Colossians 1 Verses 15-20 Christ and the Fullness of God December 15, 2024
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Colossians 1 Verses 15-20 Christ and the Fullness of God December 15, 2024 Lesson 13 Sacred Life Series Class Presentation Notes AAAAA
Background Scriptures:
Philippians 2:5–11 (NASB95)
5 Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men.
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name, which is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Main Idea:
• Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of human sanctity.
Study Aim:
• To understand that Jesus Christ is the fullest representation and fulfillment of sacred human life.
Create Interest:
• A Christian always moves in two spheres. He is in a certain place in this world; but he is also in Christ. He lives in two dimensions. He lives in this world whose duties he does not treat lightly; but above and beyond that he lives in Christ. In this world he may move from place to place; but wherever he is, he is in Christ.
o That is why outward circumstances make little difference to the Christian; his peace and his joy are not dependent on them.
o That is why he will do any job with all his heart. It may be menial, unpleasant, painful, it may be far less distinguished than he might expect to have; its rewards may be small and its praise non-existent; nevertheless, the Christian will do it diligently, uncomplainingly and cheerfully, for he is in Christ and does all things as to the Lord.
o We are all in our own Colosse, but we are all in Christ, and it is Christ who sets the tone of our living.
• What the people in Colosse needed to know….What we need to know above all, if they/we are to grow as Christians, increasing in wisdom, power, patience and thanksgiving, is the centrality and supremacy of Jesus Christ. The more we get to know, and know about, Jesus Christ, the more we will understand who the true God is and what he’s done; who we are as a result; and what it means to live in and for him. Much of the rest of the letter, in fact, is an exploration of the meaning of the poem. Look on to Vs. 2:3, for instance, where Paul declares that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ himself.
o Colossians 2:3 (NASB95)
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
wisdom and knowledge: Jewish traditions prized wisdom, and mystery cults valued knowledge. Paul affirms Christ as the true source of both. Since the believers of Colossae have Christ (1:27), they have no need for the wisdom and knowledge offered by false teachers.
• It’s worth, then, going quite slowly through the poem and pondering the depths of meaning that are to be found in it.
o Christianity isn’t simply about a particular way of being religious.
o It isn’t about a particular system for how to be saved here or hereafter.
o It isn’t simply a different way of holiness. Christianity is about Jesus Christ; and this poem, one of the very earliest Christian poems ever written, is as good a place to start exploring it as any.
This is what the Colossians needed to know, and we today need to rediscover it.
Lesson in Historical Context:
• Paul proclaims the supremacy and sovereignty of Christ, who was present and active in the creation of the universe and who remains active in sustaining and reconciling all things. Whether Paul himself wrote this hymn/poem is debated; he could have borrowed material used in early Christian worship. Regardless of authorship, the hymn is a central component of the letter, providing the basis for Paul’s key points in Chapters. 2–3 about the sufficiency of Christ and the futility of false teachings. Because God’s fullness dwells in Christ (v. 19), He is all that believers need.
• Paul’s remarkable hymn about Christ considers the Son’s role in God’s work of creation and new creation (redemption). Paul begins by attributing two theologically rich titles to the Son.
o First, Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15a). This title illustrates the close relationship between the Father, who gave the gift of inheritance (redemption) to believers (Col 1:12), and His beloved Son, in whose kingdom believers now live (Col 1:13).
o Second, Paul refers to the Son as “the firstborn of all creation” (Col 1:15b). He further explains Christ’s relationship to creation in the following verses: “all things” (ta panta) were created through Him and for Him; He is above “all things” and holds together “all things” (Col 1:16–17).
o He examines Christ’s role in God’s work of reconciliation (or new creation). He is the head of the body by virtue of His resurrection from the dead (Col 1:18). In one of the most extraordinary verses in the NT, Paul then says that the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in the Son (Col 1:19; compare Col 2:9).
o Colossians 2:9 (NASB95)
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
• Through Him, God has reconciled all things on heaven and earth and made peace through the blood of His cross (Col 1:20).
• Paul’s description of Christ’s work of reconciliation leads him to explain its significance in the life of the believer (Col 1:21–23). God’s reconciliation has brought believers close to Him, though they were once estranged (Col 1:21).
• This reconciliation now demands a right response from believers—they must remain steadfast without wavering from the hope of the gospel.
o Colossians 1:21–23 (NASB95)
21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—
23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
Bible Study:
Colossians 1:15–20 (NASB95)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Let’s look at each characteristic as we study together.
• From Paul’s petition that the Colossians be enlightened about God’s redemptive working in their lives, he moved naturally into his epistle’s main emphasis—the exaltation and preeminence of Christ. In this paragraph (vv. 15–20) Paul mentioned seven unique characteristics of Christ, which fittingly qualify Him to have “the supremacy” (v. 18). Christ is:
o the image of God,
o the Firstborn over Creation,
o Creator of the universe,
o Head of the church,
o Firstborn from the dead,
o the fullness of God,
o the Reconciler of all things.
• No comparable listing of so many characteristics of Christ and His deity are found in any other Scripture passage. Christ is the supreme Sovereign of the universe!
Christ is the perfect resemblance/image and representation of God.
• Vs. 1:15a. Christ is the image of the invisible God. Besides the obvious meaning of likeness (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4), “image” implies representation and manifestation. Like the head of a sovereign imprinted on a coin, so Christ is “the exact representation of [the Father’s] being” (Heb. 1:3). As Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Anyone who saw Christ, the visible manifestation of the invisible God, has thereby “seen” God indirectly. For “no one has ever seen God, but God the only Son … has made Him known” (John 1:18). Paul wrote of the “invisible” God (1 Tim. 1:17), but Christ is the perfect visible representation and manifestation of that God.
• Though the word “image” (eikōn) does not always denote a perfect image (cf. 1 Cor. 11:7), the context here demands that understanding. Indeed, like the word “form” (morphē; trans. “nature” in Phil. 2:6–7), eikōn means the very substance or essential embodiment of something or someone.
• In Hebrews 10:1 “shadow” and “the very image” (eikōn), which is Christ, are contrasted (cf. Col. 2:17). So Christ’s supremacy is first shown in His relationship with God the Father. Christ is the perfect resemblance and representation of God.
Christ is the Firstborn over all Creation
• Vs. 1:15b. Christ’s supremacy is shown in His relationship to Creation. He is the Firstborn over all Creation. Though it is grammatically possible to translate this as “Firstborn in Creation,” the context makes this impossible for five reasons:
o The whole point of the passage (and the book) is to show Christ’s superiority over all things.
o Other statements about Christ in this passage (such as Creator of all [1:16], upholder of Creation [v.1:17], etc.) clearly indicate His priority and superiority over Creation.
o The “Firstborn” cannot be part of Creation if He created “all things.” One cannot create himself. (Jehovah’s Witnesses wrongly add the word “other” six times in this passage in their New World Translation. Thus, they suggest that Christ created all other things after He was created! But the word “other” is not in the Greek.)
o The “Firstborn” received worship of all the angels (Heb. 1:6), but creatures should not be worshiped (Ex. 20:4–5).
o The Greek word for “Firstborn” is prōtotokos. If Christ were the “first-created,” the Greek word would have been prōtoktisis.
• He existed before Creation. The term firstborn does not refer to time, but to place or status. Jesus Christ was not the first being created, since He Himself is the Creator of all things. Firstborn simply means “of first importance, of first rank.” Solomon was certainly not born first of all of David’s sons, yet he was named the firstborn (Ps. 89:27).
o Firstborn of all Creation means “prior to all Creation.” Jesus Christ is not a created being; He is eternal God.
• Paul used the word image to make this fact clear. It means “an exact representation and revelation.” The writer to the Hebrews affirms that Jesus Christ is “the express image of His Person” (Heb. 1:3). Jesus was able to say, “He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). In His essence, God is invisible; but Jesus Christ has revealed Him to us (John 1:18). Nature reveals the existence, power, and wisdom of God; but nature cannot reveal the very essence of God to us. It is only in Jesus Christ that the invisible God is revealed perfectly. Since no mere creature can perfectly reveal God, Jesus Christ must be God.
Soak on these shared thoughts:
• If Paul meant that Jesus was merely similar to the Father, he would have used the ancient Greek word homoioma, which speaks merely of similar appearance. The stronger word used here proves that Paul knew that Jesus is God just as God the Father is God. It means that “Jesus is the very stamp of God the Father.” (Robertson)
• “God is invisible, which does not merely mean that He cannot be seen by our bodily eye, but that He is unknowable. In the exalted Christ the unknowable God becomes known.” (Peake)
• According to Barclay, the ancient Jewish philosopher Philo equated the eikon of God with the Logos. Paul used this important and meaningful word with great purpose.
Christ is the Creator of the Universe
• Vs. 1:16. Christ is the Source, Agent, End, and Sustainer of all creation. By him is literally “in Him,” indicating primarily union. Here the idea is that Christ has in himself all the ideas and powers of creative activity. The biblical view of creation (Genesis 1; John 1:1–4) opposes the theory of naturalistic, biological evolution. With the emergence of the modern “genetic” theory what shall the evangelical Christian say to the prospect of scientists creating life in a test tube? If it comes about, the Christian will understand that this is a discovery of God’s process and not a creation. Man creates nothing; God creates out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo, Gen. 1:1). We can only discover how life processes come about. Man’s theories are merely his way of viewing the facts of the universe.
• All things allow no exceptions—all material and spiritual things and powers are inferior to Christ and are under His will and sway. Whatever supernatural powers there may be, Christ is their reason for being. Were created indicates a beginning of these things. Both the Father and the Son, with the Spirit, are active in the creative role (Gen. 1:1–2; John 1:1–3). In heaven is literally “in the heavens,” and in earth is literally “on the earth.”
• Visible and invisible again shows that nothing is excepted. Thrones, dominions (lordships), principalities (magistrates), and powers may refer to actual persons as well as to offices, perhaps to fallen beings usurping Christ’s place in the minds and loyalties of men (2:10, 15, 18). By him, and for him shows that Christ is both the Agent and the End or Goal of creation. It is therefore “in,” “by,” and “unto” Him that all things are made. He is the first and final Cause of creation (1 Corinthians 15; Philippians 2).
• Vs. 17. He is (not “He was”) before all things (cf. John 8:58). He is before in position, power, and time. By him (lit., in Him) means that when all things are in union with Christ they hold together or are sustained (Heb. 1:3). When not united to Him they cannot stand. If it is insisted that “in” equals agency here, then all things, even evil powers, continue to persist only by His permissive will until He shall deliver the Kingdom to the Father (1 Cor. 15:28).
o The only satisfactory point of rest in the face of so great a question as to the source and being of all created existence is God.
o He upholds “all things by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3).
Christ is the Head of the Church
• Vs. 17-18a. Christ is the Head of the body, the church. Besides being the Lord of the universe, He is also the church’s Head (cf. Eph. 1:22–23; 5:23). The reference here is to the invisible or universal church into which all believers are baptized by the Holy Spirit the moment they believe in Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). This work of the Spirit began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:5; 2:1–2; 11:15–16). It is a special body in which there is “neither Jew nor Gentile” (Gal. 3:28) but a whole new creation of God (Eph. 2:15). The church is a “mystery … which was not made known to men in other generations” (Eph. 3:4–5; cf. Rom. 16:25–26; Col. 1:26).
• Christ is ‘the head of the body’, and he exercises authority and rule over it by his Word and his Spirit. He is not only the head of the church but appoints officers to exercise authority in his name (Acts 14:23; Phil. 1:1; Eph. 4:11–12ff.; 1 Tim. 3:1–13). There is nothing that can be added to Jesus Christ to make him a ‘better’ or a ‘greater’ Savior: ‘in him all the fullness should dwell’. The Greek word translated here ‘fullness’ (pleroma) is one of the words which the ‘spoilers’ in Colosse used. Paul used it to remind the Colossians that there is nothing lacking in Christ because the fullness of deity, power and grace are his (2:9).
• He can save to the uttermost all who come to God by him, and it is out of his fullness that believers receive constant grace (Heb. 4:16; John 1:16).
Christ is Firstborn from the dead
• Vs. 18b. Christ is the Beginning (archē) and the Firstborn from among the dead (cf. Rev. 1:5). Christ was the first to rise in an immortal body (1 Cor. 15:20), and as such He heads a whole new order as its Sovereign (cf. “Firstborn” in Col. 1:15).
• Also, Christ’s resurrection marked His triumph over death (Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8). He was the “Firstfruits” of those who die (1 Cor. 15:20) since, unlike others, He rose never to die again.
o 1 Corinthians 15:20–21 (NASB95)
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
• He “was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4).
o So He continues to live “on the basis of the power of an indestructible life” (Heb. 7:16).
o All this is so that in everything He might have the supremacy.
Christ is given first place over all Creation.
He is preeminent. The same eternal Logos (John 1:1) who “became flesh” (John 1:14) and “humbled Himself” (Phil. 2:8) is now “exalted” by God the Father “to the highest place” and has been given “the name that is above every name” (Phil. 2:9).
Christ is the Fullness of God
• Vs. 19. “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,” All fullness is in Jesus. Therefore, the closer I am to Jesus, the fuller I will be as a child of God. Conversely, the further I pull away from Jesus, the emptier I’ll feel inside. All of creation centers around Jesus, is held together by Jesus, points to Jesus, and finds its fulfillment in Jesus.
o It’s all about Jesus.
Think about this…………………………..
o Some people compartmentalize their Christianity like a Swanson TV Dinner. They’ve got their recreation section, their relationship section, their financial section, their hobby section, and their Christian section. So, on Sunday they concentrate on church; Monday through Friday on money; evenings on relationships, and Saturday on sports and hobbies.
But ultimately, they find it frustrating and ineffective because God intended our lives to be not TV dinners, but chicken pot pies—all stirred together.
In other words, when we’re skiing, we’re to be praising God for the beauty around us. When we’re at work, we’re to be praying, “Lord, help me use this as an opportunity to witness.” When we’re with family, we should be looking for opportunities to serve. It’s all mixed together.
If you continue to “TV-Dinner” it, you’ll be depressed and discouraged. But it won’t be because God is punishing you. It will simply be the result of your failure to understand that Jesus holds all things together and that in Him all fullness dwells.
Christ is the Reconciler of all Things
• Vs. 1:20. “and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”
• Through Christ God will reconcile to Himself all things. The phrase “all things” is limited to good angels and redeemed people since only things on earth and things in heaven are mentioned. Things “under the earth” (Phil. 2:10) are not reconciled.
• Paul is purposely throwing the net of Christ’s sovereignty over the whole of created beings. Those “of heaven” refer to all heavenly beings, angels and demons; those of earth refer to all those who are living on earth at his Parousia (second coming), including those who are currently causing suffering in Philippi; and those “under the earth” probably refer to “the dead,” who also shall be raised to acknowledge his lordship overall.
• It is important to note that people are reconciled to God (“to Himself”) not that God is reconciled to people. For mankind has left God and needs to be brought back to Him. In 2 Corinthians 5:19 “reconciliation” was used by Paul in a judicial (vs. an actual) sense in which the whole “world” is made savable through Christ’s death. Paul spoke of “the many” (i.e., “those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace”) being “made righteous” through the Cross (Rom. 5:19).
• To make peace through His blood means to cause God’s enemies (Rom. 5:10; Col. 1:21) to become, by faith, His friends and His children (cf. Eph. 2:11–19).
Questions to soak on as you go your way:
‘You will never regret what you do for Christ or what you give to him’. Discuss.
What are the implications of denying the doctrine of substitutionary atonement?
The doctrine of substitutionary atonement, also known as vicarious atonement, is a central Christian belief that Jesus died to take on the sins of humanity:
According to the Scriptures, sin must be paid for. When Jesus Christ died, He suffered as a substitute in the place of and on behalf of fallen humanity. Christ's death made it possible for men and women to be declared righteous, based on their faith in Him
What is Christ’s relationship to God? (1:15)
What is Christ’s relationship to Creation? (1:15–17)
How do “all things … hold together” under Christ? (1:16–17)
What is Christ’s relationship to the church? (1:18)
Why was the resurrection of Jesus significant? (1:18)
How did Paul explain the deity of Christ? (1:19)
What did God achieve through the work of His Son? (1:20)
Why did Paul take the time to describe the qualities of Christ?
When Paul wrote that someday, “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow,” how should this impact all people today who have experienced new life through Christ.
Grace and peace as you go your way
The following are comments submitted 12-12-2024 by Dr. Ted A. Duck
Br John,
Ref Lesson 13. As always, a well-developed lesson and teaching on “Christ and the Fullness of God.”
Just a couple of thoughts I’ve had on “I in Christ” and “Christ in me.”
1. On page 1, in the Create Interest section you rightfully point out something Christians (me) sometimes fail to remember. We do live in two dimensions, however, frequently we fail to grasp the powerful effects of truly disciplining ourselves or discipling ourselves to the point that daily we experience the amazing presence and working of Christ.
When we do and are actively conscious of being in Christ, we must, I believe, do as Oswald Chambers states so profoundly in his book, “My Utmost for His Highest, and that is to “give our very best for His Glory.” You summarize that in your second point on page one, “That is why he will do any job with all his heart…..menial, unpleasant, painful………” And it’s at those points in life we need to have that discipline to and spiritual maturity to know He is with us and He will see us through the valley of crisis, death, life change, etc.
2. One of the things that I have found in preaching/pastoring in the other side of the coin, i.e., “Christ in us,” seems to be easier to relate to or grasp, when the purposes are explained for which God sent the Holy Spirit to live in us, His temple.
Paul says in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” When people are taught that Jesus is not just an external Savior who died on the Cross, then was resurrected to Heaven where He externally now sits. But that He lives is now living in us in all of His power and glory. As the Hymn says “Heaven (Christ) came down and glory filled my soul…” He is now actually and literally within me, therefore He has taken me into a union with Himself.
Charles G Trumbull in his little book/pamphlet “The Life That Wins” writes:
“To have Him, Jesus Christ, God the Son, as my own very life. It meant that I need never again ask Him to help me as though He were one and I another, but rather simply to do His work, His will in me and with me and through me.”
Christ said in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Since He has a plan for my life, His plan, not mine, I need to everyday tell Him, words to the effect, “Ok God, here are my hands, feet, voice, and heart, you lead me in Your plan for me for this day.”
Seems to always (usually?) give me the confidence and reminder that I am in His will and He is carrying out His plan for me, no matter how painful that plan may be. After all who wants to get to heaven without scars?!
Again, a really well written lesson that I pray everyone gets the chance to read and meditate as necessary.
Well done good and faithful servant. (Sorry for this long response, but after all I am a Baptist preacher.)
In Christ,
ted
Dr. Ted A. Duck
281-910-0468
Philippians 3:12-14.
