NOTES for Col 1:1-23

It is interesting: in what sense does Paul say that everything created was created for Christ? Of course, in his words one can see a reflection of the traditional Jewish messianic ideas that speak of the Messiah as the One whom God had planned even before the creation of the world.

If we take into account that traditional Judaism looks in the same way at the people of God, who were also planned by God before the creation of the world, then it is not hard to arrive at the conclusion that the world was created and exists for the sake of the people of God and the Messiah. But the apostle brings something new into these traditional ideas, which were certainly well known to him. He says of Christ that everything created was created not only for Him, but also by Him.

Of course, the question of the Messiah's origin is not resolved unambiguously even in the prophetic tradition. Some of the Messiah's names found, for example, in Isaiah of Jerusalem, make one think of special relations between the Messiah and God, relations not only, to use philosophical language, existential, but also ontological. Yet none of the prophets speaks of the Messiah's divinity, and Judaism knows no such ideas. Paul, however, by saying directly that the world was created by Christ, evidently implies exactly this. Christ creates the world together with the Father; therefore it turns out to have been created for Him, just as it was created for the Father Himself.

But then the Messiah becomes not only God's messenger on earth, fulfilling His will. He Himself becomes a theophany, bringing into the world the same fullness of God that belongs to the Father. Figuratively speaking, after the coming of Christ there was as much of God on earth as there had always been in heaven. That is why Christians need no mediators between themselves and God, between themselves and Christ: all conceivable and inconceivable hierarchies, all the "thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers" mentioned by Paul, cannot give the world more than Christ has already given it.

It is no surprise that the Kingdom also entered the world with Christ and through Christ, for it is unthinkable apart from that fullness of God which makes it what the witnesses say it is. And then it becomes clear that the world really was created for the sake of Christ and the Kingdom. The only alternative to such a course of events would be the triumph of sin and death. That is what God does not want to allow.

Speaking of the earthly and the heavenly, created by the Word that became incarnate in Jesus Christ, Paul lists "thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers." What does he mean? Later Christian tradition looks at these names as names of "angelic ranks," that is, as names of certain mysterious levels of the angelic hierarchy. But this understanding of the apostle's words is connected with the development of that area of theology called angelology. Medieval theologians loved to reason about the structure of the angelic world, though their experience of contact with this world hardly surpassed what is reflected in the Bible. The authors of the biblical books, however, do not speak very much about angels.

It is different with the authors of gnostic texts, which sometimes resemble later theosophical writings. They spoke much and readily about angels and the angelic world, but in the overwhelming majority of cases their colorful and lengthy descriptions were the fruit of their own mystical and poetic imagination. Gnostic theosophy, however, was by no means close to Paul: after all, he had received a fully traditional rabbinic education from a teacher who was by no means inclined toward gnostic fantasies. And one should hardly look in Paul's letters for any "teaching" about the angelic hierarchy.

But this does not mean at all that the apostle was alien to any mention of the realities of the spiritual world. Listing "the heavenly and the earthly," he speaks of them as well. True, they have nothing to do with any "angelic hierarchy" or any gnostic constructions. By "thrones" Paul most likely has in mind that Throne of glory so vividly described in chapter 6 of the Book of Isaiah, although it is by no means mentioned only there. In the Book of Daniel there is a colorful description of how the Messiah, called in the text of the book the "Son of Man," is brought to this Throne (Dan. 7:13-14).

If we also recall that the rabbinic tradition of the Gospel era speaks of the Throne of glory as created before the creation of the world, Paul's words about "thrones" fit well into the context not only of Holy Scripture, but also of the Tradition of his age. The same can be said of "principalities," though here one has to speak more of Greek philosophy than of rabbinic tradition. By "principalities," or more precisely by what the corresponding Greek word translated this way denotes, are meant the primary causes and moving forces of the universe that make it what it is, both as a whole and in its particulars. As is evident, Paul, acquainted not only with rabbinic tradition but also with Greek philosophy, interpreted both in the light of the new Christian revelation he had received.

As for "dominions" and "powers," here the matter is most likely not heavenly, but earthly. Both words refer to realities connected with earthly authority and earthly states: in the first case the matter may concern both authority and the territory over which that authority extends, while in the second it concerns rather the source of authority that establishes a certain state order where this authority extends, such being the meaning of the corresponding Greek words. As is evident, Paul correlates the Throne of glory with earthly thrones, and the cosmic first causes and principalities with the sources of earthly power, thereby illustrating his words about the incarnate Word by whom all things were created.

Interesting: in what sense Paul says that all which was created is created for Christ? Of course one can see in his words the reflection of these messianic Jewish traditional representations, which speak about the Messiah as the One, Who was conceived by God even before the creation. If we consider that the traditional Judaism looks the same way at the people of God (they were also conceived by God even before the creation), then it is easy to come to the conclusion of a world created and existing for the people of God and the Messiah. But the apostle brings to these traditional representations which are doubtless familiar to him something new.

He speaks of Christ, that all which was created was not only created for Him, but also by Him. Of course, the question of the origin of the Messiah in the prophetic tradition is ambiguously solved, certain names of the Messiah found for example in Isaiah of Jerusalem, force to think of special relationships of the Messiah with God, relations not only, expressing in the philosophic, existentialist language, but also ontological. But all the same none of the prophets speaks about the divinity of the Messiah, and the Judaism does not know such representations. Paul, speaking directly that the world is created by Christ, really meant to say it. The Christ creates the world together with the Father, and that is why it is created for Him, quite as for Father Himself. But then the Messiah does not become any more only the messenger of God on earth, accomplishing His will.

He becomes Himself the Epiphany, bringing into the world the same fullness of God, which is proper to the Father. Metaphorically speaking, after the coming of Christ on earth, God became as much as He was always in heaven. That is why Christians need no intermediary between them and God, between them and Christ: because all the conceivable and inconceivable hierarchies, all the "thrones, dominions, principalities and powers", mentioned by Paul cannot give the world more than the Christ has already given to it.

It is not surprising that the Kingdom entered the world with Christ and by Christ: because it is inconceivable apart from the very fullness of God, which makes it what say the witnesses. And it becomes then clear that the world was really created for Christ and the Kingdom. For, the alternative to such a development of events can only be the triumph of sin and death. What God does not want to admit.

What does the apostle mean when he says of Christ that "in Him all things hold together"? And in what sense is He "before all things"?

The first thing that comes to mind is the traditional understanding of the Messiah, according to which the Messiah was conceived by God even before the creation of the world, so that His coming was certain to take place, and the universe existed from the beginning for His sake and for the sake of the Kingdom that was to enter the world together with Him. Of course, when speaking of Jewish messianic concepts, one has to take into account that their characteristic ideas about the Kingdom were at times quite far from the Gospel, and the image of the Messiah reflected in them was sometimes quite archaic, resembling more the Messiah of Isaiah of Jerusalem or even early prophetic ideas about a righteous ruler. Even so, the Messiah remained the central figure of world history, both in the context of the historical process itself and in the context of the relationship between God and the people of God.

But Paul clearly has more than this in view. He speaks of Christ as participating in the creation of the world, and here he is clearly no longer speaking of a created being, even one conceived by God before the beginning of time. This can be said only of the Creator. The apostle plainly sees in Christ the Creator, the same as God Himself. For Paul it is clear that Christ did not simply bring the Kingdom into the world. His being is not limited to the time of His earthly path. If, with regard to the future (and for Paul this future, as for all Christians, had in part already become present), one could speak of Christ's resurrection and His coming return in glory as the triumphant King of His Kingdom, which is "not of this world," then with regard to the past one could speak of the primordial existence of the very Person of the Messiah: primordial not only in the sense of God's plans, of which Jewish tradition spoke, but also in the sense of that intention of God which, in the created world, found its most adequate expression in the word by which God creates the world.

In essence, the whole prophetic experience is based on receiving that very word within the limits of human nature, to the extent that a man of God could receive it. But what if the One who could receive it entirely came into the world? Then the word would become the Word, receiving in Himself all the fullness of God, and the Man who received Him would become the God-man. The apostle is certain that it was the Messiah who received the Word completely and in fullness. He became the One through whom God creates the world, so that afterward He might be born into the world as the One through whom the world would be saved.

What wants to say the apostle, speaking about Jesus that "by Him all things consist"? And in what sense He "is before all things"? Of course, first of all come to mind those traditional representations of the Messiah, which supposed that the Messiah was already conceived by God before the creation of the world, so that His coming will certainly take place, and the universe from the beginning existed for Him and for this Kingdom that had to enter the world together with Him.

Of course, having in mind the Jewish messianic conceptions, it comes to consider that the representations appropriate to them of the Kingdom were sometimes quite far away from the evangelic representations, and even the image of the Messiah reflected in them turned out sometimes rather archaic, reminding more the Messiah of Isaiah of Jerusalem or even the representation of a righteous ruler, proper to early prophets traditions. But nevertheless, Jesus remained the central figure of the world history, as in the context of the historic process, quite as in the context of the relationships between God and the people of God. But Paul, as seen, has in mind not only that. He speaks about the Christ, Who participates in the creation of the world, and it is already clear here that it is not about a created being, even if conceived by God before even the beginning of time. One can say such a thing only about the Creator. It is obvious that Paul sees in Christ the Creator, as well as God Himself.

It is obvious to Paul that Christ not only brought the Kingdom to the world. His existence is not limited only by the time of His stay on earth. And if in the future (and for Paul, as for every Christian, this future already became partially the present), one could speak of the resurrection of Christ and of His coming return in glory as King triumphing in His Kingdom, which "is not of this world", then if in the past we could speak about the beginning of the personality of the Messiah, of its beginning not only in the sense of those plans of God about which spoke the Jewish tradition, but also in the sense of God's intention which in the created world found the most adequate expression in the word with which God creates the world.

In fact, all the prophetic experience is based on the containment of the very word within the framework of the human nature, in the measure in which the man of God could contain it. And what, if came into the world the One, Who is capable of containing it completely? Then the word will become Word, containing in itself all the plenitude of God, and the Man containing It {the Word} will become God-Man. And the apostle is sure that it is particularly Jesus who contained the Word till the end and in the fullness. And became the One through Whom God creates the world. To be later born in the world the One through Whom the world will be saved.

Paul speaks in such a way that one may think everything he says should already be known to the addressees of his letter, and that the apostle is only reminding them of what they already know.

Even in pre-Christian times people spoke of the Messiah as the One whom God had intended before the creation of the world, and Paul does not reject this tradition. But he goes still further: he connects the person of the Messiah with that mystery of God's own personhood which only in Christ can be revealed to a human being, at least in part. The point is the connection between the fullness of Christ's life and the fullness of God's life.

For the apostle this is one and the same fullness. He understands that in Christ there acts the same will that created the world, God's will, which conformed its action to the framework of the human nature into which God placed it. Here, of course, there are not yet any theological schemes connected with Trinitarian theology, nor any developed teaching on the incarnation of God, but Paul undoubtedly recognizes the spiritual reality that became the spiritual soil for all these schemes and concepts.

He himself, however, is not troubled or occupied by them. What matters to the apostle are the practical conclusions from what was revealed to him and what he was able to understand. And first of all, the fact that the One who brought the fullness of the Kingdom into the world also bears in Himself the fullness of God, differently from His heavenly Father, but the very same fullness; and the fullness of the life of the Kingdom opened to every Christian is connected precisely with it. Participation in the life of the Kingdom also turns out to be participation in God's life, which is opened to the Christian in the process and in the context of his relationship with Christ. And here there are no longer any barriers or boundaries: the Kingdom is one, and therefore the apostle speaks of Christ as the One through whom God reconciles the world to Himself.

Formerly the fallen world stood opposed to God; now it has been reconciled with Him insofar as it has been transformed into the Kingdom brought by the Savior. For a person, however, such reconciliation is always a matter of relationship with Jesus, a deeply personal relationship that opens to him the fullness of another relationship: that of the Father and the Son. And there the fullness of the Kingdom and the fullness of God's life, accessible to a human being, are revealed to the Christian, and a person receives as much of that life as he is able to receive. This is the life of which Paul reminds the Colossians, presuming that it should already be known to them.

The theme of the entire epistle to Colossians is the unique dominion of Christ in the terrestrial and celestial life. And the apostle Paul points out in this verse, we have just read, three reasons of this dominion: headship, firstborn and preeminence.

Let begin from the beginning - Preeminence. Christ has the right to be the chief, because He is Even the same that He said from the beginning (Jn 8:25). He is the One, by whom all things were made (Jn 1:3), that is why He knows all the ways.

Now about the firstborn. He is first in everything: the first in adoption, the first in righteousness, the first in self-abnegation, first in love, first in resurrection. He is Lord by right of precedence and because He is better!

And finally, the headship. The head - bearer of ideas and the thoughts, the head is most precious and necessary. That is surely why the head controls all the other organs of the body. And behold, in Christ the Creator is connected with His creation, a new humanity - the Church - it is a God-Man body, in which the control part (the head) belongs to God.

Thus, in Christ - the beginning, the way and the purpose of the entire universe, what the apostle Paul wanted to tell us, and, by being connected to Him {the Christ} by faith, we become partakers in the plenitude of His Man - God's life.

What did the coming of Christ bring into the world? Today's message speaks of a fundamental change on three levels: in a person's personal existence, in relationships between people, and in the relationship between a person and God. Christ accomplishes victory over death, and a person's life no longer ends with physical death, for if there is a firstborn, then there are also those who will follow him. Christ unites humanity into a new organic unity, like a body in which every member is unique, necessary, and precious. And finally, the primacy of Christ restores in the human being the right orientation: love for God and agreement with his will. Strong words, aren't they?

The theme of the entire epistle to Colossians is the unique dominion of Christ in the terrestrial and celestial life. And the apostle Paul points out in this verse, we have just read, three reasons of this dominion: headship, firstborn and preeminence.

Let begin from the beginning - Preeminence. Christ has the right to be the chief, because He is Even the same that He said from the beginning (Jn 8:25). He is the One, by whom all things were made (Jn 1:3), that is why He knows all the ways.

Now about the firstborn. He is first in everything: the first in adoption, the first in righteousness, the first in self-abnegation, first in love, first in resurrection. He is Lord by right of precedence and because He is better!

And finally, the headship. The head - bearer of ideas and the thoughts, the head is most precious and necessary. That is surely why the head controls all the other organs of the body. And behold, in Christ the Creator is connected with His creation, a new humanity - the Church - it is a God-Man body, in which the control part (the head) belongs to God.

Thus, in Christ - the beginning, the way and the purpose of the entire universe, what the apostle Paul wanted to tell us, and, by being connected to Him {the Christ} by faith, we become partakers in the plenitude of His Man - God's life.

What brought to the world the coming of Christ? Our today’s verse talks about a fundamental change in three levels: in the private life of man, in the human relationship and in the relationships between man and God. Christ overcomes the death, and man’s life doesn’t stop any more from physical death - because, if he is the firstborn, such is for all those who will follow Him. Christ connects humanity to a new organic unity similar to the body, in which every member is unique, necessary and precious. And finally, the superiority of Christ restores in man the right vertical of love towards God and consent of His will.