Paul’s Presentation of the Preeminence of Jesus Christ Colossians 1:15-29 Part I
In this section of Colossians (1:15-29), Paul writes to disclose that Jesus Christ is fully God (Deity). Not only is Christ portrayed as fully God, but He is uniquely qualified to reconcile a lost world to God the Father. Jesus Christ reconciled a fallen, sinful world to God through giving His life on the cross. Paul rejoiced in being able to suffer for Christ and be a servant of God, declaring God’s great mystery.
Our text Colossians 1:15-29 may be outlined as follows: I. Christ, Our Exalted Saviour – Colossians 1:15-23; II. Paul’s Commission and Revelation of the Mystery – Colossians 1:24-29
- Christ, Our Exalted Saviour – Colossians 1:15-23
Having enlightened the Colossians believers with regard to God’s redemptive work in their lives, Paul moves on to unfold numerous descriptions of Christ’s grandeur and glory. As the Colossians saw Christ in His greatness, they would be prompted to hold fast to Him even when they were attracted by false teachers.
In verse 15, Paul spoke of Christ as the “image of the invisible God.” Jesus Christ is the exact representation of God for He is God. In Hebrews 1:3, Christ is called “the express image of God,” meaning that He is the exact reproduction or representation of God’s essence or nature. Christ was not just an ideal man; rather, He was God in human flesh. He is the very image of the invisible God in visible form. Jesus makes this emphatic statement in St. John 14:9 – “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”
Because Christ is Deity (fully God), He is the firstborn of every creature in the universe. The term “firstborn” (v. 15) may sound as though Christ were an exalted but created being. However, the biblical notion of the “firstborn” speaks of one who has the legal privilege of inheritance and ownership. As the eternal Son of God, Christ has authority over everything that has been created. He is the Lord of the universe, the Sovereign of the world, the One who merits our worship and praise!
Christ’s preeminent position over creation is supported by the fact that He created everything (v. 16). The New Testament clearly teaches and affirms that Jesus Christ was the active agent in creating the world. For example, St. John 1:3 says of Christ, “All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” The vast physical universe was made by Christ. All things that can be seen and the things that are invisible came into existence by His activity. Even the various ranks of angels were made by Him. Not only is Christ the creator of everything, but He sustains all things (v. 17). He sustains everything by holding together everything! He maintains the universe that He called into existence. He is the source of all life, and He sustains it all!
In verse 18, Paul presents Christ as the Head of the body, the church. Christ is the One through whom the church had its beginning. He is the foundation on which the church is built. His death provided the means of salvation for all who believe in Him. As the Head of the church, Christ directs and guides the church in all its functions. Verse 18 further states that Christ is “the firstborn from the dead,” meaning that He is the first to rise from the dead with a glorified body. His resurrection assures us that we will have a glorified body. Just as Christ is preeminent over all the world that He created, so He is preeminent in the church He has redeemed.
In further asserting the Deity of Christ, Paul stated that God was pleased to have all of the Divine Nature dwell in Christ (v. 19). In verses 20-21, Christ’s substitutionary work in the stead of sinners provided the means by which God’s righteous demands were satisfied. His death opened the door to reconciliation between Holy God and sinful mankind. Those who accept Christ’s death for them are accepted by God on the merits of Christ’s sacrifice. The spiritual estrangement that once existed between God and sinful mankind has been removed by the efficacious work of Christ on the cross.
In verse 22, through Christ’s death, believers’ lives have been transformed, for Christ made them pleasing to God. By changing lives from inside and out, Christ can present Christians as holy, unblemished, and beyond accusation in God’s sight. Although we sin, in Christ, we can stand positionally before the Holy God on the merit of God. However, through the process of sanctification, as we yield to the Holy Spirit, we can live in practical holiness before God. In verse 23, because of the prevalence of false teaching, Paul urged the believers to continue in their faith in Christ. By doing so, they would prove that they had been genuinely reconciled to God.
