The following study of
Colossians 1:15-16 was originally part of my March letter. It was on the
hard copies mailed but
not apparently on my emailed version. So Here is the brief study you missed:
1:15:
"He is the image of the invisible God" image (eikon) means all
three of these concepts together
- similarity,
representation and manifestation. In other word Christ is the same nature &
essence as the
Father, is the physical
representation of the Father and physical manifestation of the Father. He is
then
one of the same kind, as
the Father, the visible revelation of the invisible God. (John 1:14, 18;
14:7,9).
"the firstborn
over all creation" Firstborn can mean priority in time, first in a
sequence or supremacy
in rank. The context
determines which meaning is being used. It is used in Luke 2:7 regarding
Christ's
birth by the Holy Spirit
and Mary as the first in a sequence. The context rules that meaning out in
Colossians. It cannot
merely mean the first of a series because of the preceding phrase showing Him
to be of the same
essence as the Father. It is illegitimate to pry this phrase out of its in-context to claim
that Jesus was the first
created being as the cults do. "first born over all creation" also
indicates this
cannot be referring to
his incarnation. Here it refers to His preeminence, priority or significance. A
similar usage is in
Psalm 89:27 where God says of David "I will appoint him my firstborn, the
most
exalted of the kings of
the earth." David was not the first king even of Israel
but he was the most
prominent and
significant in terms of God's purposes. It is used in that same sense here of
Christ.
The phrase is saying
Christ existed prior to all of creation, and is supreme over all that has been
created for He created
it. "For by Him all things were created in the heavens and on earth..."
the
T the verse continues that nothing is excluded,
no exceptions in any realm. He is the Creator God (Jn 1:1-3)
