“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him.” ~Colossians 1:15-16 (NRSV).
This passage above, along with the four subsequent verses, is one of the most eloquent pieces of Scripture that God breathed through the Apostle Paul about the Lord Jesus Christ—God, the Son.
The Image Of The Invisible God – The Firstborn Of All Creation
As we are made in the image of God, so Christ is the very image of God. The distinction is made; this is not about his physical appearance: Jesus, the man.
The characteristics of the Lord characterised the personality of Jesus. These traits of the Son of Humanity were, unlike his physical presence, hence invisible. Yet, they can be observed in the mind’s eye as we read the gospels. Notwithstanding, the Son is himself God—the precise representation and manifestation, eternally.
Being “the firstborn of all creation” is an interesting concept for God.
This has nothing to do with the Son being a ‘creation’, for God cannot be. But being created in the image of God, humankind has taken its image from the Godhead, three-in-one. It is true, also, that the Father and the Holy Spirit share equality in Deity regarding the creative process. The Son is pre-existent to creation, pricelessly unique in comparison to it, and unquestionably superior over it.
In Him, All Things Were Created
Now to the exaltation of Jesus, the Christ, in the inspired words of Paul:
Both the instrument and goal of creation, the Son encapsulates the totality of the creative work of God—the heavens which are invisible and spiritual, and the earth which is visible and material—all these in him, through him, and for him.
An astounding fact is this: the Son brought, with effect, all this into being; even thrones, dominions, rulers, and powers. These refer to angelic creatures, usually of darkness. These dark angels have no power apart from Christ; they exist because of the agency of God. We may ask why. We may know some day, after the fact of days.
The point is, nothing within the breadth, width, height, and depth of creation is apart from the Son. And despite their existence, evil angels cannot separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:35-39). Additionally, the good angels cannot add anything to creation that God has not already designed into creation.
The supremacy of Christ is all these things and more. In part two we will explore Colossians 1:17-20, which completes the passage we have initiated the discussion about here.
© 2011 S. J. Wickham.
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