The Nugget:
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
My Comment:
Ten days ago on September 6, 2023, I posted this comment:
- The Bible teaches that Jesus is before all things (thus, Jesus is eternal and uncreated) and that by Jesus “all things consist” (KJV) (Colossians 1:17). Thus the whole universe is sustained and held together by our Lord Jesus Christ, who created all things (John 1:3. Hebrews 1:2. 2:10. Revelation 4:11.).
The context of Colossians 1:17 is very instructive. In fact, my interest in cross reference Bible study was lastingly increased by the cross references I found and read for Colossians 1:10,
Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
From the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
Colossians 1:10
ye: Col 2:6, Col 4:5; Mic 4:5; Rom 4:12, Rom 6:4; Eph 4:1, Eph 5:2, Eph 5:15; Php 1:27; 1Th 2:12
all: Col 3:20; Pro 16:7; Php 4:18; 1Th 4:1; 2Ti 2:4; Heb 11:5, Heb 13:16; 1Jn 3:22
fruitful: Joh 15:8, Joh 15:16; Gal 5:22, 23; Eph 2:10; Php 1:11; Tit 3:1, Tit 3:14; Heb 13:21; 2Pe 1:8
increasing: Col 2:19; Isa 53:11; Dan 12:4; Hab 2:14; Joh 17:3; 2Co 2:14, 2Co 4:6, 2Co 9:8; Eph 1:17, Eph 4:13; 2Pe 1:2, 3, 2Pe 3:18; 1Jn 5:20.
Be sure you check the above references out for your own spiritual encouragement!
To dig still deeper into Colossians 1:10, study these expanded references from The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:
Colossians 1:10
walk worthy. T1741, +*Col 2:6; *Col 4:5, +Gen 5:22, Deut 13:4, +*Psa 1:1; +*Psa 1:3; *Psa 119:3; Psa 128:1, *Mic 4:5; +*Mic 6:8, +**Luk 21:36, Act 9:31, Rom 4:12; +*Rom 6:4; Rom 13:13, *+Eph 4:1; *Eph 5:2; *Eph 5:15, *Php 1:27, *1Th 2:12.
all pleasing. *Col 3:20, Exo 33:13, Ezr 10:11, Psa 143:10; Psa 147:11; Psa 149:4, +*Pro 16:7, *Rom 8:8; Rom 15:2, *1Co 10:33, 2Co 5:9, %Gal 1:10, Eph 5:10, Php 4:18, *1Th 2:4; *1Th 4:1, 1Ti 2:3, *2Ti 2:4, *Heb 11:5; *Heb 13:16; *Heb 13:21, *1Jn 3:22.
fruitful. T1503, Col 1:6, Exo 28:34, +*Psa 1:3, **Pr 11:30, Mat 7:17; *Mat 13:23, Mar 4:20; Mar 4:28, Luk 8:8; Luk 8:15, +*Joh 15:5; +*Joh 15:8; +*Joh 15:16, **Rom 6:22; **Rom 7:4, 2Co 9:10, +**Gal 5:22; +**Gal 5:23, **Eph 2:10, *Php 1:9, 10, 11; Php 4:17, *Tit 3:1; *Tit 3:14, *Heb 13:21, Jas 3:17, +**1Pe 2:2, **2Pe 1:8.
good work. Mat 26:10, Mar 14:6, +Act 9:36, *2Co 9:8, *Eph 2:10, *1Ti 5:10, *Tit 3:1; *Tit 3:8; *Tit 3:14.
increasing. Col 2:19, *Isa 53:11, +*Dan 12:4, *Hab 2:14, **Joh 17:3, 2Co 2:14; *2Co 4:6; **2Co 9:8, *Eph 1:17; Eph 4:13, +1Pe 2:2, 2Pe 1:2, 3; +*2Pe 3:18, 1Jn 5:20, 21.
knowledge. Gr. epignōsis (S# G1922, Rom_10:2). Col 1:9, +**Psa 9:10 note. +*Psa 51:6, +*Pro 15:14, Hos 2:20; *Hos 6:3; *Hos 6:6, *Joh 8:19, 1Co 1:5, 2Co 6:6, *Eph 3:19, +*2Pe 3:18.
Now to get back to the main study topic at hand, here are the cross references for Colossians 1:15 as given in the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Colossians 1:15
the image. Gr. eikōn (S# G1504, 1Co 15:45). Gen 1:26, 27, Exo 24:10, *Num 12:8, Eze 1:26, 27, 28, **Zec 13:7, **Joh 1:18; Joh 12:45; **Joh 14:9; *Joh 15:24, Rom 8:29, *2Co 4:4; *2Co 4:6, +*Php 2:6, *1Ti 3:16, **Heb 1:3.
the invisible. Gr. aoratos (S# G517, Rom 1:20). %+*Gen 32:30, Deut 4:12, Isa 40:18; Isa 46:5, +Joh 1:18; Joh 6:46; Joh 14:7, +Rom 1:20.
God. Col 2:2, +*Joh 1:18; Joh 8:19, Rom 1:20, *1Ti 1:17; **1Ti 6:16, Heb 11:27.
the firstborn. or, heir. Gr. prōtotokos
[S# G4416: Rendered (1) firstborn: Mat 1:25, Luk 2:7, Rom 8:29, Col 1:15; Col 1:18, Heb 11:28; Heb 12:23, (2) firstbegotten: Heb 1:6, (3) first begotten: Rev 1:5].
In this messianic title, firstborn of all creation may be interpreted as “existing before all creation” (LN 13,79) or “existing superior to all creation (LN 87.47). FS22D4C, +Rom 8:29, FS157, +1Co 15:6. Lightfoot remarks, “all the Fathers of the second and third centuries without exception, as far as I have noticed, correctly refer it [the expression “first-born”] to the Eternal Word and not to the Incarnate Christ.” Compare Gen 41:51, 52 with +**Jer 31:9. *Exo 4:22, superiority of position, rank, priority. Deut 21:15, 16, 17, +**Psa 89:20; +**Psa 89:27.
Consider Abraham’s sons: Ishmael was the firstborn, but Isaac was the promised heir and seed, Gal 4:23. Consider also Jacob and Esau: Gen 25:23, *Mal 1:1; *Mal 1:2; *Mal 1:3, Rom 9:12, 13. Among Jacob’s sons, Reuben was the firstborn, but the birthright was Joseph’s, 1Ch 5:1, 2. Simri was made firstborn, 1Ch 26:10, though expressly not born first. Manasseh was firstborn, but the blessing was given to Ephraim, Gen 48:14.
If “firstborn” invariably means “born first,” then how can Israel (Exo 4:22), David (Psa 89:27), and Ephraim (+**Jer 31:9), and Christ (Rom 8:29, Col 1:15; Col 1:18, Heb 1:6, Rev 1:5) all be called by God “my firstborn”?
Therefore, use of the term firstborn in reference to Christ says nothing concerning his origin, but declares his position, rank, and office. Note the use of “firstborn” in Job 18:13. John Daille notes that we are to understand “…eldest or first born, to signify the head, the lord, and the master. We say, therefore, that it is in this sense we must understand the apostle’s words, Christ ’is the first-born of every creature,’ that is, the Master and Lord of them; which in no way implies that he himself is a creature; lords not being always of the same extraction and lineage with their subjects, but most frequently of another very different. And as it would be ridiculous reasoning to conclude that he who has the dominion of death is death itself, under the colour that Job terms him, ‘the first-born of death;’ so is it most impertinent arguing to infer that the Lord is a creature, because the apostle says here, that he ‘is the first-born of every creature’” (An Exposition of Colossians, p. 102).
The term first-born does not imply that Christ was a created being. It has been interpreted as used in the absolute sense, becoming a recognized title of Messiah; thus, His preeminence and sovereignty (LNT, fn h). Col 1:17, 18, +=Lev 23:10, **Jos 14:6 note. *1Ch 5:1; 1Ch 8:38 note. Psa 45:2; *Psa 89:27, Isa 14:30, *Luk 11:31, Joh 1:14; **Joh 3:16, Act 7:35; +**Act 10:36, *+Rom 8:29; **+Rom 9:5, Eph 1:21, *Heb 1:2; *Heb 1:6, *Rev 1:5.
of every creature. or, over all creation. That Christ is the firstborn of every creature does not require that Christ himself be a creature, because firstborn has reference not to origin but to rank or position. Dr. John MacArthur notes here that “when the ‘firstborn’ is one of a class, the class is in the plural form (cf. Col 1:18; Rom 8:29), but ‘creation,’ the class here, is in a singular form” (Study Bible, p. 1833). **Col 1:16; **Col 1:17, Neh 9:6, *Pro 8:29, 30, 31, Jer 32:17, Mar 13:19, **Joh 17:5; **Joh 17:10, +**Act 10:36, **Rom 9:5; Rom 11:36, +**Rev 3:14 note.
These should be studied in conjunction with the next verse, Colossians 1:16,
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Colossians 1:16
by him were. Col 1:15, 2Ch 2:12, *Psa 102:25, 26, 27, Pro 8:27, *Isa 40:9, 10, 11, 12; **Isa 44:24, *+Joh 1:3; Joh 5:17; +*Joh 5:19, +*1Co 8:6, *Eph 3:9, 1Ti 3:16, *Heb 1:2; *Heb 1:10, 11, 12; *Heb 3:3; *Heb 3:4.
all things. Logically, if all things have been created by Christ, then he of necessity is uncreated, an absolute proof of His deity. This explains why the Jehovah’s Witnesses in their New World Translation felt constrained, for doctrinal reasons, to make the unwarranted addition to the Word of God at this verse by adding “other” so as to read “all other things,” making a lame attempt to justify such an addition by a reference to Luk 11:41, 42 or Luk 13:2; Luk 13:4. In the early editions (1950, 1951, and six volumes bound in one, 1963) of their translation, “other” was not even included in brackets, as it now is—a change perhaps prompted by the harsh criticism of many Bible scholars. Col 1:17; Col 1:20, Isa 44:24, +Joh 1:3, 2Co 5:18, Eph 3:9, Heb 1:2; Heb 2:10.
created. Gen 1:1, 2Ch 2:12, +*Neh 9:6, **Psa 33:9; Psa 146:6, Isa 37:16; Isa 40:26, +*Jer 32:17; Jer 51:15, *Joh 1:3, Heb 1:2.
in heaven. Col 1:20, *Deut 4:39, 1Ch 29:11, Isa 40:26, Jer 10:12; +*Jer 32:17; Jer 51:15, *+Eph 1:10, *Php 2:10, *Rev 5:13; *Rev 5:14.
in earth. **+Psa 78:69, Jer 10:12; *Jer 27:5; +*Jer 32:17; Jer 51:15.
whether. Without exception on the score of magnificence or rank (WKF, p. 109). Eph 1:21.
thrones. FS173, +Gen 27:44. Col 2:10; Col 2:15, Eze 10:1, +*Rom 8:38, *Eph 1:21; *Eph 3:10; *Eph 6:12, *1Pe 3:22.
dominions. Col 2:15, *+Eph 1:21.
powers. 2Th 1:7, 1Pe 3:22.
all things. Psa 8:6, Pro 16:4, *+Joh 1:3, Php 3:21; %Php 4:13, Heb 3:4, Rev 4:11.
were created. 1Pe 4:19, 2Pe 1:3, **Rev 4:11.
by him. *Pro 16:4, *Isa 43:21, *Rom 11:36, 1Co 8:6, *Heb 2:10.
for him. T76-2, Col 3:11, +Pro 16:4 (T209). Mat 28:18, **Rom 9:5, *2Co 8:9, Eph 1:5, +Heb 9:14 (T346).
These verses should be studied in connection with Colossians 1:17, the verse I cited in my post of September 6, alluded to above:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Colossians 1:17
he is before. *Col 1:15, Psa 55:19, *Pro 8:22; *Pro 8:23, *Isa 43:11, 12, 13; *Isa 44:6, +*Mic 5:2, *+Joh 1:1, 2, 3; **Joh 1:15; **+Joh 8:35; Joh 8:58; +*Joh 17:5, +*1Co 8:6, +*Heb 13:8, +*Rev 1:8; Rev 1:11; Rev 1:17; *Rev 2:8.
all things. Col 1:16; Col 1:20, *1Co 8:6.
and by him. Col 1:11, *1Sa 2:8, +*Neh 9:6, Psa 75:3, Isa 40:26; *Isa 44:24; Isa 66:2, Jer 51:15, **Joh 1:3; +**Joh 5:17; Joh 5:18, *Act 17:28, Eph 1:19; **Eph 3:9, **Heb 1:3, 2Pe 3:5 g. +*Rev 3:14.
all things. Isa 44:24, **Joh 1:3, 2Co 5:18, **Heb 1:2; *Heb 2:10, *Rev 4:11.
consist. or, subsist. or, cohere or hold together. Gr. sunestēken (S# G4921, Luk 9:32). 1Ch 16:30, +*Neh 9:6, Psa 33:9; +*Psa 78:69, 2Pe 3:5.