Two Vital Eternal Questions
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INTRODUCTION:
The New American Commentary: Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (3) The Hymn to Christ (1:15–20)
In this century, scholars have concluded that vv. 15–20 contain a hymn to Christ.58 As such, it reflects the worship of the early church. The themes are far from abstract, removed, theological affirmations about Jesus. They are living, vibrant, essential elements that found a significant place in regular worship. The criteria for determining the presence of hymns includes lyrical style and linguistic abnormalities. The stylistic factors are mainly reflected in the “certain rhythmical lilt”of the passage.59 The linguistic features include unusual words, distinctive theological expressions, and any features which cause a break between the passage and its context.60 By these criteria, this passage must be considered an early hymn.
The New American Commentary: Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (3) The Hymn to Christ (1:15–20)
One section presents Christ’s relation to the created world. Paul answered basic questions about the origin and purposes of creation. The other section presents Jesus’ relationship to the redemption of what he created. Paul reminded the readers of the redemptive purposes of God in and through Christ.
The New American Commentary: Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Jesus: Lord of Creation (1:15–17)
The concepts of the hymn had an independent circulation. The theology certainly applied well to the new context, however, so that it readily answered the Colossian situation. Second, the hymn would reflect a high Christology held generally in the church. These ideas about the lordship of Christ were commonly accepted and understood.
Colossians 1:13-23
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,
14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.
22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.
I- WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
I- WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
A- God’s Dear Son (Colossians 1:13)
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,
1- The one-and-only, unique Son of God.
(John 3:16)
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
(τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ = This term is used only 5 times, when referencing Jesus, the emphasis is upon the eternal relationship of Christ with the Father. We can only rightly understand the term “the only begotten” when used of the Son, in the sense of unoriginated relationship. “The begetting is not an event of time, however remote, but a fact irrespective of time. The Christ did not become, but necessarily and eternally is the Son. He, a Person, possesses every attribute of pure Godhood. This necessitates eternity, absolute being; in this respect He is not ‘after’ the Father” (Moule). In 1 John 4:9 the statement “God hath sent His only begotten son into the world” does not mean that God sent out into the world one who at His birth in Bethlehem had become His Son. Cf. the parallel statement, “God sent forth the Spirit of His Son,” Gal. 4:6, rv, which could not mean that God sent forth One who became His Spirit when He sent Him.)
(John 1:14)
14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
(John 1:18)
18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
(John 3:18)
18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.
(1 John 4:9)
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.
(Note also Galatians 4:6)
6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”
B- The visible image of the Eternal God (Colossians 1:15)
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
(ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως,)
1- Jesus is the exact representation of the Father; the physical manifestation of the invisible God.
(2 Corinthians 4:4)
4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
(John 14:9)
9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?
2- Jesus is supreme over all creation.
*The term πρωτότοκος refers to position of rulership and importance, not to birth order.
(John 1:30)
30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’
a. John uses similar wording. (“He was before me,” lit., “He was first (protos) of me,” i.e., “in regard to me,” expressing all that is involved in His preexistence and priority.) Since John was 6 months older than Jesus, this does not refer to birth, but to the fact that Jesus is superior to him by virtue of who Christ is.
C- The Eternal Supreme Ruler of Creation (Colossians 1:16)
16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.
(ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα, εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι· τὰ πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται· )
1- Jesus Christ is the supreme ruler of everything seen and unseen.
2- He created all things and He owns all things.
3- All will one day bow before Him as King!
(Philippians 2:9-11)
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
D- The one who created everything for Himself (Colossians 1:16)
16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.
1- He created everything that has been created.
(John 1:1-3)
1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.
E- The Eternal One who sustains all of creation (Colossians 1:17)
17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
(καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν,)
1- Jesus existed before anything else (αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων).
There is only one who existed before anything else-God! (See Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1)
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2- Jesus is the agent who holds everything together (τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν).
F- The head of the church (Colossians 1:18)
18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.
(Ephesians 1:22-23)
22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
G- The supreme resurrected sovereign (Colossians 1:18)
18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.
(καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας· ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων, )
(Ephesians 1:21)
21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.
H- The fullness of God in human form (Colossians 1:19)
19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,
(ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ εὐδόκησεν πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα κατοικῆσαι ) = All of the fulness of God (character, attributes, nature) lived within the physical body of Jesus.
Jesus is God.
(John 1:1)
1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(1 Timothy 6:15)
15 For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
(Revelation 19:11-16)
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.
12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself.
13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God.
14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses.
15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.
16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
II- WHAT DID CHRIST ACCOMPLISH?
II- WHAT DID CHRIST ACCOMPLISH?
A- He rescued us from darkness, transferred us into His kingdom (Colossians 1:13).
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,
(ὃς ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σκότους καὶ μετέστησεν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ,)
(Galatians 1:4)
4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.
(1 Thessalonians 1:10)
10 And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.
B- He purchased our freedom and forgave our sins (Colossians 1:14).
(ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν)
(Ephesians 1:7)
7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
(Revelation 1:5)
5 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us.
C- He made peace for us through His death on the cross (Colossians 1:20)
20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
(καὶ διʼ αὐτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ πάντα εἰς αὐτόν, εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ, [διʼ αὐτοῦ] εἴτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἴτε τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· )
(Romans 5:10)
10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
D- He has bridged the distance between the Holy God and sinful men. (Colossians 1:21-22).
21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.
22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
(Ephesians 2:11-18)
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.
12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.
13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.
15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.
16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near.
18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
E- He has changed our status before God (Colossians 1:21-22).
21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.
22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
(ἀπηλλοτριωμένους= to reestablish proper friendly interpersonal relations after these have been disrupted or broken )
(ἐχθροὺς= being an enemy, in opposition to.)
(τῇ διανοίᾳ (thoughts) ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις (actions, works) τοῖς πονηροῖς (morally corrupt and evil—‘immoral, evil, wicked.)
(ὑμᾶς ἁγίους (holy) καὶ ἀμώμους (blameless, without fault) καὶ ἀνεγκλήτους (without a single fault) κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ= in His sight)
(Galatians 4:4-7)
4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.
5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”
7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
(Romans 5:6-11)
6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.
8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.
10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
CONCLUSION:
A- As believers, we must hold onto the truth in order that we might not “drift from our assurance.”
(Colossians 1:23)
23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.
B- Illustration:
Video: Casting Crowns – “Wedding Day”