"For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence." — Colossians 1:16-18
A brief glance at the context of this passage will show that the subject is the Lord Jesus Christ. What is affirmed of Him here is a major contribution to the doctrine of His deity; that Jesus Christ is God.
The first affirmation is that He is "before all things," and the creator of "all things," declared twice in this short passage. This is but one of several passages affirming the same colossal truth. The apostle John declares, "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made [Jn. 1:3]." To the Corinthians the apostle Paul wrote, "to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him: and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him [I Cor. 8:6]." In Ephesians he refers to "… God, Who created all things by Jesus Christ [Eph. 3:9]." The writer to the Hebrews declared, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds [Heb. 1:1,2]."
We are by these passages moved into the realm of pre-creation, before anything was "made"— to find Christ already there, in eternity past. He is the "first cause" of all that is defined as created or made. Ultimately, He is that "Word of God" by which "the worlds were framed." (cf Heb. 11:3)
The second declaration is that Christ is the sustaining cause of all creation: "by Him all things consist." It is He who made them, and He who makes them to stand, or to endure. In the epistle to the Hebrews it is put this way; He "made the worlds," and is "upholding all things by the word of His power." (cf Heb. 1:2,3) If one may say it reverently, He is the "glue" that holds creation together. Remove Christ from the equation, and the whole creation will fall into disarray.
There is a remarkable parallel passage in the Psalms, with reference to creation, which reads, "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast [Ps. 33:6-9]." This Old Testament passage anticipates the New Testament truth that the Lord (Jesus) is the source and sustainer of the whole creation. And in another passage in the Psalms we are reminded that the same voice that created all has the power to terminate it: "The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth melted [Ps. 46:6]."
The third significant observation in our text is that all things were made "for Him." The creation is not ours, it is His, and its destiny is in His hands. He not only owns the cattle on a thousand hills, He owns the hills as well. And this agrees with the declaration in Heb. 1:2 that the Father has "appointed [Him] heir of all things." In a day when man intensifies his challenge to the authority of Christ, it is well to remember that there is a day coming "… when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet [I Cor. 15:24b-25]."
With the same power and authority He exercised "in the beginning," Christ will one day restore His own order in His now fallen creation. "For the [creation] was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the [creation] itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God [Rom. 8:20-21]."
"Even so come, Lord Jesus!"
For HIS praise,
"Pastor" Frasier
A brief glance at the context of this passage will show that the subject is the Lord Jesus Christ. What is affirmed of Him here is a major contribution to the doctrine of His deity; that Jesus Christ is God.
The first affirmation is that He is "before all things," and the creator of "all things," declared twice in this short passage. This is but one of several passages affirming the same colossal truth. The apostle John declares, "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made [Jn. 1:3]." To the Corinthians the apostle Paul wrote, "to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him: and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him [I Cor. 8:6]." In Ephesians he refers to "… God, Who created all things by Jesus Christ [Eph. 3:9]." The writer to the Hebrews declared, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds [Heb. 1:1,2]."
We are by these passages moved into the realm of pre-creation, before anything was "made"— to find Christ already there, in eternity past. He is the "first cause" of all that is defined as created or made. Ultimately, He is that "Word of God" by which "the worlds were framed." (cf Heb. 11:3)
The second declaration is that Christ is the sustaining cause of all creation: "by Him all things consist." It is He who made them, and He who makes them to stand, or to endure. In the epistle to the Hebrews it is put this way; He "made the worlds," and is "upholding all things by the word of His power." (cf Heb. 1:2,3) If one may say it reverently, He is the "glue" that holds creation together. Remove Christ from the equation, and the whole creation will fall into disarray.
There is a remarkable parallel passage in the Psalms, with reference to creation, which reads, "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast [Ps. 33:6-9]." This Old Testament passage anticipates the New Testament truth that the Lord (Jesus) is the source and sustainer of the whole creation. And in another passage in the Psalms we are reminded that the same voice that created all has the power to terminate it: "The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth melted [Ps. 46:6]."
The third significant observation in our text is that all things were made "for Him." The creation is not ours, it is His, and its destiny is in His hands. He not only owns the cattle on a thousand hills, He owns the hills as well. And this agrees with the declaration in Heb. 1:2 that the Father has "appointed [Him] heir of all things." In a day when man intensifies his challenge to the authority of Christ, it is well to remember that there is a day coming "… when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet [I Cor. 15:24b-25]."
With the same power and authority He exercised "in the beginning," Christ will one day restore His own order in His now fallen creation. "For the [creation] was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the [creation] itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God [Rom. 8:20-21]."
"Even so come, Lord Jesus!"
For HIS praise,
"Pastor" Frasier
No comments:
Post a Comment