Christology Part Two: Colossians 1-2

In this second of four studies of the major New Testament Christological passages, we turn our attention to Paul’s letter to the Colossians. The letter as a whole is rich with Christological truths, but our focus will be primarily on two sections: 1:12-22 and 2:6-10. Before we get too deep into those sections, we will see how Paul introduces the letter and its themes.

Paul opens the book with his typical greetings, showing that his mission, people, and wishes toward the Colossians are all Christ-centered. He first identifies himself as “an apostle of Jesus Christ” (1:1). Then he addresses his readers as “the saints and faithful brethren in Christ” (1:2a). Finally, as is Paul’s custom, he wishes God’s grace and peace to those who would receive his letter (1:2b).

Before beginning his Christological essays, Paul writes out some things that he had been praying on behalf of the Colossian people. The first thing we notice is that he was thankful for them and that thankfulness was directed toward “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:3). The second thing is that he prayed continually for them (1:3, also in 1:9).

The details of these prayers provide the lead-in to the paragraphs mentioned above, as Paul explains both why he prayed for this church and what he prayed for them. The reason he prayed for them is because of what he heard about them, and what he heard was good! “[W]e heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints” (1:4). Oh that others would hear of those things being spoken about our churches today!

Skipping down to verse nine, we see some of the actual content of Paul’s prayers for this congregation. He prays “that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy” (1:9-11).

There is one more thing that Paul adds (“giving thanks”), and it brings us to our first point. The Christology in this passage shows us four things we need because of who Christ is and what He has done.

1. We need redemption from our sins, found only in Christ (1:12-14).

The end of Paul’s introductory prayer states that he is “giving thanks to the Father” (1:12). He then lists three things that the Father has done for us which ought to invoke an attitude of thankfulness toward Him. And as we will see, these things make it possible for us to be redeemed from our sins.

The first thing Paul is thankful for is that the Father “has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light” (1:12). We are qualified because of salvation, which is by God’s grace, and for that believers ought to be vessels of thankfulness to God. The inheritance of which we will partake is what is also mentioned in Hebrews 2:5-8 and Romans 8:16-17.

The second reason for thankfulness is that the Father “has delivered us from the power of darkness” (1:13a). Before conversion, men are under this power. The only hope for deliverance is in the grace of God. Our destiny as members of this darkness is eternal damnation and separation from God. Since this deliverance changes our destiny, the appropriate response should be one of thanksgiving to God.

The third thing the Father has done for us is to transfer us “into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (1:13b). This completes the process that was begun in the previous point. Having taken His saints out of the power of darkness, God then completes the transfer by placing them in His kingdom. The kingdom belongs to the Son “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (1:14). This is the main point of the paragraph—man is in need of redemption from the power of darkness and redemption is found only in the Son of God. Redemption is equal to “the forgiveness of sins” as indicated by the fact that the final phrase is set off as an appositive. Christ redeems us by forgiving our sins.

2. We need a reorganization of our priorities, with Christ as number one (1:15-18).

The very fact that we are recipients of redemption and forgiveness of sins indicates that we owe full loyalty to Christ. This loyalty is to be expressed through verbal thanksgiving to the Father for His part in the redemptive process (as seen in 1:12-14), but also through a pattern of living that places Christ in His rightful place—preeminent above all else. Verse 18 ends with the purpose statement of this section, namely, “that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Six phrases in this section prove the preeminence of Christ.

One, Christ “is the image of the invisible God” (1:15a). We discovered in the last lesson that the New Testament is emphatic that God is represented most perfectly in His Son Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:3; 2 Corinthians 4:6; John 1:18). Jesus told Philip, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

Two, Christ is “the firstborn over all creation” (1:15b). It is interesting that Christ’s involvement in creation is emphasized throughout the Christological passages (see also Hebrews 1:2 and John 1:3). In an age when the evolution vs. creation debate is running wild, the New Testament answers the questions of origins by affirming that Christ is preeminent over all creation because He is the creator. He is firstborn over all else because all else exists only as He wills.

The description of Christ’s creative acts is expanded in verse 16. This verse uses three different Greek prepositions to explain the relationship between Christ and His creation. The first is “en” which is typically translated “in”. The NKJV renders this phrase, “For by Him all things were created.” A more literal wording might read, “All things had their creation in Him.” The verse then goes on to explain what is meant by “all things.” This includes things “that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.” The final summary of the verse contains the other prepositions spoken of earlier. “All things were created through [“dia”] Him and for [“eis”] Him.” “Dia” implies “because of” or “on account of” someone. “Eis” suggests “into” with an end purpose in mind. So all things had their beginning in Him, because of Him, and for His purposes. Compare Revelation 4:11 which proclaims to Jesus, “Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (KJV).

Three, Christ “is before all things” (1:17a). This statement continues the thought of verses 15-16, in that they follow a logical pattern of reasoning. If Christ created everything, He has preeminence over all created things. Because He is the creator, He is also the sustainer of creation. “He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (1:17). Just as He spoke things into existence, He is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3), and at the right time He will do away with the current creation to make way for “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). Another way of putting it is that humans ought to worship the Creator rather than what is created, because the Creator is greater than (“before”) all that He created (contrast Romans 1:25).

Four, Christ “is the head of the body, the church” (1:18a). The church was built upon the foundational fact that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16ff). There is no body of Christ if there is no head, and the head equips the rest of the body for service (Ephesians 4:15-16).

Five, Christ “is the beginning” (1:18b). Paul continues to hammer down the truth that Christ’s existence before all else proves His authority over all else. This truth applies to us very practically, since a perspective which puts Christ first is the only biblical way to live.

Six, Christ is “the firstborn from the dead” (1:18c). Because of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, believers also have hope of a future resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12-20 provides the best explanation of this truth). Jesus’ own personal testimony validates this claim when He says, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!” (Revelation 1:18, NIV). The ever-living one is the only one worthy of first place in our lives.

3. We need reconciliation with God through Christ (1:19-22).

Reconciliation is the process of making a friend out of a former enemy. In this context, it is a transition that takes place where a person who was against God joins Him. A person is never neutral in his standing before God. Many people have the false idea that prior to salvation we stand in the middle between God and Satan, both of whom are attempting to win our affection and loyalty.

Paul tells us instead that we “once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works” (1:21a). That doesn’t sound neutral. That sounds like we were genuinely opposed to God until the point of our salvation, which is of course the point that is being made here. But fortunately for us the sentence continues, “yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight” (1:21b-22).

Notice the transitions that take place for us. We move from being “alienated and enemies” (v. 21a) to being “reconciled” (v. 21b). We are no longer a foe of God but a friend of God (see also John 15:13-15 and James 2:23). Also, our “wicked works” (v. 21) have been replaced with holiness and blamelessness (v. 22).

But this did not come without cost. In order for Christ “to reconcile all things to Himself” (v. 20a), He “made peace through the blood of His cross” (v. 20b). “Made peace” is simply another way of saying “reconciled” and it was accomplished for us “in the body of His flesh through death” (v. 22). The peace we have with God was only possible because Jesus died a bloody death on the cross that we deserved. By doing this, Christ made friends of those who were formerly His enemies.

Jesus was qualified to do this on our behalf because “it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell” (v. 19). This statement, which confirms the deity of Jesus, concludes that Jesus is uniquely qualified to reconcile us to God because He is God. Only through the work of Christ do we have hope of peace with God. This is the basis for the final point.

4. We need a recognition of our position in Christ (2:6-10).

Our position (based on what we have learned so far) is that we are redeemed (forgiven of sins), qualified to partake in God’s inheritance, delivered from the power of darkness, transferred into the kingdom of Christ, designed to be forever thankful to God for these undeserved blessings, created by Christ to belong to Him continually, part of Christ’s “body” that is on earth now to serve others, assured of a future resurrection in Him, reconciled (at peace) with God because of Christ’s death on our behalf, no longer God’s enemies but His friends, and no longer characterized by wickedness but by holiness and blamelessness. So how does one apply this practically? How do we fully recognize all of these glorious truths?

First, we should live according to Christ (2:6-7). “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (v. 6). The process of this “walking” or “living” begins with being “rooted and built up in Him” (v. 7a). The very foundation of who we are and everything we do must be our relationship with Christ. Next is being “established [strengthened] in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (v. 7b). The growth that comes from this walking with the Lord starts with the roots which are built up and strengthened and cause us to overflow with thanksgiving to Him.

Second, we should think according to Christ (2:8). Paul’s command here for the Colossians is to “Beware”, and it means that they must be mentally active “lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit” (v. 8a). Three things describe this kind of deception. It is “according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (v. 8b). Philosophies that go against Christ’s teachings will prove to be worthless.

The basis for both of these points is found in verses 9-10. Our position in Christ is only favorable because of the position of Christ Himself. Christ’s position is that He is completely God. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (v. 9; compare 1:19). Our position is that we are complete (fully, perfectly) in Him. Believers are “complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power” (v. 10). A position worth recognizing and enjoying!

Christology Part One: Hebrews 1-2

The first of the four major Christological passages that we will examine is found in the book of Hebrews chapters 1-2. Though the human writer of this letter is unknown to us, we can be assured that the Holy Spirit through means of divine inspiration has given the readers of this epistle much to contemplate about Christ. The over-arching theme of the letter is that the Messiah has come to His people and has perfectly fulfilled His roles and responsibilities. Thus He is fully worthy of our devotion.

In the first two chapters, which are the concern and content of this study, we notice four major points as it relates to God’s communication to us concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. God first spoke through the prophets (1:1).

The opening verse explains when God did this, how God did this, and to whom God did this. The when is “at various times.” That may seem vague to some readers, so allow me to fill in some blanks. Moses, Isaiah, Daniel, and Haggai are just some of the men that God spoke through over a period of about 1,300 years. That is certainly various times.

The how is “in various ways.” God used both different methods and different messages to speak to His people. Some of the methods God used to speak to His prophets were visions and even pre-incarnate appearances (Theophanies or Christophanies). Some of the messages God gave concerned the coming Messiah’s birth (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2), life and teaching (Deuteronomy 18:18), death (Daniel 9:26), resurrection (Psalm 16:10), and eternal reign (Isaiah 25:6-9).

The to whom is “the fathers.” This could refer to one of two kinds of “fathers,” or possibly to both. It could be referencing specific patriarchs of the faith, or it could just be used generally to speak of various kinds of spiritual ancestry.

2. God later spoke through His Son (1:2-3).

It is here that the author lists seven activities of the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, there are at least seven different ways by which God “spoke through his son.” The text for the most part is self-explanatory, and so not much comment will be given except what seems profitable.

The first thing is that God appointed Christ to be the “heir of all things” (1:2). Because of His involvement and activity in the creation of all things, all things rightfully belong to Jesus. Therefore He is in line to inherit all things at the end, just as He owned them at the beginning. Furthermore, we as His people are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).

The second is that through Christ the worlds were made (1:2). The plurality of “worlds” indicates the universe in its entirety and all things existing therein. Other passages dealing with Christ’s participation in creation include John 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:15-17, both of which will be dealt with at some length in the weeks to come.

Thirdly, the Son is “brightness of His glory” (1:3). All of the glory possessed by the Father is revealed most perfectly through the Son. “For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Fourth, the Messiah is “the express image of His person” (1:3). The Greek word used here to describe this phrase is the basis for the transliteration of the English word character. All of the characteristics of God the Father are possessed by the Son, and revealed perfectly through Him.

Fifth, Christ is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (1:3). He is the living word (John 1:1) and thus His spoken words are authoritative. “All things” is in reference to the works of His creation. That which He spoke into existence He also allows to continue if He permits.

Sixth, He “purged our sins” (1:3). Elsewhere in Hebrews we read that the bloody death that Christ experienced was necessary for our salvation because “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (10:4). Thankfully for us, “the blood of Jesus Christ…cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Seventh, after Christ had accomplish all that was necessary to fulfill the earthly work given to Him by the Father, He “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (1:3). Part of His work in that position is that He “makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34). He will remain in that position until sent by the Father to meet His bride in the air (John 14:3, 1 Thessalonians 4:17). One exception to this is that, right before his death, Stephen saw “the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56, emphasis added).

3. The Son of God is better than the angels (1:4-14).

In order to make his point on this matter, the author chooses seven Old Testament arguments to show that the Messiah is superior to angelic beings. When Jesus had accomplished the tasks mentioned in 1:2-3, He was proclaimed to be “so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they” (1:4). The seven sub-points here are bookended by two rhetorical questions: “For to which of the angels did He [the Father] ever say…?” (1:5; the obvious answer is “none”, for God speaks differently to Christ than He does to the angels), and “Are they [the angels] not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those [the elect] who will inherit salvation?” (1:14).

First, Jesus is called “Son” by God the Father (1:5), as referenced by Psalm 2:7 and 2 Samuel 7:14. No angel holds this distinction. The possession of deity by the Son makes Him superior.

Second, the angels are commanded by the Father to worship the Son (1:6), as referenced by Psalm 97:7. Throughout Scripture, worship to angels is strictly forbidden (Revelation 22:8-9 is one example). In fact, angels in Heaven willingly give worship to Christ (Revelation 5:11-12; 7:11-12). By giving worship to Him, they acknowledge His superiority.

Third, angels minister to Christ (1:7), prophesied in Psalm 104:4. One example from Christ’s earthly ministry supports this claim. Matthew 4:11 says that after Satan finished tempting Christ in the wilderness that “the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

Fourth, Jesus is called “God” by the Father (1:8). The quote used here is from Psalm 45:6-7, which is also the basis for the point that follows.

Fifth, Christ has a kingdom that bears at least three characteristics. One, it will be eternal (“forever and ever”, v.8). Two, it will be righteous (symbolized by His “scepter of righteousness” and the fact that He has “hated lawlessness” vv. 8-9). Three, Christ is King because He was anointed by the Father “with the oil of gladness” (v. 9).

Sixth, the Lord Jesus will outlast Heaven and Earth (1:10-12), as indicated in Psalm 102:25-27. Just as He existed eternally before creation, so Christ will exist eternally after it passes away. The physical elements of this world are temporary to make way for a new dwelling place of righteousness ruled by the Lord (2 Peter 3:10-13).

Seventh, in light of Christ’s authority over all created things, the time will come when all of His enemies will be His footstool (1:13; see Psalm 110:1). Because only Christ qualifies for each of these seven points, He is quite obviously higher than the angels. This brings us to our final point.

4. The Son of God was made lower than the angels in order to bring salvation to mankind (2:1-18).

Whereas chapter one of Hebrews deals primarily with the deity of Christ, chapter two gives much more attention to His humanity. The one who is higher than the angels (as God) was made lower than the angels (as a man) for the eternal benefit of the elect. There are at least seven ways that the earthly work of Christ is applicable for His followers.

First, we must not neglect the salvation that Christ provides for us (2:1-4). This is essentially a warning against backsliding, advising that “we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away” (v. 1). And since our efforts determine our rewards or punishments, the writer asks, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him?” (v. 3).

Second, we will inherit the earth with Christ (2:5-8). The Lord “has not put the world to come…in subjection to angels” (v. 5). Again quoting from Psalms, the writer reveals that even though man is “a little lower than the angels” (v. 7), all things will be in subjection to the joint heirs of Christ (Romans 8:17).

Third, we benefit from the death of Christ (2:9-10). It was mentioned earlier that the shedding of Christ’s blood was necessary for the forgiveness of our sins. This section explains that Jesus “was made a little lower than the angels…that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (v. 9). So the purpose of the incarnation was so that Christ would be able to die, and in doing so, He would accomplish the task of “bringing many sons to glory” (v. 10).

Fourth, we are called brothers of Christ (vv. 11-13). These verses again have their basis in the Old Testament (Psalm 22:22; 2 Samuel 22:3; Isaiah 8:17-18). Our advantage is that “He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (2:11).

Fifth, we are released from bondage (2:14-15). Christ did this for us by putting on “flesh and blood…that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (v. 14). One other New Testament verse—1 John 3:8—shows that our freedom in Christ on the basis of His death meant destruction for the enemy. It reads, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

Sixth, we are atoned for because of Christ’s death (2:16-17). The Lord Jesus helps the spiritual “seed of Abraham” (v. 16) because of what He accomplished on the cross. “He had to be made like His brethren…to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (v. 17). That propitiation allows us to have peace with God.

Seventh, we are helped in our temptations (2:18). Again, as with the others, we are only privileged in this regard because of the incarnation of the second person of the trinity. Christ endured through physical temptations and sufferings, and because He did, “He is able to aid those who are tempted” (v. 18).