Colossians 1:15-17
How are we to deal with trouble facing the church? We can learn from what was happening at Colossae, a town in the south-west of what is now Turkey. As you read through this letter you will note that the apostle Paul gives a warning in 2:8 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Our world is always full of ideas and attempts to explain everything without the God of the Bible. We are being encouraged to compromise a little, to put love and compassion first and stop putting people off from church with the old-fashioned ideas which we have. Jesus used to be respected by many as a good teacher, today he is largely ignored, by some derided as an evil idea. Now have a look at Col 2:16 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days." There were teachers who said the gospel of Christ is good, but you need to also observe these rituals to please God. These were things which were v17 "a shadow of things to come, but the body is Christ." They were things which Christ fulfilled. They had pointed to the coming Messiah but were now no longer necessary. Then 2:18 speaks of the “worshipping of angels.” Some added to Christ the need for a special relationship with angels. That may all sound a bit foreign to us today, however, there is a real movement of people in churches in Britain seeking to escape from the compromises of major denominations and they are turning to rituals, to robes and vestments, to rosaries and candles. Some of them appear, at least to me, to have the gospel plus extra traditions of men.
How did the apostle deal with this? Before he turned to the potential problems he laid out the solid foundation upon which our faith is built. That is why we have one of the greatest portions on the person of Christ in the apostles writings here in Col 1:15-20. The ‘who’ of v15 is the dear son of v13, clearly identified as the Lord Jesus Christ in v3. This passage deals with Christ in respect of God, v15, of creation v16-17 and the church v18.
1. Christ is the image of the invisible God. Jn 4:24 God is spirit. God is not part of his creation, but the eternal son Phil 2:7 "took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." He entered into his creation and has thereby given us this revelation of God. In his eternal divinity he became incarnate. In Jesus Christ we see the image of God, God is revealed to us, God is made manifest to us. If you want to learn what God is like come and see Jesus. He is, Heb 1:3 "the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of his person." In Jn 12:41 we read that Isaiah saw the glory of Christ, it was his pre-incarnate glory, you can read of that in Isa 6. Jesus spoke of this in his prayer to his Father, when he referred to Jn17:5 “the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” Jesus was not made into the image of God, it was not given to him. It is his intrinsically for he is the eternal son, Phil 2:6 [Jesus Christ] “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:” In speaking to the Pharisees Jesus said Jn 8:58 "before Abraham was I am." During his life and ministry Jesus carried out many miracles. As Peter declared on the day of Pentecost, he was Acts 2:22 "a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you." Even when the soldiers were sent to arrest him in the garden of Gethsemane what happened? As soon as Jesus declared who he was they Jn 18:6 "went backward, and fell to the ground." Jesus could not have been arrested except that he had humbly submitted to them which he did because it was in the plan and purpose of God. Although Pilate knew him to be innocent he was dismissive of Jesus, saying "what is truth." Then he handed him over to be crucified. However, one of the thieves who was crucified alongside recognised who Jesus is. He saw his sinlessness and acknowledged his lordship. After confessing his own sin he asked Jesus to remember him when he came in his kingdom. What a gracious response he was given, "this day Wilt thou be with me in Paradise."
2. Jesus Christ is the firstborn of every creature. This does not say he was the first created of the creatures. That is a vital distinction. Nor is it speaking of his birth in Bethlehem. This is a reference to his being, as John says Jn 1: "the only begotten of the father." He is the son of eternal generation, the unique son. He is of one essence with the Father. He is not a son of adoption, he is the heir of all things. Jesus had been very clear Jn 14:9 "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father." He has the pre-eminence. This phrase is sadly abused by many and misunderstood. Some have taken the words to mean that the firstborn is also a creature, just the most privileged. However, look carefully at the context. Don't just take these words on their own. The firstborn is the one of whom we read verse 16 "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." That is a list that includes all things which were created. It could not be clearer. Those who add the word other, so that it reads "for by him all other things were created" are being very deceitful, they have plucked it out of thin air. Paul has been very careful and clear to highlight the firstborn in contrast to and above all creation.
As we consider this it is important to remember that we are talking about the eternal son, the second person of the triune God, who took upon him the form of a servant, was made in the likeness of man, he took humanity to his divinity, truly God and truly man. He is the God-man. The first man, Adam, was created, he lived in Paradise, he was given Dominion over this earth, but the tempter came and offered him something extra, knowledge which he said God was withholding from him. Ye shall be as gods was as promise, but, it was a lie. The first man Adam brought sin and death upon us all, for he is our federal head. In Adam all die. The Lord Jesus Christ is 1 Cor 15:45 the last Adam, he is God incarnate. Fully man he took of the battle which Adam lost and he won the victory. In Adam we have death, but in Christ we have life. Rm 5:19 “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
3. Christ created all things. The truth of creation by God is foundational to all that is in Scripture. We know from what we can see around us that God is eternal and all-powerful. Rm 1:20 “the invisible things of [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” The hyposises that this irreducibly complex universe, containing many interdependent complex systems, from the design of your eye to the interdependence of fungi and plants for the release of nutrients in the soil, that this could all have been brought about by random chance is a hypothesis which requires more than faith. The idea is only viable because the natural man is desperate to suppress the truth that we are each answerable to our creator, that he holds you accountable for your thoughts, words and actions. The moment you make man's ideas about the origin of the universe the foundation of life, then we are answerable to no one. It all becomes survival of the fittest with no good purpose in view.
But, God has revealed himself to us, Col 1:16 "for by him were all things created… All things, were created by him and for him." As John says Jn 1:3 “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” The triune God made heaven and earth. He who took flesh and lived as a man, the God-man, is the creator of all. God entered into his creation. He is sovereign Lord over it all. This explains the natural laws which we find all around us and the fact that Jesus was able to work outside those laws with the miracles. Creation itself is a miracle, for everything was brought in to existence from nothing when God's will was expressed. Man was formed from the dust of the earth and life was breathed into him. Jesus was very clear that the first man and woman, Matt 19:4-5 “he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?” Every breath you have is of the grace of God, v17 "by him all things consist." All things continue because it is the will of Christ. Notice at the end of verse 16 "all things were created by him, and for him." Creation exists for the purposes of God, it exists for the glory of Christ. He is the sovereign king. So it is that we read Rm 8:28 "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." He is working out his purpose. Even the actions of evil people are used to bring glory to Christ. As Joseph said to his brothers, Gen 50:20 “ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” We see this at the cross where Jesus submitted himself in humiliation onto death but then he rose in triumph from the tomb. His suffering and death at the hands of wicked men was his victory when Satan was defeated. Col 1:14 “we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” The day is coming when Phil 2:10-11 “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” It has to be said, that if you do not bow in faith repentance and faith, you will have to bow before the judge of all glory. If you will not see yourself as a helpless sinner in need of the blood of Christ to redeem you from sin, to translate you from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, then you will get what you want. You will be separated from the love and grace of God for ever. That is a very solemn thought but praise the Lord, today is the day of salvation. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
