Head, Beginning, Firstborn and Preeminence Colossians 1:18

As Paul the apostle continued his description of Jesus in his letter to the Colossians, he wrote about His involvement with deliverance, redemption, creation and preexistence before all things. In chapter one and verse eighteen, Paul continued his list by giving more examples of Jesus' attributes. We read:

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning,

the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

The verse begins, “And he is the head of the body, the church:” Paul said Jesus “is the head” which means “supreme, chief, and prominent” “of the body” or “a (large or small) number of men closely united into one society, or family as it were; a social, ethical, or mystical body”, “the church” or “an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting”. Not only is Jesus over all creation and created things, but He is also the “Supreme and Chief” over all the church.

The verse goes on to say, “who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;” Paul adds two more traits of Jesus as he says He is “the beginning” or “the person or thing that commences, the first person or thing in a series, the leader, and that by which anything begins to be, the origin, or the active cause”. He also called Jesus “the firstborn” which means “first begotten” “from the dead” which refers to Jesus' resurrection. Jesus was the first and only person who raised Himself from the grave, which showed His power, prominence and superiority over even death itself.

Finally the verse says, “that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Paul gives the reason Jesus is the head of the church, the beginning, and the firstborn from the dead, - “that in all things” that is “each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, and everything” “he might have the preeminence” or “to be first or to hold the first place”. There is no one greater, more powerful, stronger or higher than Jesus Christ, and Paul made sure the church members in Colosse knew it to be so.

When we consider Jesus do we think of Him in all His glory and preeminence? Do we remember His “headship” over the church, and how he resurrected Himself from the grave through His own power? Paul has reminded us that He did all these things to “have the preeminence”. Why then should we worry over the troubles and difficulties we face? If He is preeminent, then what circumstances enter our lives in which He is not more powerful? Maybe the next time we encounter something that seems to overwhelm us we will remember that He is the head, the beginning, the firstborn, and preeminent over anything we will ever face in this life.

Next time Paul will write about the preferences God the Father has for Jesus, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

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