Colossians 1:17-18 17He is before all things, and all things in him hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself will come to have first place in everything. 

These verses emphasize the preeminence of Christ. All things is exhaustive of all creation. Nothing is left out. This stresses Christ’s sovereignty as King of kings and Lord of lords. To make this confession with genuine faith requires that a person come in humble submission and worship. This also gives assurance that Christianity is the one true religion. All others will struggle to understand truth from a human perspective, which often ends up with idolatry of some form.

The all things is repeated to show the power of Christ to bring existence together. The verb hold together (synestēken) or unite is in the perfect tense to show that once creation was spoken into existence, it has been sustained by the divine Word. Without Christ, creation would cease to exist. This idea also implies that creation finds its purpose in relation to Christ. The universe is not a product of godless evolution or chance. It has been designed and sustained with a purpose that is best seen in its relationship to Christ. This has profound implications for believers. We should see ourselves not as small insignificant objects in creation but as participants in the very purpose for why all things exist.

The next description connects directly to the Colossians as a church. Paul uses the image of Christ as the head of the church and the church as his body in Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; 5:23. The church as the body of Christ is developed further in 1 Corinthians 12. As the head, Christ has full authority. He is also the one who should be consulted for all matters of direction and decision. We must begin to think like Christ and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit who will reveal the mind of Christ to us. As his body, we are dependent upon him and are his hands and feet to take his message of hope to the world.

Christ is also the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. This may also clarify the “firstborn” of verse 15, but adds an important description in connection to his resurrection. As the beginning (archē), he sets all things in motion. This word was a favorite among Gnostics for the emanations from God, so it is possible that Paul is correcting any incipient and growing Gnosticism in Colossae. Gnosticism would be much more developed later in the second century but the ingredients for it were present during Paul’s ministry. Gnosticism was a combination of Platonism, Judaism, and Christianity. People were confused about who Jesus is. Paul wrote to correct these wrong ideas. As the firstborn of the resurrected, Christ guarantees the hope of resurrection for all who put their faith in him (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23). Because he rose victorious over sin and death, we too may have hope for eternal life.

 The last clause of verse 18 expresses the result of Christ’s preeminence, in particular, the power of his resurrection from the dead. We cannot overstate the significance of Christ’s resurrection for our faith. As Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, this is the fundamental confession of Christianity. Without it, every other doctrine fails and becomes only morality. Christ’s resurrection shows that he deserves the first place in everything. The exalted and resurrected Christ is the central object of our devotion, study, and commitment. With these verses, Paul sets the Colossians on the right path to deal with any challenges they were facing. When Christ is given first place, and we have a correct understanding of the truth of Christ, then the rest of life will fall into proper perspective and place.

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