Part 2 of The Preeminince of Christ

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)