Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

The Preeminence of Christ Over Creation Colossians 1:15-17 A sign of the times - 2 Timothy 4:3-4 The source of conflict - James 4:1-3 Doctrine is the foundation for unity - Ephesians 4:1-6 Our goal is to understand what God has revealed in the Bible and help one another live accordingly

The Preeminence of Christ Over Creation Colossians 1:15-17 The Colossian church was in danger of divisions caused by the false teachers The prayer for them would lead directly to correct doctrine & practice and therefore unity Paul points out the unique position our redeemer has in His relationship to God, creation and the church

The Preeminence of Christ Colossians 1:15-23

The Image of the Invisible God Colossians 1:15 Image, eijkwvn / eikôn = icon, statue, representation, form, likeness or manifestation God is invisible because He is a spirit, therefore no physical image can be made of Him Using statues and images as aides to worship results in false worship (Exodus 20:4-5)

The Image of the Invisible God Colossians 1:15 To humans, God is both invisible physically and incomprehensible mentally (Isaiah 55:8; 1 Cor. 1:21-25) Jesus is both the physical expression of God and the manifestation of God’s nature and character John 1:18 John 12:45 John 14:9-11

The Image of the Invisible God Colossians 1:15 Philippians 2:6 Hebrews 1:3 Man is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) Redeemed man is being changed into the image of Christ (Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 3:18; Col. 3:10; Rom. 8:29)

The First-born of all Creation Colossians 1:15 First-born (prwtovtoko" / prôtotokos) can be used either the first begotten or foremost in importance The first born usually received the birth- right, but not always – Esau & Jacob Manasseh & Ephraim

The First-born of all Creation Colossians 1:15 Exodus 4:22 Psalm 89:27 Jesus is first-born = preeminent over creation (Heb. 1:2; Matt. 28:18; John 16:15; Phil. 2:9-11)

The First-born of all Creation Colossians 1:15 A different word would have been used if Jesus was the first created (prwtovkisto" / prôtokistos) Jesus could not be both the only begotten and first begotten of a group. To have seen and known Jesus was to have seen and known God

The Creator Colossians 1:16 Jesus is superior over creation because it was created in Him - He is its architect “By Him all things were created,” not “by Him everything else was created” Heavens and earth encompass every locality in the physical universe from earth to the edge of space

The Creator Colossians 1:16 Visible and invisible encompass every thing both physical & spiritual, material & immaterial He created thrones and dominions = kings and governments He created rulers and authorities = every kind of spiritual being (cf. Ephesians 6:12)

The Creator Colossians 1:16 All things have been created by / through Him - He is the builder / maker of all creation All things have been created for Him - He is the possessor of all creation The dichotomy of the spiritual being good and the material being evil in Gnostic dualism is false

The Sustainer Colossians 1:17 Jesus existed before anything was – John 1:1-2; Revelation 1:8;22:13; John 8:58 cf. Exodus 3:14

The Sustainer Colossians 1:17 Jesus holds all of creation together. His active involvement in His creation refutes deism & dualism

The Sustainer Colossians 1:17 Science understands more about the atom, but not what actually keeps it together Creation will be destroyed in the future, but Jesus will make a new earth and heavens (2 Peter 3:10-14)

Conclusions Jesus Christ, is the image of the invisible God, and He is the architect, builder and possessor of all Creation In the Day of the Lord, He will destroy creation and then remake it What manner of life should you live?

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ