The Person of  Christ--Colossians 1:15-18

     In Mark 4:41 after the stilling of  the storm Mark recorded these words:  "And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, 'What manner of  man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'"
     As one approach Colossians 1:15-18, there should be the same awe and wonder.  Yes, indeed, as the patriarchs of  old remove their shoes, people should, so to speak, remove their shoes, for they are entering holy ground in contemplating "The Person of  Christ."
     In this portion of  Colossians, concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, the apostle set forth His:

I. LIKENESS TO GOD--v. 15
     A. As the Manifestation of  God--v. 15a
          1. The word who
               a. This refers to the word Son in verse 13.
               b. It shows that the Lord Jesus Christ is the One of  Who is being spoken.
          2. The word image
               a. Shows forth His deity
               b. Involves the idea of
                    (I) Representation--He represents God to man, for He is God.
                    (II) Manifestation--He reveals God to us.
               c. Hebrews 1:3a
               d. Set forth by the phrase the invisible God
                    (I) "A visible God can alone be the image of  God, possessing all the elements and attributes of  His nature.
                         The Divine can be fully pictured in the Divine.  The universe mirrors the glory of  God, but does not
                         circumscribe it.  His 'invisible things' assume a palpable form and aspect in the objects and laws of
                         creation.  Man is made in the image of  God--in his headship over the earth around him, he is 'the image
                         and glory of  God'--but he was only a faint and fractional miniature, first and best estate, and now it is
                         sadly dimmed and effaced.  But Christ is the image of  God--not(skia)--a shadowy or evanescent
                         sketch which cannot be caught or copied, but(eikon), a real and perfect likeness--no feature
                         absent, none misplaced, and none impaired in fullness or dimmed in lustre.  The very counterpart of  God
                         He is." (Eadie, 44)
                    (II) John 14:8, 9
          3. The word to be
               a. Present tense
               b. Implies His eternity
     B. The Firstborn of  All Creation--v. 15b
          1. Another rendering--"the first-born of  every creature."
          2. The word firstborn
               a. The error of  Jehovah's Witnesses
                    (I) Not confined to them alone
                    (II) Tried to make it mean the first-created being
                    (III) Thus, something less than God
               b. The error fought by Paul
                    (I) It is this error that Paul was fighting.
                    (II) It was a part of  the heresy known as "Gnosticism."
                    (III) The error of  the Jehovah's Witnesses is not new; it plagued the early church.
               c. The error refuted
                    (I) Inconsistent with the context
                         (A) The usual tactics of  those who oppose truth
                         (B) Immediate--vv. 16, 17
                         (C) Further--2:9
                    (II) Inconsistent with the New Testament as a whole
                         (A) John 1:3
                         (B) John 3:16--uniquely begotten
                         (C) Hebrews 1:2, 3
                    (III) The word  firstborn itself
                         (A) Can be either first in time or first in rank
                         (B) If  the Apostle meant what the heretics say, he would have used a perfectly good Greek word which
                              means first-created; this term is never used of  Jesus Christ.
                    (IV) Thus, we may conclude that Paul had in mind sovereignty, particularly in view of  verse 18.
               d. The question raised
                    (I) Why did Paul choose this word?
                    (II) Mostly speculation
                    (III) Probably, as one commentator suggests, it was because the term was a main one used by the heretics
                         of  his day, and he takes it and applies it to Jesus Christ to Whom it rightly belongs.
                    (IV) In actuality God the Holy Spirit chose this word.

II. LORD OF  CREATION--v. 16, 17
     A. He Is the Creator--v. 16.
          1. He is the Architect of  the universe.
               a. The word  for introduces the reason why Paul says Christ is sovereign.
               b. The first occurrence of the word by
                    (I) The same word as in found in the phrases in heaven and in earth
                    (II) Thus rendered, "In Him all things were created."
                    (III) So rendered it suggests that Jesus planned creation.
               c. The verb created
                    (I) Carries the idea of  founding or establishing and perfect work
                    (II) In the aorist tense--"The aorist characterizes creation as a past and perfect work.  Creation is here in the
                         fullest and most unqualified sense ascribed to Christ, and the doctrine is in perfect harmony with the
                         theology of  the beloved disciple" as set forth in John 1:3. (Eadie, 52)
               d. What is included
                    (I) The things of  heaven
                         (A) Stars
                         (B) Sun
                         (C) Moon
                         (D) planets
                    (II) The things of  earth
                         (A) All living creatures
                         (B) The rocks and riles
                         (C) The hills and valleys
                    (III) The visible and invisible
                         (A) The visible--that which the eye can see
                         (B) The invisible
                              (1) Literally, "the not-visible"
                              (2) That which the eye can not see
                    (IV) Thrones, etc.--seems to refer to celestial orders of  created beings
                    (V) "As no atom is too minute, so no creature is too gigantic for His plastic [formative] hand." (op. cit., 55)
          2. He is the Builder of  the universe.
               a. All things were created "by Him."
               b. The preposition rendered by
                    (I) Different from that which was in the first part of  the verse
                    (II) Here it is properly by.
                    (III) Thus suggests that Jesus acted as Builder
               c. In accordance with other Scripture where this preposition is used
                    (I) John 1:3
                    (II) Hebrews 1:2
          3. He is the Owner of  the universe.
               a. All things were created "for Him."
               b. He alone is the rightful ruler of  the universe.
               c. "The phrase 'for Him' seems to mean for Him in every aspect of  His Being, and every purpose of  His
                    Heart." (op. cit, 56)
               d. He is the End as well as the Beginning.
               e. Thus, in every sense He is Sovereign.
     B. He Is the Sustainer--v. 17
          1. His pre-existence--v. 17a
               a. Shows He is creation's Lord
               b. The verb to be
                    (I) Present tense
                    (II) Speaks of  His absolute existence
                    (III) He was would have been enough to state simple pre-existence.
               c. "His is unchanging being.  Simply says, 'He is.'" (op. cit., 58)
               d. Answers forever those heretics--ancient or modern--who make Him a mere creature.
          2. His sustaining--v. 17b
               a. The verb literally means to stand together.
               b. The maintenance of  the universe is here in view; for Paul uses the perfect tense which signifies a past action,
                    the effects of  which continue into the present.
               c. Hebrews 1:3
               d. Science wonders what holds things together; Jesus Christ does.
               e. Your very body is held together by Jesus Christ--our physical death can't take place until He releases it.

III. LEADER OF  THE CHURCH--v. 18
     A. The Statement of  Headship--"And He . . . the church."
          1. The meaning of  terms
               a. Again, it is stated, "He is."
               b. The word the church
                    (I) In apposition to the words the body
                    (II) Thus, the body, that is the group of  believers, is the church.
                    (III) Set forth in Ephesians
                         (A) 1:22, 23
                         (B) 4:15, 16
                         (C) 5:23, 24, 29-32
               c. Perhaps the heretics were critical of  the doctrine of  Christ's headship over the church, and thus, Paul
                    states it here.
          2. The use of  the word head suggests
               a. Supremacy--the head is the supreme part of  the body.
               b. Origination--the head originates all action.
               c. Control--the head controls all actions while in process.
               d. Identification
                    (I) The body is identified by its head.
                    (II) A headless body is not easily identified.
          3. The relationship to His body
               a. His body is the Church.
               b. He has all the relationship suggested by a head.
                    (I) He is the final authority in the Church (not the Pope or any human leader).
                    (II) He is the Originator of  all action in the Church.
                    (III) He is the Controller of  all action in the Church.
                    (IV) He is identified with the Church and inseparable from it.
          4. This is true of  the church universal.
               a. It should be true of  a local church.
               b. Is it here at your church?
     B. The Basis of  Headship--"Who is . . . from the dead."
          1. The Source of  the new creation
               a. Jesus Christ is the source of  all spiritual life--1 John 5:11, 12
               b. "The pardon of  guilt comes directly from Him; and His death provides for the sanctification of  the heart; his
                    Spirit the agent, and His word the instrument.  Every grace may be traced to Him, and it bears the heart
                    away to Him as the source of  saving influence. He has originated salvation, and He gives it." (Eadie, 65)
               c. 1:22a
          2. The Supreme in the new creation
               a. Firstborn--same word in the Greek as in verse 15
               b. Thus as Jesus Christ was first in rank as to the original creation, He is also first in rank as to the new
                    creation.
               c. He is the down payment or guarantee of  our resurrection.
                    (I) 1 Corinthians 1:20, 23
                    (II) 2 Corinthians 4:14
               d. "From Him the dead will get deliverance, for He rose in their name, and came--(ek)--out from among
                    them as their representative.  In this character He destroyed 'him that had the power of  death.'  Not only
                    when He was 'cut off, but not for Himself, did He 'finish transgression, and made an end of  sin,' but He
                    'abolished death.'  Nay, He has the keys of  death and Hades.  His people rise in virtue of  His power." (op.
                    cit., 66)
     C. The Reason for Headship
          1. Oh, that we might grasp this great truth that He and He alone is to have all the honor, praise, and glory for
               everything!
          2. Scriptures
               a. John 3:30
               b. Philippians 2:9-11
               c. Cf. Revelation 4:11
               d. Cf. Revelation 5:12
          3. Pre-eminence seen as a consequence of  Paul's description of  Him
               a. Pre-eminent as the image of  the invisible God
               b. Pre-eminent as Creator of  the universe
               c. Preeminent as the source of  all spiritual blessing in His position as Head of  the Church
          5. This idea of  pre-eminence is carried through to the next verse.

     O believer in Jesus Christ, look up and behold His Person!  See His likeness to God, for He manifests and is God. Observe His Lordship of  creation, for He is both its Creator and its Sustainer.  Declare Him as Leader of  the Church-- His body, for He has redeemed it and guarantees it.
     Is He Lord of all in your life?