Colossians 1.15-Paul Declares Jesus Christ is the Image of the Invisible God Who Existed Before All Creation
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday April 19, 2015
Colossians: Colossians 1:15-Paul Declares Jesus Christ is the Image of the Invisible God Who Existed Before All Creation
Lesson # 20
Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (NASB95)
In Colossians 1:15, the apostle Paul is employing the figure of asyndeton in order to mark a transition from his comments in Colossians 1:14 regarding the benefits of the Colossians’ union with the Father’s Son, Jesus Christ to a hymn dedicated to the Son, Jesus Christ which is recorded in Colossians 1:15-20.
“He” is the relative pronoun hos (ὅς), which means “who” and refers to the Son, Jesus Christ since it agrees in gender (masculine) and number (singular) with its antecedent, which is the masculine singular form of the relative pronoun hos (ὅς), “whom” which appears in Colossians 1:14.
This relative pronoun hos in Colossians 1:14 agrees in gender (masculine) and number (singular) with its antecedent which is the articular genitive masculine singular form of the noun huios (υἱός), “the Son,” which appears at the very end of Colossians 1:13.
In Colossians 1:15, the relative pronoun hos is translated “He” for the sake of the English and because Colossians 1:15-20 appears to be a hymn.
Translating the word “He” in Colossians 1:15-20 helps to identify for the reader that these verses are distinguished from the previous verses and the ones to follow it or in other words, it helps to mark this section as a hymn.
“Is” is the verb eimi (εἰμί), which means “to exist a particular state or condition,” which is identified by the eikōn (εἰκών), “the image.”
This indicates that the Son, Jesus Christ exists in the state or condition of being the image of God the Father.
The present tense of the verb eimi is a gnomic present, which is used for a general timeless fact or spiritual axiom, or an eternal spiritual truth which indicates the Son “as an eternal spiritual truth” exists in the state or condition of being the image of God.
The present tense is also a customary present tense or stative present used to signal an ongoing state indicating that the Son exists in the ongoing state of being the image of God.
“The image” is the noun eikōn (εἰκών), which is describing Jesus Christ as “the image” of God in the sense that He is reflects the same exact character of the Father.
The word means that Jesus Christ has the same divine attributes as the Father and expresses the fact that the Son shares the same divine nature as the Father so that He perfectly reflects through His words and actions the Father’s character and nature.
So the noun eikōn indicates that Jesus Christ is God incarnate or in other words, He perfectly manifests God.
“The invisible God” is composed of the following: (1) noun theos (θεός), “of God” (2) adjective aoratos (ἀόρατος), “invisible.”
The noun theos refers to the Father which is indicated by the word’s articular construction which in the New Testament commonly signifies the first member of the Trinity unless otherwise indicated by the context.
The articular construction is also monadic which is indicated by the fact that the word has a genitive adjunct which is the articular genitive form of the adjective aoratos (ἀόρατος), “invisible.”
The monadic article indicates the uniqueness of God the Father’s personhood and indicates that the Father is in a class by Himself.
The noun theos functions as a possessive genitive meaning it possesses the thing to which it stands related, which is the noun eikōn.
Therefore, this genitive indicates that this image belongs to the Father or in other words, it is His image that Paul is ascribing to Jesus Christ.
The noun theos is modified by the adjective aoratos, which means “invisible” and is modifying the articular form of the noun theos which is a reference to God the Father.
Though the Father cannot be seen by His creatures, the Son has revealed Him in the sense that He revealed the divine attributes and character of the Father as a human being (John 1:1-3; 1:18; cf. 1 John 4:12; 1 Timothy 6:11-16).
“The firstborn of all creation” is composed of the following: (1) adjective prōtotokos (πρωτότοκος), “the firstborn” (2) adjective pas (πᾶς), “all” (3) noun ktisis (κτίσις), “creation.”
The word prōtotokos means “existing before, preexisting” since it pertains to existing prior to something.
Here it is used of creation thus it marks Jesus Christ out as existing prior to His creation.
Therefore, it is referring to the preexistence of Jesus Christ and is used by Paul in Colossians 1:15 with respect to Christ’s “preeminence” over creation since He existed before creation and is the Creator.
The noun ktisis refers to that which has been created by God out of non-existing material as well as existing material He has created.
This includes the orderly arrangement of the heavens and the earth and all things in their complex order and composition as created by God, created in perfect order and subject to the laws God established to govern its operation (Matt. 13:35; John 21:25; Acts 17:24).
The noun ktisis refers to the totality of animate and inanimate objects that are contained in the first, second and third heavens and the earth: (1) Stars, satellites, and planets that compose the stellar universe. (2) Earth’s sun and moon. (3) Vegetation on the earth (4) Marine life (5) Bird life (6) Terrestrial life.
This noun is modified by the adjective pas which means “all” and is emphasizing the totality of creation.
It emphasizes that there are no exceptions, there is no animate or inanimate object in creation which Jesus Christ is not superior to or did not create.
Colossians 1:15 Who, as an eternal spiritual truth exists in the state of being the invisible God’s image, existing before all creation. (My translation)
When the apostle Paul presents this hymn in Colossians 1:15-20, he has in mind the false teachers in Colossae.
The fact that he emphasizes the supremacy of Christ indicates that the false teachers did not have a high Christology.
They appear to have simply viewed Christ as a beginning.
Paul’s emphasis upon the fact that Christ is God and the Creator indicates that the false teachers in Colossae did not adhere to the apostolic teaching of Christ.
This author also believes strongly that the nature of the false teaching in Colossae was Jewish.
In fact, it appears that Paul was dealing with the Essene branch of Judaism with a tinge of an incipient form of Gnosticism that was found in Essene Judaism.
The hymn contained in Colossians 1:15-20 begins with the apostle Paul describing Jesus Christ’s relationship to God.
He then follows this up with a description of our Lord’s relationship to creation.
“Who, as an eternal spiritual truth exists in the state of being the invisible God’s image” indicates that Jesus Christ reflects the same exact character as the Father.
In other words, it means that Jesus Christ has the same divine attributes as the Father.
This statement expresses the fact that He shares the same divine nature as the Father so that He perfectly reflects through His words and actions the Father’s character and nature.
Jesus Christ is God incarnate or in other words, He perfectly manifests God.
Therefore, this statement means that Jesus Christ is the exact likeness of God or the mirror image of God (cf. Hebrews 1:3).
It also means that He is the perfect representation of God (cf. John 1:18).
Lastly, it means that He manifests God perfectly.
Adam was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) while Jesus Christ “is” the image of God.
Paul statements about our Lord in Colossians 1:15 are echoed in other places of Scripture (John 1:18; 14:7-9; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Hebrews 1:1).
“Existing before all creation” makes clear that Jesus Christ existed prior to His creation.
Therefore, it is referring to the preexistence of Jesus Christ.
This statement speaks of Jesus Christ’s preeminence over creation since He existed before creation and implying that He is the Creator.
The apostle Paul develops this thought in greater detail in Colossians 1:16.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. (NASB95)
So we can see that the very first line of this hymn ascribes deity to Jesus Christ and that He preexisted creation implying that He is the Creator.
This first line expresses the fact that Jesus Christ existed before creation which is another ascription of deity to Him since it implies that He preexisted the time, matter, space continuum.
Consequently, this first line implies that Jesus Christ is sovereign over creation.