Col 1:15

The Person of Christ,
Part 1—Col 1:15

Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Context: The Colossian Heresy

Overview: The Person of Christ— 1:15-18
a. Jesus Is God—15
b. Jesus Is Creator—16
c. Jesus is Sustainer—17
d. Jesus is Lord of the Church—18

1. Jesus is God—a vital teaching

a. Along with salvation by Grace (Gal 1:6-9) and with the integrity of the Scriptures (Is 8:19-20, Rev 22:18-19 2 Tim 4:1-4), this is a doctrine with the most severe warnings attached to it—1 John 2:18-23, 1 Jn 4:1-3, 2 Jn 7-11

b. Why is this area of doctrine so vital?
(1) We are looking at the very nature of God
(2) We are looking at something which is essential to the Christian understanding of salvation. Because Jesus is fully God AND fully Man, we have:

(a) Relationship (Jn 10:27)
(b) Representation (1 Tim 2:5, Rom 8:34)
(c) Reconciliation (2 Cor 5:17-21)
(d) Redemption (Rom 3:24)


2. The Father is “The Invisible God”

a. The Son of God has been manifested in visible forms throughout human history—Josh 5:13-15, Judges 13:18
b. The Spirit has also assumed visible form (Mat 3:16-17
c. But the Father is never seen—Exo 33:20, John 1:18 John 5:37, John 6:46, 1 Tim 1:17, 1 Tim 6:14-16 , Heb 11:27, 1 John 4:12


3. Jesus is the Image (eikon) of the Father—

a. What does EIKON mean? It means Image.

Luke 20:24 ""Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?" They answered and said, "Caesar's.""

b. The Image of God

(1) We were made in God’s image (Gen 1:26-31)
(2) But the image of God in man has been marred by sin—we now bear a marred image of God, the image of Adam

1 Cor 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

(3) Christ Jesus has no sin—Heb 4:12-16; He has restored God’s image in man, because He isàthe distinct image of God
(4) In Heb 1:3, we see more detail of How Christ Jesus is the Image of God—there the word used is “character”, which refers to an engraver’s tool (MacArthur)—Jesus is an exact representation of the Father.

c. Interesting Comment from ATR—The restoration of the image of God in us is gradual and progressive (2 Corinthians 3:18), but will be complete in the final result (Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2).

d. We are changed to this image, a process we call sanctification, through identification with, study of, and growth in, Christ—See 2 Cor 3:6ff, especiallyè 2 Cor 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

4. Jesus is the Firstborn—prototokos

a. Along with a very few other verses, which cults use to try to teach that Jesus Christ was a created being and not fully God, such groups as the Jehovah’s Witnesses use this verse for that purpose, saying that this verse shows that Jesus was the first being created by the Father. Does it mean that? Can it mean that?

b. What does this word “firstborn” mean?

(1) First, it does not mean that Jesus was created—it cannot mean that
(a) Because of John 1:1-2, which plainly teaches that The Word, the Son of God, is co-eternal with the Father
(b) because of John 1:3, Heb 1:1-3, and the verses that follow this one, which plainly show that the Son has made, in the wonderful words of John 1:3, all that has been made.
(2) Jesus is the uncreated creator, so “firstborn” cannot mean that he has been created.

(3) From John MacArthur—

Although prototokos can mean firstborn chronologically (Luke 2:7), it refers primarily to position, or rank. In both Greek and Jewish culture, the firstborn was the son who had the right of inheritance. He was not necessarily the first one born. Although Esau was born first chronologically, it was Jacob who was the “firstborn” and received the inheritance. Jesus is the One with the right to the inheritance of all creation (Heb 1:2, Rev 5:1-7, 13).
Israel was called God’s firstborn in Exodus 4:22 and Jermiah 31:9. Though not the first people born, they held first place in God’s sight among all nations…

(4) Jesus was the firstborn among the brethren, even though His human birth was thousands of years after the father of the faithful, Abraham—Rom 8:29 "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
(5) He is the firstborn from the dead—Col 1:18 "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."
(6) And, if God had wanted to call Jesus the “first created,” there is a perfectly good Greek word for that.

5. “…over all creation…”

a. Here is a key—Jesus’ status as the Firstborn is about His dominion over all the universe. Some translations say “of” all creation, but the Greek should be rendered “over” all creation.

b. In Mat 8, He is Lord over the storm, disease, and demonic oppression

c. In John 2, He is Lord over natural forces when He turns the water into wine.

d. In John 6, He is Lord over all natural processes when He creates enough food to feed five thousand.

e. In John 11, He is Lord over the grave

f. In His own resurrection, He shows Himself to be the true master over the Grave

g. In Phil 2:9-11, we see that one day, every knee will bow to Him.

h. The very confession that must be made to be saved is to recognize Him as Lord of All (Rom 10:9).

Rev 19:16 "And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."