Smoodock's Blog

In our previous study we’ve come to realize that God has removed the believer in Christ from the influence of the world, especially from the power of the authorities of this world, local, national and international, and placed us into the Kingdom of Heaven and under the influence of Christ, our Savior (Colossians 1:13-14; cp. Ephesians 2:2). Moreover, this was done through the power of God’s Spirit working within us, not through any effort or wisdom on our part. The change of influence in the life of the believer is due to the power of the blood of Christ, vis-à-vis his death on the cross, and the believer’s trust in that death, which brings the Spirit of Christ to dwell within us (Romans 8:9; cp. John 14:18; Acts 2:1-4).

Jesus, then, has become the perfect Image of the invisible God (cp. Hebrews 1:3), and the Firstborn of the “whole” (G3956) creation (G2937—Colossians 1:15), vis-à-vis the Firstborn of the new creation (cp. 2Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15). I could say that I brought forth (created) my two daughters through my wife. Similarly, in the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth through or by the One who is called the Word (John 1:1-3). We see this, for example in Genesis 1:6-7, where “God said” let there be a firmament… (Genesis 1:6) and “God made” the firmament… (Genesis 1:7), vis-à-vis the Father said and the Word made. This is what God did in the beginning, but how did Jesus become God’s Image (Colossians 1:15)?

Jesus tells us that he came out from God (John 16:27; 17:8). Similarly, as the image of God (Genesis 1:27), the woman came out from the man (Genesis 2:21-22). Jesus is referred to as the second or last Adam (1Corinthians 15:45). In the old creation God caused a deep sleep to come over Adam, while he took something out of him and formed the woman. Afterward, God brought the woman, Adam’s helper, and presented her to him (Genesis 2:22), and she became the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20). Similarly, Jesus, also, went into a deep sleep for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40), while God took something out of Christ and formed “his helper,” the Church (Acts 2:1-4), Christ’s Bride (Revelation 19:7; 21:2, 9) and the mother of us all (Galatians 4:26).

Christ, the Image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), stands in contrast to the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). This prince (a human authority) has blinded the hearts and minds of those who don’t believe (2Corinthians 4:4). Nevertheless, Christ is the Light of men (John 1:4), whose face, as “seen” or understood in the Gospel narratives, shines in our hearts, shining light upon the glorious knowledge of God (2Corinthians 4:6; cp. John 1:18). This truth is never more keenly observed, as it is found in Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Because Paul felt he had to enlighten the believers at Colossae about the preeminence of Christ (Colossians 1:15-20), it is implied that they hadn’t yet held Christ in such high esteem.

It is difficult to perceive what the Colossian church looked like. Certainly, it was a gentile church on the whole, but Paul’s later warning pointed to the evils of letting themselves become corrupt through Jewish philosophical influence. Nevertheless, we must not perceive Paul’s warning as only against unwarranted Jewish influence, because, as gentiles, the Colossians held a dualistic worldview about God. In other words, the supreme God, which in a Christian context was the Father, was too perfect to have been the creator of such an imperfect world in which men live. He, therefore, created a group of lesser gods, like angels and demigods, to which the gentile Colossian believers could have added Christ,[1] and these lesser, not so perfect, gods created this imperfect world. God is the Reality, and men are but the shadows of his Reality, according to this corrupt understanding of God (cp. Romans 1:18-28). Paul’s “Image of God,” as understood in Christ, completely destroys this dualistic worldview of God.

Not only was the original creation a cooperative work of God (let us make man in OUR image—Genesis 1:26), but the whole process is repeated or imaged in Christ as the Firstborn of the new creation. What was hidden behind the darkness of man’s will (Ephesians 2:2; Romans 1:18-28), has come to light in the face of Christ, the Image of God, as understood in the Gospel narratives. We find him there shinning as Light out of the darkness of that evil age (Matthew 12:39; Luke 11:29) in order to shine in the hearts of those who believe (2Corinthians 4:6). He shines in our hearts, not as something less than God, around whom men should gather, but as the very Image of God (Colossians 1:15) and in whom dwells God in his fullness (Colossians 2:9). Imagine, as followers of Christ, he dwells in all his fullness in the heart of each believer (Romans 8:9, 11; Ephesians 3:17).

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[1] Paul’s defense/teaching of the preeminence of Christ (Colossians 1:15-20) implies the Colossian believer didn’t understand Jesus in this way, never did. I believe this because Paul doesn’t present the teaching in such a way that he is recalling what they’ve been taught. No! It is easier to believe whoever the Colossian believers were, Jewish or gentile, they never understood Jesus as he is presented by Paul in these verses.