening? It is so that we may have great endurance and patience (and joy). Calvin comments, “For they are constantly, while in this world, exercised with the cross, and a thousand temptations daily present themselves, so as to weigh them down, and they see nothing of what God has promised. They must, therefore, arm themselves with an admirable patience.” Calvin also points out that we ought to attach the joyfulness mentioned at the end of v11 with this step. So we might read it, “Joyfully endure with patience whatever comes your way through the strength of God’s infinite power.” Finally here, the world, both in our time and in Paul’s day, teaches that we have the power within ourselves (or from mystically worshipping angels in the Colossians case) to overcome and rise above our troubles; but Paul teaches the opposite. We have no power within ourselves. The power to endure hardship and bear with patience the troubles of this life and the power to do that with joy comes only from God. And it’s part of Paul’s prayer for the Colossians.
4. Joyfully giving thanks to God the Father (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24) – Whether we attach joy here or to the previous step, the lesson is the same. Thanksgiving is an essential characteristic of the Christian. Paul uses both God and the Father here to note first His majesty and second His benevolent disposition to those on whom His favor (grace) rests. Calvin says that it is good for “us to contemplate both as existing in God, that His majesty may inspire us with fear and reverence, and that His fatherly love may secure our full confidence.” And here we are told why we should give thanks to God the Father; it is because He has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. We thank God, because He has moved us from death to life. Calvin adds, “But for what kindness does he give thanks to God? For His having made him, and others, meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints. For we are born children of wrath, exiles from God’s kingdom. It is God’s adoption that alone makes us meet. Now, adoption depends on an unmerited election. The Spirit of regeneration is the seal of adoption. He adds, in light, that there might be a contrast – as opposed to the darkness of Satan’s kingdom.”