Colossians 1:15-20. In yesterday’s reading Paul told the Colossian believers that their love and dedication to God prompted him to pray for them all the time. He wanted them to keep learning about Jesus. He wanted them to learn more and more about how to honor God with their lives and to keep living for God. He would pray that they would be made strong by God. Probably more of a mental and emotional (maybe even spiritual) strength to keep them living for God. He also wanted them to be steady, patient, and have joy, more things that tell us the strength was more internal and probably not about muscles. He then gave a reason for why we should live for God; the reason behind the kinds of things he was asking God for is that we are citizens of a new kingdom. The old kingdom we were part of is described as being dark (being in the dark, complete darkness, is very uncomfortable it probably symbolizes all that is bad or evil). We see that darkness is bad because Paul tells us we have been rescued from it and now are in the kingdom of Jesus who paid the price so we cold be forgiven for our disobedience and rebellion (sin). This last part confirms that the kingdom of darkness was bad; it is where we would have been without Jesus, separated from God for eternity.

Experts say today’s reading is a song or hymn about Jesus. Even with the little bit of Colossians that we have read so far it is clear that somebody was challenging the believers in Colosse about their relationship with God. In verse 6 Paul told them that they had heard and understood the truth. In verse 5 he told that that their hope of being with God in Heaven one day was based on truth that they had heard. He told the Colossian believers that he prayed regularly and asked God that they would be filled with knowledge and understanding and wisdom of God’s will. Clearly some one was challenging them to know more, to understand more. If you read the “Intro to Colossians” you know that some experts think the Colossians were being challenged by and old belief system called “Gnosticism”. That system would challenge people in just the way we see the Colossians being challenged. Gnosticism really didn’t become a belief system for until many decades after Paul wrote to the Colossians. There was a branch of the Jewish religion, a group called Essenes, that was also in love with spirits and mysteries that may have been the challenge. Paul’s answer so far has been Jesus. The trust and belief of the Colossians was in the “Chosen One” (Christ), Jesus. It was Jesus who brought them out of darkness and in to his kingdom. So it seems fitting that Paul would take a little time to talk more about Jesus and he does that in today’s reading. The fact that verses 15-20 seem to be a song just makes this information that much more memorable, at least if you know Greek.

Scholars disagree on how the “song” might be divided, what the stanzas or verses are. By the way, this song may not have even been set to music, making it more of a poem that a song. Based on the contents of the song there are two different parts. The fist part is verses 15-17 and the second part is verses 18-20.

In verses 15-17 we see Jesus in relationship to the creation. First we are told that Jesus is the “image” of the invisible God, the “firstborn” of all creation. The word “image” contains two ideas that are always part of it. The first idea is the idea of a symbol. You might think of the idea of a “logo”. When you see a logo you think of the product or company that it represents. The symbol doesn’t’ have to be abstract though because the Greek word used here also was used for a reflection in a mirror. Obviously what we see in a mirror isn’t the real thing but it certainly looks like it. The other idea that the word contains is the idea of appearance. That doesn’t mean the way something looks like, “She appeared sick.” It’s the idea of “showing up personally” like, “Spiderman appeared at just the right time to save the girl.” We sometimes us the word “manifestation” to mean the actual appearance of someone or something. What Paul is saying here is that Jesus is the exact visible appearance of the invisible God. In Hebrews 1:3 we are told that Jesus is the “exact representation of God’s nature.” The word translated “nature” means actual real existence or being. In Jesus we see God, not because he is a reflection, but because he is God.

Second we are told that Jesus is the “firstborn” of or over all creation. In the Greek there are only three words: “Firstborn”, “all”, and “creature or creation”. There is no preposition, that is why some translations say “of” and others say “over”. The word firstborn can sometimes means a person who is born first but it is only used that way once in the New Testament. It is usually used to describe someone who has first position in terms of leadership. The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew but was eventually translated into Greek. It seems that the Greek translations was used a lot in Jesus’ day. In that translation the Greek word used here was used repeatedly for this idea of the child who would be the head of a household or for other people who had the head position of leadership (Psalm 89:27, David (v. 20) was clearly not God’s physical child or even the first king ever born, but he would be the king among kings). So Jesus is the head over all of creation.

Verse 16 tells helps us see that is what Paul meant because in that verse Jesus is described as the creator of all things in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible. Paul uses the words heaven, earth, visible and invisible to describe what Jesus created. Some scholars think that Paul arranged the words in a pattern called a chiasm, there are parallel ideas that are arranged like they are reflected in a mirror. If the there are two ideas, A1 and B1, then their parallels are A2 and B2. The chiastic arrangement is A1-B1-B2-A2. So Heaven is parallel with invisible and Earth is parallel with visible. Heaven can have different meanings in the Bible, but in this case it is parallel with invisible and means the invisible created realm of spirits. In the second part of verse 16 he uses four words all that deal with authority: thrones, rulers, dominions, and authorities. These may refer to authority on the earth but in Ephesians 6:12 Paul uses very similar language to describe authority in the spirit realm. Remember that Paul wrote Ephesians at the same time he wrote Colossians. Also later in Colossians (2:18) we see that some people had been trying to get the Colossians to worship angles. It is more likely that Paul is talking about “spirit” authorities to point out that Jesus is master over them along with everything else. In the end of verse 16 Paul makes sure we understand that since Jesus created all things that all things exist for whatever purpose he has for them.

Verse 17 Paul gives a summary by telling us that Jesus existed before everything that was created (visible and invisible, everything) and that he also keeps the whole thing running. Jesus not only was the creator but his actions continue in his creation every day.

In verses 18-20 we see Jesus as the head of a new creation too. In Genesis 3 the original creation was cursed because Adam and Eve disobeyed God, that was part of the consequence of their sin (see Romans 8:20-22). According to Romans 8:19 the whole creation is waiting for the “sons of God” to be revealed or seen. It is clear from the rest of Romans 8 that the “sons of God” are believer in Jesus and the whole creation is waiting to be set free from the effects of sin along with us. The Greek word that is translated “church” means “to call out”, like when people are picked to be on a team. Paul explains more about this team when he uses the idea of “firstborn” again this time in relationship to death.

The “dead” is parallel to church in this verse and is a description of what we are without Jesus; we die physically and are dead spiritually too (separated from God). In 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 Jesus is called the “first fruits” of those who are asleep (dead). It is similar to the idea of being “born” first. Also in Colossians 1:18 we are told he is the “beginning” that word is also parallel to “firstborn”. Jesus was the first to come back to life permanently from physical death. His resurrection proved his power or authority over physical death and helps us know he has power to restore our relationship with God too. So the idea of “leader” and “authority” is still here too.

Verse 18 ends by telling us that what Jesus has done leads to him having “first place” in everything. Again the idea of authority, but now it is not just over the “called out ones” but over everything.

In verse 19 we are told that it pleased God to have all “fullness” live or dwell in Jesus. The fullness is talking about all that God is; all that was in Jesus. Jesus was 100% God and !00% man. Verse 20 tells us why this was pleasing to God. Because Jesus, as the eternal God-Man, was able to pay the eternal price for the sins of all mankind (1 John 2:2). He was reconciling (the word means to restore a previous time of harmony) and bringing back peace between God and all things both in heaven and on earth. This was done as he died on the cross.

Jesus’ death on the cross was enough to pay the price for the sins of all mankind opening the door for us to live in peace and harmony with God forever. His actions also affect the whole physical universe that has been winding down and wearing out since Adam and Eve sinned. Once all of mankind who will turn back to God do, there will no longer be any need for a broken world to remind us of our broke relationship with God and the world will be restored to it’s former perfection too. Jesus, in his life, death, and resurrection proved that he is God in human flesh and has the power and authority to fix it all. Paul wanted the Colossians, who were being tempted to think that they needed more than Jesus, to see that Jesus is all that there is, and he is all that we need.

God I’m not great at singing but I do appreciate who you are and the fact that you love me. Help me remember always who you are and what you have done. Let my life be a song to you, honoring you and praising you through my thoughts and actions. Help me remember that you made it all and yet you became a man to remake me, and others too. Thank you for such a great love, help me remember that you are all there is to live for.