Exalt His Name; Live His Purpose 3
Col 1:15 o{" ejstin eijkw;n tou' qeou' tou' ajoravtou, prwtovtoko" pavsh" ktivsew",
Col 1:16 o{ti ejn aujtw'/ ejktivsqh ta; pavnta ejn toi'" oujranoi'" kai; ejpi; th'" gh'", ta; oJrata; kai; ta; ajovrata, ei[te qrovnoi ei[te kuriovthte" ei[te ajrcai; ei[te ejxousivai: ta; pavnta di j aujtou' kai; eij" aujto;n e[ktistai:
Col 1:17 kai; aujtov" ejstin pro; pavntwn kai; ta; pavnta ejn aujtw'/ sunevsthken,
Col 1:18 kai; aujtov" ejstin hJ kefalh; tou' swvmato" th'" ejkklhsiva": o{" ejstin ajrchv, prwtovtoko" ejk tw'n nekrw'n, i{na gevnhtai ejn pa'sin aujto;" prwteuvwn,
Col 1:19 o{ti ejn aujtw'/ eujdovkhsen pa'n to; plhvrwma katoikh'sai
Col 1:20 kai; di j aujtou' ajpokatallavxai ta; pavnta eij" aujtovn, eijrhnopoihvsa" dia; tou' ai{mato" tou' staurou' aujtou', ªdi j aujtou'º ei[te ta; ejpi; th'" gh'" ei[te ta; ejn toi'" oujranoi'".
Col 1:21 Kai; uJma'" pote o[nta" ajphllotriwmevnou" kai; ejcqrou;" th'/ dianoiva/ ejn toi'" e[rgoi" toi'" ponhroi'",
Col 1:22 nuni; de; ajpokathvllaxen ejn tw'/ swvmati th'" sarko;" aujtou' dia; tou' qanavtou parasth'sai uJma'" aJgivou" kai; ajmwvmou" kai; ajnegklhvtou" katenwvpion aujtou',
Col 1:23 ei[ ge ejpimevnete th'/ pivstei teqemeliwmevnoi kai; eJdrai'oi kai; mh; metakinouvmenoi ajpo; th'" ejlpivdo" tou' eujaggelivou ou| hjkouvsate, tou' khrucqevnto" ejn pavsh/ ktivsei th'/ uJpo; to;n oujranovn, ou| ejgenovmhn ejgw; Pau'lo" diavkono".
Translation
Vs 15 – who is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation,
Vs 16 – because in Him all things were created
in the heavens and upon the earth,
things visible and things invisible,
whether thrones or powers,
whether rulers or authorities;
all things were created through Him and for Him.
Vs 17 – And he is from all things and all things are held together in Him.
Vs 18a – And he is the head of the body, the church;
Vs 18b - who is the beginning,
firstborn out of the dead,
in order that in everything he might become first.
Vs 19 – because in Him it pleased all the fullness to dwell
Vs 20 – and through him all things will be reconciled to him
having made peace through the blood of his cross [through him] whether things upon the earth or in the heavens.
Vs 21 – And you were once alienated from and enemies in mind in works of evil
Vs 22 – But now, having been reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and without blemish and free from accusation in his sight
Vs 23 – if you continue in the faith established and firm and not moved from the hope of the gospel which you heard, that has been proclaimed to every creature who is under the heaven, which I Paul have become a servant.
Exalt His Name; Live His Purpose
Colossians 1:15-23
I. Review – Characteristics of a God-Centered Christian
A. Characteristics
1. Considers as primary their renewed status (1:2)
2. Faithfully responds to the Gospel (1:3-6)
3. Everyone becomes a minister of the Gospel (1:7-8)
4. Will be filled with or characterized by the knowledge of His will (1:9)
5. Will be transformed by the knowledge of God’s will (1:10-12)
6. Considers as primary their renewed status in Christ (1:12-14)
II. Recognizes the Supremacy of Christ (1:15-20)
A. A God-Centered Christian recognizes that Christ is Lord over everything.
B. ILL
1. Alexander the Great may have been the greatest conqueror this world has ever seen.
a. It is said that Alexander the Great once wept because there were no more nations for him to conquer.
b. He may have been a great conqueror but Alexander could never claim to be the conqueror of the wind, the planets, the stars, or the universe.
c. Only Jesus Christ can make such a claim.
2. Christ is Lord over all the created order (15-17)
a. The entire created order, visible and invisible, were created by Christ, through Christ, and for Christ.
1) All creation bears the fingerprints of Christ and displays His glory.
2) Psalms 19:1-4
3) Romans 1:20 – God has made Himself clearly visible through the created order, because the creation was created by, for, and through Christ.
4) Christ is supreme over the universal created order.
5) Notice the link between the universal supremacy of Christ and the universality of the gospel in 1:5-6.
- NOTE: Gives the believer great assurance and comfort in the sufficiency of Christ
b. Notice the irony: Christ is called the IMAGE of the INVISIBLE God.
1) Sounds kind of strange…how can something invisible have an image?
2) Remember why Paul is writing this letter – to encourage and assure the believers that Jesus Christ is sufficient for having a relationship with God.
3) To affirm to the believers that having seen Jesus; you have seen the Father.
4) Colossian heresy
a) Possible that the Colossians were being taught that God and creation could not go together because God is holy and material things are sinful.
b) If this is the case, then to know God you need something more than Christ because there is no way that Jesus could be fully God and fully human.
c) Paul says, NO! God was perfectly imaged in Jesus Christ - His being and perfections.
5) Paul emphasizes Christ’s supremacy by callin him the firstborn of all creation.
a) Nothing to do with actually being born.
b) Instead, the term emphasizes distinction and status.
c) Jesus is like no other person (distinct from creation) and his status is one of supremacy.
3. Christ is Lord over God’s new created order (18-20)
a. Not only is Christ supreme as Creator; He is also supreme as Redeemer.
1) Again to contradict the Colossian heresy – God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Christ (1:19)
2) Just as all creation was created by Him, for Him, and through Him, so also was salvation accomplished by Him, for Him, and through Him.
3) Through Christ, God has established the church (body) and Christ is her head – He directs, governs, and gives life and strength to the body.
b. Christ makes restoration of all things possible through His shed blood on the cross.
C. Application
1. The high point of this first section is verses 17-18.
2. These verses are not a matter of your personal opinion nor are these verses subjected to your personal critique.
3. Christ is LORD whether you believe it or not.
a. Question becomes whether you submit to His Lordship or reject His Lordship.
b. Submitting to His Lordship leads one to be reconciled to God – sinners restored to God in Christ.
c. Rejecting His Lordship – there can be no restoration from sin to God.
III. Transformed by the Supremacy of Christ (1:21-23)
A. Submitting to the truth of God and how we are restored through Christ will transform our lives.
B. ILL
1. Christ’s provision of restoration changes everything – we are no longer in sin; we are now in Christ.
a. Our allegiance is no longer to sin and self; sin’s power has been completely broken; no longer destined for death.
b. Christ is now our allegiance; through His power we now have life and freedom to please God.
2. Notice the conditional statement in verse 23
a. “All this can be yours if…the Price is Right”
1) Sounds like reconciliation is dependent upon my faithful living.
2) Does this mean that I can lose my salvation if I am unfaithful?
b. What this conditional statement is saying is this – a person who has been reconciled to God will be evident by their perseverance in faith and their commitment to the gospel.
c. Belief determines behavior
1) What we believe about God and Christ will be evident in the way we act and speak.
2) Reconciliation is not just an intellectual truth; it will transform your life.
C. Application
1. How has Jesus Christ transformed your life?
2. Paul says that as a result of God’s reconciliation – he has become a servant to that gospel.
a. The gospel has become his heartbeat and his mission
b. Is it ours?