Understanding Colossians 1, Col 1:15-17, "by him all things were created"

Understanding Colossians 1:15-17, “By him all things were created”

The context of Colossians 1 is the Gospel message of the Kingdom and the hope of the resurrection. This is indicated by the preamble of Col 1:1-14 preceding the preeminence passage of Col 1:15-20, as well as the passage of Col 1:21-29 coming right after the preeminence passage. That is, the preeminence passage of Col 1:15-17 is bracketed by contextual references to the gospel. Moreover, the preeminence passage references the gospel within itself, as seen in Col 1:18-20. The explicit  references in Colossians 1 that clearly frame Col 1:15-17 in the context of the Gospel, are as follows:

• “.. since we heard of your faith in Christi Jesus ... because of the hope laid up for you in heaven... of this you have heard.. the gospel” (Col 1: 4-5)
•  “...  giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.. he has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col 1: 12-14)
• “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,  and through him to reconcile to himself all things.” (Col 1:18-29)
• “And you.. he has now reconciled… if indeed you continue in the faith… not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven.” (Col 1:21-23)
• “... the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col 1:27)

 

The key to understanding Colossians 1 is that it pertains to the Gospel and that this is prophetic (speaking toward the future). This is speaking of a prophetic reality that is coming into fulfillment as an actualized reality. It is a divine reality before it is fully seen as being realized (compare Heb 2:8) Just because an English translation is in either the past, present, or future tense, it does not necessarily mean that this is what is implied. One often encounters the use of the “prophetic perfect”, where a prophecy of something that has not yet come to pass is in the perfect tense, and so is often translated with the English past tense, e.g. …with His stripes, we were healed (Isaiah 53:5), when from the perspective of the prophet, he was speaking of something in the future.

Colossians 1:16 says that “by him all things were created” and that “all things were created through him and for him.” However, in the context, we see that this pertains to the new creation as the passage speaks about inheritance, the coming kingdom, and redemption. It speaks to Jesus being the firstborn of all creation in the sense that “he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead." And it speaks to God's motive: “that in everything he might be preeminent” and so God through him could “reconcile to himself all things”. Colossians 1 is forward-looking and is speaking prophetically as it says, “he is before all things” (not that he was). Accordingly, Colossians 1 is not a message about the original creation, but rather about the gospel of our salvation—the inheritance into the coming kingdom of God (the new creation, Col 1:12-13). Several verses in the first few chapters of Revelation confirm the understanding that firstborn of all creation = firstborn from the dead (Rev 1:5, Rev 1:17-18, Rev 2:8, 10, Rev 3:14, 21). Jesus is the first and the last of the new creation, through whom all who are saved will have life and be part of the new heavens and the new earth. 

Colossians 1:12-20 (ESV), He is the firstborn of all creation—he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Revelation 1:5 (ESV), Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead

and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

Revelation 1:17-18 (ESV), I am the first and the last—I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death 

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Revelation 2:8, 10 (ESV), Words of the first and the last, who died and came to life

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life…  Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Revelation 3:14, 21 (ESV), The beginning of God's creation—The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation... The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

For more on this, see: https://preexistenceofchrist.com/ – Understanding in what sense Christ preexisted

https://TrueUnitarian.com- The basis for Biblical Unitarianism

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Unitarian interpretations of John 1  

There are 4-5 Unitarian interpretations of John 1 with respect to "the Word" and context of verse 1:

1. The Word is a hypostatization of God's speech (and thoughts): an "it." John 1:1 pertains to the original creation—This is my view / Anthony Buzzard / James DG Dunn
2. The Word is a hypostatization of God's speech (and thoughts): an "it." John 1:1 pertains to the beginning of the ministry—REV translators
3. The Word is the personification of Wisdom (Wisdom Christology): a "he." John 1:1 pertains to the original creation—Dale Tuggy / Nathaniel Lardner
4. The Word is Jesus in a direct sense and John 1:1 pertains to the beginning of the ministry—Andrew Perry / Bill Schlegel / Socinian 
5. The Word is Jesus in a direct sense and John 1:1 pertains to the new creation (post-resurrection) 

Whatever your view here it doesn't change the core fundamentals of our Unitarian understanding of the doctrine of Christ (Christology) and of God (Theology). So we should acknowledge there are differences among us and agree to disagree when these differences don't play a significant impact on our core Biblical Unitarian doctrine. 

Related Websites:

https://understandinglogos.com/ – The true meaning of the Word in the prologue of John

https://issueswithjohn.com/ - Understanding the various issues pertaining to the Fourth Gospel

https://iamstatements.com/  – Understanding how Jesus identifies himself in the Gospels

https://jesusisthemodel.com/ – Understanding how Jesus is the model for us

https://preexistenceofchrist.com/ – Understanding in what sense Christ preexisted

https://biblicalagency.com/ - Understanding a key biblical concept pertaining to Christ

https://bibleconflations.com/ – Refuting erroneous conflations used to infer Jesus is ontologically God

https://controllinginfluence.com/ – Understanding what is the Holy Spirit

https://onemediator.faith/ - The essential humanity of the one mediator Jesus Christ

https://onegodonelord.faith/ - Distinction between one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ

https://formofgod.com/ - Analysis of Philippians 2: Exaltation not preexistence

Integrity Syndicate—For the restoration of 1st Century Christianity https://integritysyndicate.com

Integrity Syndicate YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/IntegritySyndicate

Integrity Syndicate Discord: https://discord.gg/wM7HtbeQeX

Alpha and Omega, First and Last as Applied to Jesus

Calling Jesus Alpha and Omega or First and Last is not a statement of ontology (that Jesus is literally God). 

Jesus is the firstborn from the dead in that all who are saved are saved through him. All that have lived who will be saved, from the beginning to the end will be saved through Christ. God's plan from the beginning to the end was to reconcile all things through Christ. Jesus is first and last, beginning and end, alpha and omega, in a different sense than God is. Alpha and Omega can be applied to God himself or it can be applied to the centerpiece of God's plan. There are two major themes pertaining to the revelation of God throughout the Bible. God and God's plan to save the world through his Messiah. Luke 24:44 (ESV) "Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Revelation 19:10 (ESV) "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Ephesians 3:8-11 (ESV) "to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord." 1 Timothy 2:5-6 (ESV) "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time."

For more on this, see https://bibleconflations.com

Integrity Syndicate—For the restoration of 1st Century Christianity https://integritysyndicate.com

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Theme of Misunderstanding in the Gospel of John

 The reoccurring pattern in John is that Jesus speaks in a provocative and ambiguous way and his audience misunderstands his words, regardless of if they are adversaries or followers. Jesus always provides clues and clarification within the dialogue as to what he means. Be careful to look at the surrounding context for statements that clarify verses that seem ambiguous.

Germans scholars identified the motif of misunderstanding in the 20th century. Hans Windisch in 1923 regarded expressions of misunderstanding in the Fourth Gospel as a mark of Johannine style. H. Leroy interpreted this technique as the genre riddle, related to oracle and joke. The unreal riddles of John are given an abstract answer, which could not be understood without the accompanying clarification. (George Strecker, History of New Testament Literature (1997) p. 175) 

R. Alan Culpepper further elaborates on the misunderstanding, irony, and symbolism of John in his book Anatomy of the Fourth Gospel, A Study in Literary Design (1987): 

The continuous implicit communication within the Fourth Gospel is a major source of both its power and its mystery. What seems clear and simple on the surface is never so simple for the prospective reader because of the opacity and complexity of the Gospel’s subsurface signals. Various textural features, principally the misunderstandings, irony, and symbolism, constantly lead the reader to view the story from a higher vantage point… It is the discovery of the subsurface signals which had previously escaped the reader’s notice that allows the gospel to be read again and again with pleasure and profit. (p. 151)

One of the distinctive features of the Gospel of John is the frequency with which its secondary characters misunderstand Jesus. These misunderstandings may be characterized in general terms by the following elements: (1) Jesus makes a statement which is ambiguous, metaphorical, or contains a double-entendre; (2) His dialogue partner responds either in terms of the literal meaning of Jesus’ statement or by a question or protest which shows that he or she has missed the higher meaning of Jesus words; (3) In most instances an explanation is then offered by Jesus or (less frequently) the narrator. The misunderstandings, therefore, provide an opportunity to explain the meaning of Jesus’ words and develop significant themes further. They have [greater] effect on the reader than if the meaning had merely been stated plainly from the beginning. (p. 152)

It is clear, that the same formative principle is at work in the Fourth gospel and in the Hermetic dialogues, however different the content may be. The evangelist, it seems, has molded his material in forms based upon current Hellenistic models of philosophical and religious teachings, instead of following the forms, of Jewish origin, represented in the synoptic gospels. The typical Johannian dialogue must be accepted as an original literary creation owing, so far as form is concerned, little or nothing to the primitive Christian tradition. (C. H. Dodd, Historical Tradition in the Fourth Gospel, p. 321) (p. 152)

For more on this, see my page on the Devised Literary Structure of John: https://issueswithjohn.com/devised-literary-structure-of-john/

Also many of my pages on https://trueunitarian.com address misunderstandings of John, including understanding logos, I am statements, Jesus is the model, and the preexistence of Christ.

Related Websites:
https://issueswithjohn.com/ - Understanding the various issues pertaining to the Fourth Gospel

https://understandinglogos.com/ – The true meaning of the Word in the prologue of John

https://iamstatements.com/  – Understanding how Jesus identifies himself in the Gospels

https://jesusisthemodel.com/ – Understanding how Jesus is the model for us

https://preexistenceofchrist.com/ – Understanding in what sense Christ preexisted

https://biblicalagency.com/ - Understanding a key biblical concept pertaining to Christ

https://bibleconflations.com/ – Refuting erroneous conflations used to infer Jesus is ontologically God

https://controllinginfluence.com/ – Understanding what is the Holy Spirit

https://onemediator.faith/ - The essential humanity of the one mediator Jesus Christ

https://onegodonelord.faith/ - Distinction between one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ

https://formofgod.com/ - Analysis of Philippians 2: Exaltation not preexistence

Integrity Syndicate—For the restoration of 1st Century Christianity https://integritysyndicate.com

Integrity Syndicate YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/IntegritySyndicate

Integrity Syndicate Discord: https://discord.gg/wM7HtbeQeX

Essential Gospel Message, Jesus is God's Salvation (not God)

The Good news (Gospel) is that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) and that, through him, we have a place in God's Kingdom.

• Through Christ Jesus, we proclaim the resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:22-36, Acts 4:2)
• The Gospel of the kingdom (Acts 18:12, 20:25, 32)
• Christ (Messiah) is Jesus (Acts 5:30-32, 5:42, Acts 9:20 Acts 10:36-46, Acts 13:30-35 Acts 17:3)
• The new covenant is established with his blood. (Luke 22:20, Acts 20:28)
• Through Jesus, we are reconciled to God (Acts 4:10-12, Acts 5:30-32, Acts 13:36-41)
• Through Jesus, we receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:32-33, Acts 11:5-18, Acts 19:2-6)
• Through Jesus, we receive an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. (Acts 8:12, Acts 20:32)
• Justification is by entering into the new covenant through repentance and faith. (Acts 2:38, Acts 13:36-40, Acts 14:22, Acts 15:8-11)
• We are cleansed by faith and saved by grace—not by unnecessary burdens in following the law of Moses. (Acts 15:5-11, Acts 15:28-29)

For more on the essential Gospel message, see https://essentialgospel.faith and https://gospelofacts.com

Jesus is my Lord and Savior, He is the provision for salvation from God our Savior. God uses agents to implement his plan and purposes. https://biblicalagency.com/ As the one mediator between God and man, Jesus is also Lord and Savior under the framework for salvation from the one God and Father, the ultimate cause of salvation.

"The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.  God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." (Acts 5:30-31 ) 

Indeed there is no salvation apart from God. The one God and Father is the ultimate cause and Jesus Christ our Lord is the proximate cause. Jesus gave himself according to the will of our God and Father (Gal 1:4)  The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus (Acts 3:13) God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom was crucified (Acts 2:36).

Integrity Syndicate—For the restoration of 1st Century Christianity https://integritysyndicate.com

Integrity Syndicate YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/IntegritySyndicate

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Baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

At first, when the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit was invoked in baptism or in other contexts it was not affirming a belief in later Trinitarian dogma but was an affirmation of the old roman symbol (a primitive version of the apostle's creed). It is not making a statement that these are three persons of one God, but that these three are critical aspects of our confession of faith. 

[The Father]

 I believe in God the Father almighty;

[The Son]

and in Christ Jesus His only Son, our Lord,

Who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,

Who under Pontius Pilate was crucified and buried,

on the third day rose again from the dead,

ascended to heaven,

sits at the right hand of the Father,

whence he will come to judge the living and the dead;

[The Holy Spirit]

and in the Holy Spirit,

[Other confessions of faith]

the holy Church,

the remission of sins,

the resurrection of the flesh

the life everlasting.

Early Christians, who were baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit were just making an affirmation of the Apostles Creed (not a belief in the doctrine of the Trinity): As you can see we have Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the creed—but no conflation of the three.  Jesus is the name of the Son, by which we are reconciled to the Father and receive the Holy Spirit. According to Acts 2:38, if we repent (towards God the Father), and are baptized in the name of Jesus (the Son), we will have the forgiveness of our sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Acts 2:38 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

<38> And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This is the meaning harmonized with Matthew 28:19.

For more on why baptism is in the name of Jesus, see https://baptisminjesusname.com

integrity Syndicate—For the restoration of 1st Century Christianity https://integritysyndicate.com

Integrity Syndicate YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/IntegritySyndicate

Integrity Syndicate Discord: https://discord.gg/wM7HtbeQeX

 

Issues with Matthew

Matthew has a number of issues that calls its credibility into question. First, we look at Lukan Priority as a basis for understanding how Luke is a predecessor of Mark and Matthew is a derivative work of Mark that exhibits ad-hoc numerous changes made by Mark. Paul’s use of Luke and consistency with both Luke and Acts is another indication of Lukan Priority.

Lukan Priority and the Jerusalem School

Scholars of the Jerusalem School attest that Luke is most faithful to the Hebraic source material grounding all the Synoptic Gospels. The indication is Lukan priority. The Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research is a group of “Jewish and Christian scholars collaborating in the land and language of Jesus; bringing historical, linguistic and critical expertise to bear on the synoptic gospels,” that holds to the Jerusalem school hypothesis, which is a theory against Markan priority. They provide many evidences to suggest that Luke’s version is the most accurate and that Matthew has been too often unduly influenced by Mark, even when he is correcting Mark with his parallel texts. The surprising result of this research is “that of all the Synoptists Luke should prove to be the best in the preservation of earlier texts… the fact that Luke preserves a Greek text which normally retranslates easily to Hebrew and almost always fails to give even a hint of an expression which could be interpreted as the remnant of a Markan non-Hebraism should have led me to suspect that Luke is uninfluenced by Mark and derives his usually excellent translation-text directly from a proto-source.”

The article Lukan Priority and the Jerusalem School goes into the findings of Hebraic scholars. 

Lukan Priority and the Jerusalem School

Marcan Priority Regarding Matthew Being a Reconstruction of Mark

The Gospel of Matthew was written after the Gospel of Mark was written. Matthew is clearly dependent on Mark for much of its content (95% of the Gospel of Mark is found within Matthew and 53% of the text is verbatim (word-for-word) from Mark). Matthew carries over some defective changes made in Mark. The Gospel is attributed to Matthew because of the presumption that some of the unique source material may had come from Matthew (a disciple of Jesus who was previously a tax collector) although most of the source material is from the Gospel of Mark as many see it is an embellishment upon Mark. What is clear is that Matthew is the combination of source materials rather than that of a single disciple or source.

 

Marcan Priority Regarding Matthew Being a Reconstruction of Mark documents how there are Markan Defects exhibited in Matthew. In addition to Lukan priority, the Jerusalem School has demonstrated that Matthew is a derivative work of Mark.Marcan Priority Regarding Matthew Being a Reconstruction of Mark

Matthean Posteriority & Matthew’s use of Luke

This article presents evidence for the author of Matthew having used Luke in the composition of the Gospel of Matthew. The view of Matthew being the last of the three Synoptic gospels and having a dependency on Luke is known as Matthean Posteriority. Posteriority is the state of being later or subsequent. In addition to the Jerusalem School, this view has been advocated by numerous bible scholars over the last few hundred years. Other NT scholars have recognized the merits of Matthean Posteriority. See More: Matthew’s dependence on Luke: Matthean Posteriority Matthean Posteriority & Matthew’s use of Luke

Matthew is a Judaizing Document

Matthew has Judaizing features that are missing from the other gospels. Matthew makes the highest standard of the law imperative, whereas, in Luke, the law is presented as a description of the ideal. According to the Jesus of Matthew, life is entered by keeping the commandments, and perfection is emphasized corresponding to an extreme standard of righteousness. The conclusion and climax of the opening of the Sermon on the Mount, often quoted by Judaizers of Matt 5:17-20, shows especially strong evidence of redactional intrusion. See more: Matthew is a Judaizing DocumentMatthew is a Judaizing Document

The Sermon on the Mount: The Matthean Jesus Is Not the Historical Jesus

The Matthean Jesus is not the historical Jesus. The Sermon on the Mount, in the First Gospel, is not a speech made by Jesus, but the literary work of the Evangelist who wrote Matthew. Matthew ethicizes and historizes the traditional material in light of a new situation. Regarding the emphasis of the Law in the Sermon on the Mount, these verses are largely Matthean compositions.  See more: The Sermon on the Mount : The Matthean Jesus Is Not the Historical JesusThe Sermon on the Mount : The Matthean Jesus Is Not the Historical Jesus

The Many Embellishments of Matthew

The Many Embellishments of Matthew are also documented, corresponding to historical claims and significant statements that are not attested anywhere else in the New TestamentThe Many Embellishments of Matthew

The Origin, Authorship, and Community of Matthew

The Origin, Authorship, and Community of Matthew addresses characteristics of the author and the community through which Matthew originatedThe Origin, Authorship, and Community of Matthew

Devised Literary Structure of Matthew

The literary structure is summarized in Devised Literary Structure of Matthew.Devised Literary Structure of Matthew

Matthew is a Liturgical Document

Evidence that Mathew was composed for liturgical use is provided in Matthew is a Liturgical Document.Matthew is a Liturgical Document

Prophecy Conflations and Misquotes of Matthew

Matthew has a number of conflations and misquotes of prophecy documented in Prophecy Conflations and Misquotes.Prophecy Conflations and Misquotes of Matthew

Corrections by Luke Over Matthew

Corrections by Luke over Matthew documents places where Luke makes a correction or clarification to Matthew.Corrections By Luke Over Matthew

Contradictions of Matthew

Contradictions of Matthew are those most blatantly obvious contradictions of Matthew with other Gospels.Contradictions of Matthew

Implications of Farrer Theory Regarding Matthew

Implications of Farrer Theory addresses how the Farrer-Goulder-Goodacre hypothesis is a basis for increase skepticism toward MatthewImplications of Farrer Theory Regarding Matthew

Critical Scholarship of Matthew

Critical Scholarship of Matthew provides key references of critical scholarship with extensive book excerpts. Critical Scholarship of Matthew

Matthew 28:19

Additionally, evidence is provided against the traditional wording of Matthew 28:19 regarding the baptismal formula, indicating it may have been added laterMatthew 28:19

See more at https://IssueswithMatthew.com

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