Colossians--Christ Our Head

Colossians--Christ Our Head The real dangers which threatened the Church at Colosse--the deceitful philosophy of the Gnostics which set God on one side, worship of angels, legalism, forced asceticism--called forth this marvellous description of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians dwells on the Church, the body; Colossians on Christ the Head. Christ is the image of the invisible God the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13), the abode of His fulness (Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1:19; Colossians 2:3; Colossians 2:9).

Christ is the sovereign Creator of the universe (Colossians 1:16-17).

He is from all eternity, and has all pre-eminence (Colossians 1:17).

He is the Reconciler of the universe through the blood of His Cross (Colossians 1:20-22; Colossians 1:14; Colossians 2:14).

He is the Head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10; Colossians 2:15). He is the Head of the body, the Church (Colossians 1:18; Colossians 1:24; Colossians 2:19; Colossians 3:4).

He is All in All (Colossians 3:11). The Church’s position is united to Christ, complete in Him, dead, buried, risen with Him; therefore she is to put off the old and to put on the new (Colossians 1:27; Colossians 2:10; Colossians 2:12; Colossians 3:1-10).

Like Paul’s other Epistles, the doctrinal section is followed by practical rules for daily life. As if he said, “Here is the principle, now see how it works out.”238