PRE-EXISTENCE AND EMINENCE OF CHRIST (COL 1: 15-20)

PRE-EXISTENCE AND EMINENCE OF CHRIST (COL 1: 15-20):

After conveying his wishes and prayers for the Colossians to be faithful, Paul conveys about Christ who is a greater reason and role model for the faith in the almighty and loving God of the Bible. Paul writes that Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him, all things were created, in heaven or on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through Him and for Him. God is incomprehensive and greater beyond the human brains could perceive Him, though He had revealed throughout the history of mankind. God is invisible and no one had ever seen and could ever see God completely. Christ demonstrated the characteristics of the sovereign God who existed from the beginning and he is not a created being but begotten. Only by the Word of God, that is Christ, all the things in heaven or earth were created in the beginning and everything was created good for His glory to be revealed. Whatever the thing is, whether it is perceivable to the naked eyes or not, whether it is the governance of the kingdoms or the leaders who rule over others and the authorities who have control in certain things, nothing had been without the approval of Christ, who is the reason beyond all other creation.

And then Paul writes that Christ is before all things, and in Him, all things hold together. Christ was present since the beginning as the Word and God. The demonstration of the love of God and the shunning of evil was purposed through Christ and everything was held together and sustained only because of Christ. And then Paul says that Christ is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. As the head controls all other organs of the body, Christ is the controller of the believers who submit themselves to Him, as well nothing could go beyond the control of God. Christ had also raised from the dead and there is no one who resurrected like Him, and the predominance of Christ is evident through it.

Then Paul says that for in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross. All the fullness of God’s creation through Christ was pleased to dwell in Christ because He was the source for the reconciliation of mankind and all the creation with God, as it got fallen by the powers of Evil. Whether it is the things in heaven or on earth, only through the blood of Christ on the cross, shed as a ransom once and for all, could provide harmony and peace with God.

Stimulations for Self-Reflection:

1.      How Christ is the image of the invisible God and firstborn of all creation?

2.      What are all the things created through Christ?

3.      How all things were created through Christ and for Him?

4.      How Christ is before all things?

5.      How do all things hold together in Christ?

6.      Who is the head of the body, the church? How?

7.      How Christ is the firstborn from the dead? Why?

8.      What was pleased to dwell in Christ? Why?

9.      How does everything reconcile to Christ?

10.  How we can allow Christ to be our head and sustain our relationship with God?