Praising Authority?
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Introduction
Introduction
I would like to begin this morning with a question.
Who here has created something?
Ask for examples
Do you feel like you have power to command what you created?
This feeling is one of authority.
You created whatever it may be, you have the power to command its behavior, thoughts, or opinions.
I know I am stretching things a little because what we create are not living beings but keep following with me for a moment.
You are the person in command over this creation.
Does this creation praise you for what you have done?
Does it praise you for the fact that you created it?
Now of course these objects of our creation can’t praise us but think with me for a moment to your own creation.
Each of us is a created being.
Do we praise our creator for His creation of us?
This is where I am directing our discussion this morning and I hope it lands heavily upon our hearts.
Paul and Timothy are writing for us here a hymn of praise because of what Jesus has done.
Our passage today is linked to the previous verse by a conjunction -
Linked to the previous verse with a conjunction - because/fore
We can praise Jesus because or for by Him all things were created.
Let me say that again ALL things were created
This is totality with a focus on individual components. Down to the smallest detail.
Because of this we know that Jesus has all authority.
We can then in turn praise Jesus because of His authority.
Last week we looked at verse 15 and how we can praise Jesus because of His status. Because He is the physical representation of God for us to see, He is God’s true template for humanity.
We saw how Him being given the title of firstborn, He carries out the work of bringing grace to all, carrying out the Fathers legacy and mission.
These are two reasons that Jesus has authority and we continue on to see more reasons today.
If you haven’t already, please turn in your Bible with me to . We will read verses 15-20 again today.
Pray
Authority in creation.
Authority in creation.
Who here likes authority?
Let me rephrase that a little because I know my mind went to sure I like to be in authority.
Who here likes to be under authority?
It would probably be easier for us to raise our hands for the the question who doesn’t like to be under authority.
Needless to say, this is exactly what is being praised here. Someone else’s authority.
Specifically Jesus authority.
Our passage first directs us to look at Jesus authority in creation.
By Him all things are created.
By Him all things are created.
There is an important translation difference that needs to be noted here.
The ESV reads “For by Him all things were created.
The word by here is being translated in the instrumental sense.
Jesus is the instrument by which all things were created.
While this is a good and true translation it raises some concerning ideas in our minds.
One issue is that in this instrumental sense it can almost lessen the importance of Christ to simply being the instrument in which God created all things.
Or on the opposite end of the spectrum
Colossians and Philemon: An Introduction and Commentary 4. Jesus and God
To say ‘by’, here and at the end of verse 16, could imply, not that Christ is the Father’s agent, but that he was alone responsible for creation.
We know that this is not true because as Jesus states in
I and the Father are one.”
There may be a better way to understand this though.
If we translate the verse
Later in the verse we see a repetition of the instrumental sense when the verse states that “all things were created through Him.”
This other preposition - dia - is the primary one that Paul uses when he wants to talk about Jesus in the instrumental sense.
I don’t think it is likely that Paul in the hymn here is repeating the idea of Jesus instrumentality but is providing us with a different thought.
The word used at the beginning of verse 16 is the preposition en.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: Colossians and Philemon 2. The Heart of the Gospel: The Supremacy of Christ in Creation and Redemption (1:15–20)
Paul uses the preposition en quite a lot in Colossians with Christ as its object; and most of them—perhaps even all of them—express the idea of sphere
This provides an argument for understanding the phrase in locative sense.
Jesus is the sphere, or location in which all things were created.
Jesus is the one in whom all things were created.
If we translate the verse literally word for word it states
“Because in Him He created”
By speaking in the locative (sounds like location) sense about creation Paul is making a general rather than specific point.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: Colossians and Philemon 2. The Heart of the Gospel: The Supremacy of Christ in Creation and Redemption (1:15–20)
He wants to make the very general point that all of God’s creative work took place “in terms of” or “in reference to” Christ.
This gives Jesus the authority in creation.
The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon The Image of the Invisible God, the Firstborn over All Creation (1:15–17)
Christ was “the location from whom all came into being and in whom all creation is contained.
So that is a bunch of technical talk to bring up the point, why should it matter to me?
It is important for a few good reasons.
It is important that we have a right view of Jesus.
I mentioned a couple of misguided thoughts a little earlier where Jesus was not placed equally with God the Father.
If we have a misguided view of Jesus, we won’t have a good relationship with him.
Who here has had a misunderstanding with a friend or family member. Now take that and multiply it to the creator of the universe!
If we have an incorrect view or idea of Jesus we can’t truly represent Him to others.
Who has ever bought something because what was displayed on the packaging made it seem like to most amazing thing in the world.
This makes me think of some of the as seen on tv stuff - buy this amazing spray sealer and you can fix your boat so it floats!
Of course we aren’t buying and selling Jesus but you get the picture.
We must truly know Jesus to best represent Him.
We must have the correct image in our minds of who Jesus is and and what He has accomplished.
We must praise the authority that He has because He is our Lord, our Savior, our Creator, our God.
Our reason for praise is given further description in the verse.
This idea is given further description in the verse.
“In heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities”
“In heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities”
This is mention of the things that were created in Jesus.
The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon The Image of the Invisible God, the Firstborn over All Creation (1:15–17)
The imposing list of powers visible and invisible created by Christ accents his all-encompassing role in creation—all things in heaven and earth. In the ancient world heaven was not perceived as some distant outpost that had no impact on human life on earth. Rather, invisible powers exerted their influences for good or ill
We see an example of the truth of this fact shown in Paul’s writing to the Ephesians in
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
But we can praise because all of these things are created in the sphere of Jesus.
He has power over all of them. Whether we can see them or not.
Jesus power is displayed all throughout the gospels.
Think of the time Jesus is awakened to calm the storm by the disciples. These were men who were accustomed to being on the water and yet they were scared to death.
Jesus has power over the wind and waves.
Think of all the demons that are mentioned having been cast out in the Gospels!
Colossians and Philemon: An Introduction and Commentary 4. Jesus and God
Wherever you look, or whatever realities you think of, you discover entities which, even if they do not acknowledge the fact, owe their very existence to Christ. They are his handiwork. Paul has here chosen to mention especially what we today call the power structures of the universe.
Paul is creating for us a structure here to understand the next phrases.
Paul uses here a poetic structure called a chiasm.
Heaven
Earth
Visible
Invisible
Based on this structure, Paul is focusing on the invisible realm of heaven.
Since he is directing our attention there, How then are we to understand heaven which was created in sphere of Jesus?
The New American Commentary: Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Jesus: Lord of Creation (1:15–17)
Some modern readers are prone to understand “heaven” as the term which describes the timeless future destination of believers. Others see it as an unending time, an eternal realm. Sometimes the term does refer to the state of eternal bliss, but neither explanation is correct in this context or in this epistle. Paul used the word for another dimension: the unseen but created reality
The New American Commentary: Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Jesus: Lord of Creation (1:15–17)
The immediate context sets heaven and earth apart from each other, but attributes their existence to the creative energies of Jesus. If heaven were understood as the place where God lives, it could hardly have been created by Jesus in the way Paul discussed it here.
Jesus authority in creation is pointing us somewhere.
I want to give you a hint as to where that is. It is the invisible realm. The spiritual realm.
The next portion of the verse is then again a further description of the spiritual realm.
English Standard Version Chapter 1
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities
The word for thrones carries the idea of powerful beings. It is a
name of a class of powerful beings, earthly or transcendent, the enthroned
Dominions -
a special class of angelic powers, bearers of the ruling power, dominions
Rulers are those that are
an authority figure who initiates activity or process
Authorities is referring to
William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 579.
powers of the spirit world
While we see the words on the page and can place some earthly examples to them. Paul is trying to get us past these things to things that we don’t understand.
Paul’s purpose is to show
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: Colossians and Philemon 2. The Heart of the Gospel: The Supremacy of Christ in Creation and Redemption (1:15–20)
Christ’s supremacy to these powers reminds the Colossians that they are utterly unable to rival Christ in any way.
Douglas J. Moo, The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2008), 123.
as Douglas Moo puts it.
This is ultimately pointing us to an understanding of Jesus kingdom.
Nothing, even those things that we cannot see, are independent of Jesus.
For all things were created through him and for him.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), Col 1:16.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .
Colossians and Philemon: An Introduction and Commentary 4. Jesus and God
Creation, called into existence for the sake of Christ, exists in the present in order to give him glory. Verse 16 thus moves the thought of the poem from the past (Christ as agent of creation) to the present (Christ as the one to whom the world owes allegiance) and to the future (Christ whose sovereignty will become universal).
All things created through Christ.
All things created through Christ.
This is the cosmic Christ.
The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Colossians & Philemon The New Creation (1:15–20)
“By linking the lordship of Christ to God’s creation of the entire cosmos, Paul’s is indicating through his claim that Christians have been remade into a new humanity, characterized by their holistic spirituality.”
Jesus is “Lord over both worlds; he is the “cosmic Christ.”
characterized by their holistic spirituality. Against his ascetic opponents at Colosse, who have rejected the material for the spiritual, Paul confesses Christ as Lord over both worlds; he is the “cosmic Christ.” Therefore, believers are to resist any teaching that divides their life into separate spheres, material and spiritual, which would also divide their loyalty to Christ. If Christ is Lord over all of God’s creation, then those in Christ have been reformed into a new creation and embody God’s reconciliation of all things (v. 20).
Christ as Lord over both worlds; he is the “cosmic Christ.” Therefore, believers are to resist any teaching that divides their life into separate spheres, material and spiritual, which would also divide their loyalty to Christ. If Christ is Lord over all of God’s creation, then those in Christ have been reformed into a new creation and embody God’s reconciliation of all things (v. 20).
Therefore, believers are to resist any teaching that divides their life into separate spheres, material and spiritual, which would also divide their loyalty to Christ.
If Christ is Lord over all of God’s creation, then those in Christ have been reformed into a new creation and embody God’s reconciliation of all things (v. 20).
The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Colossians & Philemon The New Creation (1:15–20)
The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Colossians & Philemon God’s Son Is Lord of Creation (1:15–18)
the destiny of the entire created order—both its spiritual and its physical realms—is linked to Christ’s destiny.
Wisdom teaches that every aspect of human life (including its religious, social, political, family and economic dimensions) is to make visible the Creator’s invisible intentions (see ). If God is true and good, so are the intentions for all that the Creator has made.
I know much of this is difficult to grasp.
For us, attempting to understand the true power that Jesus has in His authority is like trying to grasp for something in the dark, when you first wake up in the morning.
This hymn of praise is showing Jesus supremacy and His authority.
If Jesus is before all things,
if all things have their beginning through Him and their purpose for Him.
If
If in him all things hold together.
Is not the wise thing to do, to line up under the Lordship of Jesus to enter into God’s salvation?
We can praise Jesus in His authority because of His sovereignty.
Sovereignty is that God possesses all and is ruler of all.
This means that God is never helpless in any situation.
He has the whole world in his hands.
Turn with me to number 43 in our Hymnal lets sing it together.
We sing that song heartily, but do we really believe it in our hearts?
Sometimes in our faith we place all of the emphasis only on Christ’s work in redemption and think of salvation too individualistically—that it involves only me and my Lord.
nly Christ’s work in redemption and think of salvation too individualistically—that it involves only me and my Lord. Another hymn sung heartily contains the line, “You ask me how I know he lives? He lives within in my heart.” That may be true, but we cannot reduce Christ’s reign to the confines of our own little existence as our personal spiritual director. Stewart writes, “You cannot have Christ in the heart and keep him out of the universe.” God’s salvation is universal in scope. God began with all creation and will end with all creation. Christ reigns supreme over all; the whole universe is held in his loving hand.
Another hymn we sing heartily contains the line, “You ask me how I know he lives? He lives within in my heart.”
That may be true, but we cannot reduce Christ’s reign to the confines of our own little existence as our personal spiritual director.
James Stewart writes, “You cannot have Christ in the heart and keep him out of the universe.”
God’s salvation is universal in scope. God began with all creation and will end with all creation.
Christ reigns supreme over all; the whole universe is held in his loving hand.
Colossians and Philemon: An Introduction and Commentary 4. Jesus and God
Creation, called into existence for the sake of Christ, exists in the present in order to give him glory. Verse 16 thus moves the thought of the poem from the past (Christ as agent of creation) to the present (Christ as the one to whom the world owes allegiance) and to the future (Christ whose sovereignty will become universal).
The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon Contemporary Significance
If Christ is Lord over all creation, then Christ is also Lord over every aspect of human life. This includes our social world, our Christian community, and our physical environment. Our forgiveness by God is part of God’s purpose for the whole cosmos to reconcile all creation to himself. God does not restrict this reconciliation to one segment of creation—humans. The whole creation groans and longs for the revealing of the sons of God (Rom. 8:15–29), when the world will be brought back to its “divinely created and determined order.”
In my title for today’s message I have praising authority with a question mark.
How do we praise Jesus for something that seems to grate against use like nails on a chalkboard.
Praise him because of His nature.
Jesus authority is perfected in His love.
Unlike human authorities that we can see do not always make the right call, Jesus is not that way.
Paul prays in
English Standard Version Chapter 3
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
This knowledge is meant to give us awe and wonder. To give us a fearful reverence of God in His vast greatness.
But it is balanced with the love of Jesus.
The love that He had, to take our sins upon himself.
The love He had to continue His mission, build His church, and build His kingdom as we will see in our next section.
David E. Garland, Colossians and Philemon, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998), 110–111.
David E. Garland, Colossians and Philemon, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998), 110–111.
Jesus holds all things together.
Jesus holds all things together.
He has the whole world in his hands. Christians may sing the song “He Has the Whole World in His Hands” heartily, but they may not believe it in their hearts. That is because we are inclined to emphasize only Christ’s work in redemption and think of salvation too individualistically—that it involves only me and my Lord. Another hymn sung heartily contains the line, “You ask me how I know he lives? He lives within in my heart.” That may be true, but we cannot reduce Christ’s reign to the confines of our own little existence as our personal spiritual director. Stewart writes, “You cannot have Christ in the heart and keep him out of the universe.” God’s salvation is universal in scope. God began with all creation and will end with all creation. Christ reigns supreme over all; the whole universe is held in his loving hand.
David E. Garland, Colossians and Philemon, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998), 110–111.
Jesus is Head of the church.
Jesus is Head of the church.
Jesus the peacemaker.
Jesus the peacemaker.
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Reconciliation Bringing together of two parties that are estranged or in dispute. Jesus Christ is the one who brings together God and man, with salvation as the result of the union. Reconciliation basically means “change” or “exchange.” The idea is of a change of relationship, an exchange of antagonism for goodwill, enmity for friendship. Attitudes are transformed and hostility ceases.