the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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King James Version
Colossians 1:15
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No one can see God, but the Son is exactly like God. He rules over everything that has been made.
He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation;
which is the ymage of the invisible god fyrst begotten of all creatures.
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation:
No one can see God, but Jesus Christ is exactly like him. He ranks higher than everything that has been made.
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Who is the image of the invisible God, the first begotten of every creature.
Christ is the visible representation of the invisible God, the Firstborn and Lord of all creation.
Which is the ymage of God vnuysible, the first bigetun of ech creature.
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Christ is exactly like God, who cannot be seen. He is the first-born Son, superior to all creation.
He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation.
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
Who is the image of the unseen God coming into existence before all living things;
He is the visible image of the invisible God. He is supreme over all creation,
who is image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation;
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.2 Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 1:3; Revelation 3:14;">[xr]
who is the image of Aloha the unseen, [fn] and the first-born of all the creatures.
who is the likeness of the invisible God, and the first-born of all creatures:
Who is the image of the inuisible God, the first borne of euery creature.
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
Christ is as God is. God cannot be seen. Christ lived before anything was made.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
Who is the image of the inuisible God, the first begotten of euery creature.
He is the image of the invisible God, and the first-born of every creature:
Who, is an image of the unseen God, Firstborn of all creation, -
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Who is the image of the inuisible God, the first borne of all creatures.
Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things.
He is the image of the invisible God,the firstborn over all creation.
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,
who is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of all creation.
who is the image of the invisible God, first-born of all creation,
Which is the ymage of the inuisyble God, first begotte before all creatures.
he is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of the whole creation.
We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross. You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don't walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message. I want you to know how glad I am that it's me sitting here in this jail and not you. There's a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church's part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God's way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth. This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Jesus is the visible image of our invisible God. Jesus is the firstborn, the heir, of all creation.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
the image: Exodus 24:10, Numbers 12:8, Ezekiel 1:26-28, John 1:18, John 14:9, John 15:24, 2 Corinthians 4:4, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Philippians 2:6, Hebrews 1:3
the invisible: 1 Timothy 1:17, 1 Timothy 6:16, Hebrews 11:27
the firstborn: Colossians 1:13, Psalms 89:27, John 1:14, John 3:16, Hebrews 1:6
of every: Colossians 1:16, Colossians 1:17, Proverbs 8:29-31, Revelation 3:14
Reciprocal: Genesis 1:26 - in our Genesis 1:27 - in the image Genesis 32:30 - I have Deuteronomy 4:12 - no similitude 1 Chronicles 5:1 - birthright Nehemiah 9:6 - thou hast Psalms 45:2 - fairer Isaiah 40:18 - General Isaiah 46:5 - General Jeremiah 32:17 - thou Zechariah 13:7 - the man Luke 11:31 - a greater John 6:46 - any John 8:19 - if John 12:45 - General John 14:7 - ye John 17:5 - glorify John 17:10 - all Acts 7:35 - by Acts 10:36 - he is Romans 1:20 - For the Romans 8:29 - that he might Romans 11:36 - of him Ephesians 1:21 - principality Colossians 2:2 - of the Father
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Who is the image of the invisible God,.... Not of deity, though the fulness of it dwells in him; nor of himself, though he is the true God, and eternal life; nor of the Spirit, who also is God, and the Spirit of the Son; but the Father, called "God", not to the exclusion of the Son or Spirit, who are with him the one God: "and he is invisible"; not to the Son who lay in his bosom, and had perfect and infinite knowledge of him; nor, in some sense, to angels, who always behold his face, but to men: no man hath seen him corporeally with the eyes of his body, though intellectually with the eyes of the understanding, when enlightened; not in his essence and nature, which is infinite and incomprehensible, but in his works of creation, providence, and grace; nor immediately, but mediately, in and through Christ, in whom he gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of his person and perfections; and this not perfectly now, but in the other state, when the saints shall see him face to face. But chiefly the Father is said to be invisible, because he did not appear to Old Testament saints; as his voice was never heard, so his shape was never seen; he never assumed any visible form; but whenever any voice was heard, or shape seen, it was the second person that appeared, the Son of God, who is here said to be his "image", and that, as he is the Son of God; in which sense he is the natural, essential, and eternal image of his Father, an eternal one, perfect and complete, and in which he takes infinite complacency and delight: this designs more than a shadow and representation, or than bare similitude and likeness; it includes sameness of nature and perfections; ascertains the personality of the Son, his distinction from the Father, whose image he is; and yet implies no inferiority, as the following verses clearly show, since all that the Father hath are his. Philo, the Jew f, often speaks of the λογος, or Word of God, as the image of God. Also, this may be understood of him as Mediator, in whom, as such, is a most glorious display of the love, grace, and mercy of God, of his holiness and righteousness, of his truth and faithfulness, and of his power and wisdom:
the firstborn of every creature; not the first of the creation, or the first creature God made; for all things in Colossians 1:16 are said to be created by him, and therefore he himself can never be a creature; nor is he the first in the new creation, for the apostle in the context is speaking of the old creation, and not the new: but the sense either is, that he was begotten of the Father in a manner inconceivable and inexpressible by men, before any creatures were in being; or that he is the "first Parent", or bringer forth of every creature into being, as the word will bear to be rendered, if instead of πρωτ¢tokov, we read πρωτοτ¢kov; which is no more than changing the place of the accent, and may be very easily ventured upon, as is done by an ancient writer g, who observes, that the word is used in this sense by Homer, and is the same as πρωτογονος, "first Parent", and πρωτοκτιστης, "first Creator"; and the rather this may be done, seeing the accents were all added since the apostle's days, and especially seeing it makes his reasoning, in the following verses, appear with much more beauty, strength, and force: he is the first Parent of every creature, "for by him were all things created", c. Colossians 1:16, or it may be understood of Christ, as the King, Lord, and Governor of all creatures being God's firstborn, he is heir of all things, the right of government belongs to him; he is higher than the kings of the earth, or the angels in heaven, the highest rank of creatures, being the Creator and upholder of all, as the following words show; so the Jews make the word "firstborn" to be synonymous with the word "king", and explain it by גדול ושר, "a great one", and "a prince" h; see Psalms 89:27.
f De Mund. Opific. p. 6. de Plant. Noe, p. 216, 217. de Coufus. Ling. p. 341. de Somniis, p. 600. de Monarch. p. 823. g Isidior. Pelusiot. l. 3. Ep. 31. h R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 50. 1.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Who is the image of the invisible God - εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου eikōn tou Theou tou aoratou. The objects. here, as it is in the parallel place in Ephesians 1:20-23, is to give a just view of the exaltation of the Redeemer. It is probable that, in both cases, the design is to meet some erroneous opinion on this subject that prevailed in those churches, or among those that claimed to be teachers there. See the Introduction to this Epistle, and compare the notes at Ephesians 1:20-23. For the meaning of the phrase occurring here, “the image of the invisible God,” see the Hebrews 1:3, note, and 2 Corinthians 4:4, note. The meaning is, that he represents to mankind the perfections of God, as an image, figure, or drawing does the object which it is made to resemble. See the word “image” - εἰκὼν eikōn - explained in the notes at Hebrews 10:1. It properly denotes that which is a copy or delineation of a thing; which accurately and fully represents it, in contradistinction from a rough sketch, or outline; compare Romans 8:29; 1Co 11:7; 1 Corinthians 15:49.
The meaning here is, that the being and perfections of God are accurately and fully represented by Christ. In what respects particularly he was thus a representative of God, the apostle proceeds to state in the following verses, to wit, in his creative power, in his eternal existence, in his heirship over the universe, in the fulness that dwelt in him. This cannot refer to him merely as incarnate, for some of the things affirmed of him pertained to him before his incarnation; and the idea is, that in all things Christ fairly represents to us the divine nature and perfections. God is manifest to us through him; 1 Timothy 3:16. We see God in him as we see an object in that which is in all respects an exact copy of it. God is invisible. No eye has seen him, or can see him; but in what Christ is, and has done in the works of creation and redemption, we have a fair and full representation of what God is; see the notes at John 1:18; John 14:9, note.
The first-born of every creature - Among all the creatures of God, or over all his creation, occupying the rank and pro-eminence of the first-born. The first-born, or the oldest son, among the Hebrews as elsewhere, had special privileges. He was entitled to a double portion of the inheritance. It has been, also, and especially in oriental countries, a common thing for the oldest son to succeed to the estate and the title of his father. In early times, the first-born son was the officiating priest in the family, in the absence or on the death of the father. There can be no doubt that the apostle here has reference to the usual distinctions and honors conferred on the first-born, and means to say that, among all the creatures of God, Christ occupied a pre-eminence similar to that. He does not say that, in all respects, he resembled the first-born in a family; nor does he say that he himself was a creature, for the point of his comparison does not turn on these things, and what he proceeds to affirm respecting him is inconsistent with the idea of his being a created being himself.
He that “created all things that are in heaven and that are in earth,” was not himself created. That the apostle did not mean to represent him as a creature, is also manifest from the reason which he assigns why he is called the first-born. “He is the image of God, and the first-born of every creature, for - ὅτι hoti - by him were all things created.” That is, he sustains the elevated rank of the first-born, or a high eminence over the creation, because by him “all things were created in heaven and in earth.” The language used here, also, does not fairly imply that he was a creature, or that he was in nature and rank one of those in relation to whom it is said he was the first-born. It is true that the word “first-born” - πρωτότοκος prōtotokos - properly means the first-born child of a father or mother, Matthew 1:25; Luke 2:7; or the first-born of animals. But two things are also to be remarked in regard to the use of the word:
(1) It does not necessarily imply that anyone is born afterward in the family, for it would be used of the first-born, though an only child; and,
(2) It is used to denote one who is chief, or who is highly distinguished and pre-eminent. Thus, it is employed in Romans 8:29, “That he might be the first-born among many brethren.” So, in Colossians 1:18, it is said that he was “the first-born from the dead;” not that he was literally the first that was raised from the dead, which was not the fact, but that he might be pre-eminent among those that are raised; compare Exodus 4:22. The meaning, then, is, that Christ sustains the most exalted rank in the universe; he is pre-eminent above all others; he is at the head of all things. The expression does not mean that he was “begotten before all creatures,” as it is often explained, but refers to the simple fact that he sustains the highest rank over the creation. He is the Son of God. He is the heir of all things. All other creatures are also the “offspring of God;” but he is exalted as the Son of God above all.
(This clause has been variously explained. The most commonly received, and, as we think, best supported opinion, is that which renders πρωτοτοκος πασης κτισεως prōtotokos pasēs ktiseōs; “begotten before all creation.” This most natural and obvious sense would have been more readily admitted, had it not been supposed hostile to certain views on the sonship of Christ. Some explain πρωτότοκος prōtotokos actively, and render “first begetter or producer of all things,” which gives, at all events, a sense consistent with truth and with the context, which immediately assigns as the reason of Christ being styled πρωτότοκος prōtotokos, the clause beginning ὁτι εν αυτω εκτισθη hoti en autō ektisthē, “For by him were all things created.” Others, with the author explain the word figuratively, of pre-eminence or lordship. To this view however, there are serious objections.
It seems not supported by sufficient evidence. No argument can be drawn from Colossians 1:18 until it is proved that “firstborn from the dead,” does not mean the first that was raised to die no more, which Doddridge affirms to be “the easiest, surest, most natural sense, in which the best commentators are agreed.” Nor is the argument from Romans 8:29 satisfactory. “Πρωτότοκος Prōtotokos,” says Bloomfield, at the close of an admirable note on this verse, “is not well taken by Whitby and others, in a figurative sense, to denote ‘Lord of all things, since the word is never so used, except in reference to primogeniture. And although, in Romans 8:29, we have τον ρωτοτοκος εν πολλοις αδελφοις ton prōtotokos en pollois adelphois, yet there his followers are represented not as his creatures, but as his brethren. On which, and other accounts, the interpretation, according to which we have here a strong testimony to the eternal filiation of our Saviour is greatly preferable; and it is clear that Colossians 1:15, Colossians 1:18 are illustrative of the nature, as Colossians 1:16-17 are an evidence of the pre-existence and divinity of Christ.”)
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. Who is the image of the invisible God — The counterpart of God Almighty, and if the image of the invisible God, consequently nothing that appeared in him could be that image; for if it could be visible in the Son, it could also be visible in the Father; but if the Father be invisible, consequently his image in the Son must be invisible also. This is that form of God of which he divested himself; the ineffable glory in which he not only did not appear, as to its splendour and accompaniments, but concealed also its essential nature; that inaccessible light which no man, no created being, can possibly see. This was that Divine nature, the fulness of the Godhead bodily, which dwelt in him.
The first-born of every creature — I suppose this phrase to mean the same as that, Philippians 2:9: God hath given him a name which is above every name; he is as man at the head of all the creation of God; nor can he with any propriety be considered as a creature, having himself created all things, and existed before any thing was made. If it be said that God created him first, and that he, by a delegated power from God, created all things, this is most flatly contradicted by the apostle's reasoning in the 16th and 17th verses. Colossians 1:16; Colossians 1:17 As the Jews term Jehovah בכורו של עולם becoro shel olam, the first-born of all the world, or of all the creation, to signify his having created or produced all things; (see Wolfius in loc.) so Christ is here termed, and the words which follow in the 16th and 17th Colossians 1:16; Colossians 1:17 verses are the proof of this. The phraseology is Jewish; and as they apply it to the supreme Being merely to denote his eternal pre-existence, and to point him out as the cause of all things; it is most evident that St. Paul uses it in the same way, and illustrates his meaning in the following words, which would be absolutely absurd if we could suppose that by the former he intended to convey any idea of the inferiority of Jesus Christ.
