Col 1:15-20 - The firstborn of all creation
Not what you're looking for?
Universal reconciliation derives from Christ, the Image of God, Firstborn of every creature. The task of Christ is to bring everything back to unity, because everything comes from God and everything must return to Him. It is an immense act of liberation that which is brought about by the return of Christ to the Father, as the First fruit of that humanity filled with God. This salvific supremacy of Christ finds its explanation in the design that the Father had with the risen Christ: to make the divinity in all its "fullness" dwell in him (Col 2:9). Christ is the divine pléroma. The unity between the baptised and Christ does not take place in the manner of the union between the parts of a living or social organism, but Christ is "head" of the members, who live for him and receive life and unity from him. Divine life dwells in him not only as a Son, which is obvious, but in a "bodily form", that is, in his incarnation, and furthermore as the man who is risen, glorified, Kyrios. In him, the divinity is not susceptible to growth or decrease, because the whole divine "being" is in him, so much so that the Father has arranged for him to be the dispenser. Unity and distinction between Christ and the Church leads to affirming the supremacy of Christ over all realities.
The reconciliation takes place between all the celestial and earthly creatures "through Christ", where the "through" indicates a movement towards a focal point. In realising the reconciliation, God converges everything towards Christ, as centre and purpose.
Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary
This solution is about Christ as the First-born of all creation in whom the fullness of divinity dwells in a bodily form according to Col 1:15-20. The hymn expresses through Christological titles the marvellous work of love performed by the Son of the Father's love. It thus depicts the soteriological and ecclesiological consequences of the blood he shed on the cross.
Solution Preview
COL 1:15-20 - Paul's Christological Hymn
INTRODUCTION
The passage of the hymn that we are considering is very important due its theological themes that summarises the whole letter as well as a good part of Pauline theology. The letter to the Colossians which the hymn is part of was composed around 62 AD. However, we do not know whether the hymn was an already existing composition or of the same period as the letter.
The discussions on the use that the community made of this hymn (baptismal celebration, Eucharistic celebration), as well as its origin (Judaic-biblical, Gnostic), or on who its author is have little importance. Considering the insertion of the hymn in a precise context of the letter, with a specific theological intention as the author did helps us in understanding this. This hymn completes and crowns the teaching of the letter and it is the central theme of the whole letter. With a solemnity and a magnificent density, it proclaims that because of Jesus' triumph over the powers of the cosmos he is truly the first in everything. The hymn equally emphasises the universal and definitive primacy of Jesus Christ.
THEOLOGICAL MESSAGE
The exegetical analysis allows us to get a better grasp of the profound meaning of our Christological hymn. It is a praise in the form of an anthem. The hymn contemplates titles that express the marvellous work of love performed by the Son of the Father's love (or the the Son that He loves; see v.13).
A. CHRISTOLOGY
The name of the one who is proclaimed is not mentioned in the hymn, but the text is in a position where the reference to Christ is clear. The whole hymn refers to v.13, the Son of his love through which the Father has made us worthy to participate in the divine life through the reconciliation operated by this Son. In each of the titles attributed to Christ we find the close union with God the Father.
I. IMAGE OF GOD = CHRISTOLOGY AND THEOLOGY
This is the first title that the hymn attributes to Christ. Christ is the image of an invisible God, therefore he reveals God who, being "transcendent", is invisible as underlined by the hymn. Only Jesus who participates in the transcendence of God can reveal the completeness of divinity, which is present in the historical humanity of Christ in a total, stable and definitive way.
The hymn with the expression: image of the invisible God, recognises Christ an equality with God, making the Son the final goal to which creation and redemption tend. Therefore only through Christ and in Christ do we know the fullness of God.
The Christology is closely linked to theology. The Father and the Son, who is his image, are united as much in creation as in salvation. The whole hymn shows the work of the Father through the beloved Son. The Father creates and recreates in the Son. The originating cause ...
Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
The Bible
How well do you know the books of the Bible? Can you keep the order straight?
The Disciples
How much do you know about these key followers of Jesus?
Biblical Locations
Find out how much you know about where things happened in the Bible with this quiz.
Old Testament Figures
Do you know the individuals in the Old Testament? Test your knowledge with this quiz.
The Bible Part 2
Ready to keep testing your knowledge of the order of the books of the Bible? Find out how much you know with this quiz.