Jesus was the sustainer of all things

JESUS WAS THE SUSTAINER OF ALL THINGS
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Hebrews 1:3 3The Son is the radianceof God's glory
and the exact representationof his being, sustaining
all things by his powerful word. After he had provided
purificationfor sins, he sat down at the right hand of
the Majesty in heaven.
The Supremacy of the Son(Hebrews 1:2b-3)
How many of you have ever visited the Canadian Rockies, nearBanff and
Lake Louise? If you have been there, you know that it is some of the most
spectacularsceneryin the world. Marla and I have visited there twice, and
both times we were awestruck by the magnificent beauty of the glacier-capped
mountains and turquoise lakes. Eachevening that we camped at Lake Louise,
we drove over to a viewpoint to watchthe hour-long sunset that began around
9 p.m. It is difficult not to feel close to God in a place like that, as you drink in
the handiwork of His creation!
If gazing on beautiful scenerycauses us to rejoice in our glorious Creator,
then gazing on the Lord Jesus Christshould cause us to worship even more so.
Creationreveals God’s “invisible attributes, His eternalpower and divine
nature” (Rom. 1:20). But God’s Son is “the radiance of His glory and the
exactrepresentationof His nature” (Heb. 1:3).
My verbal description of the beauty of the Canadian Rockiesis woefully
inadequate. At leastonce in your life, I hope that you can go there and drink

in what God has made, because youhave to experience it personallyto
appreciate it. Likewise, my feeble attempts today to describe to you the glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ are going to be deficient. I hope that you will not only
listen to what I say, but also that you will take the time personally to visit
these verses overand over again, asking God to revealmore of the beauty of
His Sonto your soul!
Last week (also, see my message, “The CrucialQuestion,” onLuke 9:18-22,
October2, 1999)I said that the most crucial question for every personto
answeris Jesus’questionto the disciples, “Who do you saythat I am?”
Everything hangs on the correctanswerto that question! If you are mistaken
about Jesus’identity, you will not bow before Him as Lord and Savior, and
you will spend eternity in hell. That is why the cults, such as the Mormons and
Jehovah’s Witnesses, are so destructive. They mislead and deceive people
about the person of Jesus Christ.
If you answerthat question correctly, you will recognize that Jesus is King of
kings and Lord of lords, the only One who can save you from your sins. You
will fall down before Him in adoration and praise. You will yield yourself
totally to Him in love and live to glorify Him. You will spend eternity with
Him, singing with all of the angels and saints, “Worthy is the Lamb that was
slain…” (Rev. 5:12). As Jesus told Peterafter he answeredthat question, the
correctanswercannotcome from any human source. The Fatherin heaven
must reveal it to you (Matt. 16:17). So let’s pause and ask God to revealthe
supremacy of His Sonto our souls.
Our text continues the opening sentence ofHebrews. The author is showing
that Jesus Christ is God’s supreme and final revelation to us. All of the Old
Testamentprophets pointed aheadto Christ. The New Testamentreveals that
God’s eternal purpose is to sum up all things in Christ (see Eph. 1:10-12).
Now the author unfolds sevenbrief, but profoundly packedphrases that
revealthe supremacy of God’s Son. Togetherthey revealthe threefold office
of Christ as God’s Prophet, revealing His final word; God’s Priest, who made
purification for our sins; and God’s King, who is enthroned at the right hand
of the Majestyon high. The arrangementof these seven statements may be

chiastic, with the first and laststatements speaking of the Son in His
incarnation and the clauses in betweenspeaking of the Son in His eternal
existence (Philip Edgcumbe Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the
Hebrews [Eerdmans], p. 49).
Although there is some deep theologyhere about the relationship betweenthe
Father and the Son, I was a bit surprised to find John Calvin emphasize that
the point of the author is not theological, but practical:“His purpose was
really to build up our faith, so that we may learn that God is made known to
us in no other way than in Christ: for as to the essence ofGod, so immense is
the brightness that it dazzles our eyes, exceptit shines on us in Christ”
(Calvin’s Commentaries [Bakerreprint], on Hebrews 1:3, pp. 35-36). The
practicalimport of our text is:
Since God’s Sonis supreme over all, we must bow before Him as the
SovereignLord.
Let’s considerthe sevenphrases that revealHis supremacy:
1. Jesus is supreme as the heir of all things.
As the Son, Jesus is also the heir. The early church fathers and the medieval
writers associatedthis statementwith Psalm 2:8, where the Father says to the
Son, “Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and
the very ends of the earth as Your possession”(P. Hughes, p. 39). Thus it
speaks ofChrist in His role as Redeemerand as Lord over the nations in His
kingdom. Leon Morris (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. by Frank
Gaebelein[Zondervan], 12:13)says that heir of all things “is a title of dignity
and shows that Christ has the supreme place in all the mighty universe. His
exaltation to the highest place in heaven after his work on earth was done did
not mark some new dignity but his reentry into his right place (cf. Phil. 2:6-
11).”
Calvin (p. 34)says that the word heir is ascribed to Christ in His humanity
“for this purpose, that he might restore to us what we had lost in Adam.”
Calvin applies this truth by saying, “It hence follows that we must be very
miserable and destitute of all goodthings excepthe supplies us with his

treasures” (p. 33). As Paul proclaims, if we are in Christ as His children, we
are heirs with Him (Rom. 8:15-18;Gal. 4:4-7). All that is His is ours! We will
somedayshare His glory throughout eternity!
But you only share in Christ’s inheritance if you are in Him through faith. If
you have not applied the purification of sins that He obtained to your sinful
heart by faith, then you are not His child and you do not share in His
inheritance. Make sure that your trust is in Him alone!
But many of His children are only vaguely aware of their inheritance. Thus,
we should pray for one another and for ourselves, that “the Father of glory
may give to [us] a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of
Him,” that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened, “so that [we] will
know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His
inheritance in the saints” (Eph. 1:18).
2. Jesus is supreme as the creatorof all things.
“Through whom also He made the world.” World is literally ages in the Greek
text. Here it refers to “the whole createduniverse of space and time” (F. F.
Bruce, Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews [Eerdmans], p. 4). It means
that Jesus is Lord over time and all that has been createdin time, because He
createdit. As John 1:3 asserts,“All things came into being through Him, and
apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” Or, as
Paul puts it (Rom. 11:36), “Forfrom Him and through Him and to Him are
all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
These affirmations show that Jesus Christis eternal God, one with the Father
before time began. Athanasius, who contended againstthe Arian heresy
(whose modern counterpart is the Jehovah’s Witnesses), saidthat when the
sacredwriters affirmed that Jesus createdthe world, “they proclaim the
eternal and everlasting being of the Son and thereby designate him as God”
(in P. Hughes, p. 40). The Jehovah’s Witnesseslatchonto Colossians 1:15,
where Paul refers to Jesus as God’s “firstborn.” They saythat the term means
that Jesus was created, noteternal. But they fail to notice that verse 16
explains (“For”)the term in verse 15:“Forby Him all things were created,
both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or

dominions or rulers or authorities—allthings have been createdthrough Him
and for Him” (Col. 1:16). “Firstborn” is not a chronologicalterm, but has to
do with the legalrights of authority and inheritance. The fact that the Father
createdall things through Jesus shows thatJesus is Almighty God!
Think of the intricacies of the atom, or the mysteries of human and animal
DNA, which modern science only barely understands. It all reflects amazing
design, and that designis often interdependent, so that you can’t have only
part of it. The parts depend on the designof other parts that work in
harmony. Or, considerthe immensity of the universe. Our galaxyis just an
average-sizedgalaxythat takes 100,000 lightyears to cross (600 trillion miles).
Modern telescopescansee about100,000 million galaxies, with eachgalaxy
containing 100,000million stars. The average distance betweenthese galaxies
is three million light years. Some estimate that the most distant galaxy is
about eight billion light years away! (These figures are in R. Kent Hughes,
Hebrews:An Anchor for the Soul [CrosswayBooks], 1:27, citing Stephen
Hawking, A Brief History of Time [Bantam], pp. 37-39.)Jesusspoke allof this
into existence out of nothing (Heb. 11:3; Gen. 1:1)!
3. Jesus is supreme as the radiance of the Father’s glory.
The early church fathers often used this verse to refute the heretics, especially
the Arians. Theodoretsays that the Arians rejectedHebrews from the canon
because ofthis text (P. Hughes, p. 41). This statementand the next, that Jesus
is “the exactrepresentationof His nature,” reflect both the oneness of the Son
with the Fatherand yet His distinctness from the Father. Thus the two
phrases fit togetherand balance eachother (P. Hughes, ibid.).
The ascriptionof Jesus as “the radiance of His glory” pictures the rays of the
sun displaying its brilliance. Jesus, ofcourse, reflects the Father’s glory, but
also possessesan inherent glory of His own, as seenon the Mount of
Transfigurationand by John in Revelation1. Athanasius asks, “Who does not
see that the brightness cannotbe separatedfrom the light, but that it is by
nature proper to it and co-existentwith it, and is not produced after it?”
Ambrose explains, “Where there is light there is radiance, and where there is
radiance there is also light; and thus we cannothave a light without radiance

nor radiance without light, because both the light is in the radiance and the
radiance in the light” (both citations in P. Hughes, p. 42).
In other words, “the Sonis co-eternalwith the Father, just as brightness is
coevalwith the sun…. The Son exists essentiallyin the Father and the Father
in the Son” (Herveus, in P. Hughes, p. 43). The reasonit is important to affirm
this, as Athanasius saw, is “that a false doctrine of the person of Christ must
inevitably result in a false doctrine of the work of Christ and consequently
undermine the whole systemof the gospel” (P. Hughes, ibid.).
4. Jesus is supreme as the exactrepresentationof the Father’s nature.
The Greek wordtranslated exactrepresentationrefers to the engraved
characteror impression made by a die or a sealas, for example, on a coin. The
word translated nature “denotes the very essenceofGod. The principal idea
intended is that of exact correspondence. This correspondenceinvolves not
only an identity of the essenceofthe sonwith that of the Father, but more
particularly a true and trustworthy revelationor representationof the Father
by the Son” (P. Hughes, ibid.). As Jesus told Philip, “He who has seenMe has
seenthe Father” (John 14:9). To know God, we must know Him as He is
revealedto us by the Son(Luke 10:22).
While these terms express some deep theologyconcerning the nature of the
Trinity, and thus were rightly used by the church fathers to defend the faith
againstdestructive heresies, we shouldnot forgetCalvin’s point, that these
terms teachthat we canonly know God through Christ. We never could have
understood the God“who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has
seenor can see” (1 Tim. 6:16), unless Jesus had come to earth as a man to
revealHim.
The story is told of a devout Hindu man who was confronted with the claims
of Christ. But he could not grasp the conceptthat God had takenon human
flesh in the personof Jesus. This Hindu regardedall of life, including insects,
as sacred. One day as he walkedin a field wrestling with the conceptof God
becoming man, he came upon an anthill with thousands of ants. This anthill
was in the path of a farmer plowing the field.

Gripped with a concernthat you or I would feel for hundreds of people
trapped in a burning building, he wanted to warn them of their impending
destruction. But, how? He could shout to them, but they would not hear. He
could write in the sand, but they would not understand. How could he
communicate with them? Then it dawned on him: if he only could become an
ant, he could warn them before it was too late. Now he understood the
Christian message,that God became a man in Jesus to communicate to us His
messageofsalvation (Teacher’s Manualfor the Ten Basic Steps Toward
Christian Maturity [Campus Crusade for Christ], pp. 18-19).
Thus we’ve seenthat Jesus is supreme as the heir of all things; as the creator
of all things; as the radiance of the Father’s glory; and, as the exact
representationof His nature. Next,
5. Jesus is supreme as the sustainerof all things by the word of His power.
This phrase refers to Christ’s “carrying forward and onward of all things to
the predestined consummation which is also implicit in their beginning” (P.
Hughes, p. 45). It refers to His sustaining providence and governance ofall
things (ibid.). “It does not simply mean ‘sustain,’ but has the sense ofactive,
purposeful control…” (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology[Zondervan], p.
316). The use of the present participle in our text indicates that Jesus is
continually upholding all things in the universe by His word of power(ibid.).
If He ceasedfrom doing this, the universe would disintegrate!Paul states the
same truth when he says, “in Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17).
This refutes the idea of Deism, that God createdall things, but then bowed out
and let everything run on its own. Scripture shows that there is not a single
atom in the universe that acts apart from God’s providential governance.
Every raindrop, snowflake, gustof wind, and lightning bolt obey God’s
command (Ps. 148:8). He directs everything from the roll of the dice (Prov.
16:33)to the rise and fall of nations (Job 12:23). He determines in advance the
number of days that eachof us will live (Ps. 139:16). Our text says that Jesus
exercises this immense power simply by speaking, oras Calvin says (p. 38),
“with a nod.” This means that there is no such thing as random chance or
luck. We are totally dependent on God, and we must receive all things as

coming from Him according to His purpose for our good(Gen. 50:20; Job
2:10; Rom. 8:28).
6. Jesus is supreme as the One who made purification for our sins.
The juxtaposition of Christ’s upholding all things by the word of His power
and the next phrase, “whenHe had made purification of sins,” is stunning!
The almighty Lord who could simply “let go” and sinners would disintegrate,
instead left the glory of heaven, took on the form of a servant, and became
obedient to death, even death on a cross, to purify us from our sins (Phil. 2:5-
11)! “Amazing love, how canit be, that Thou my God shouldst die for me”
(Charles Wesley)!
The Greek aoristtense indicates that Jesus accomplishedpurification for sins
once and for all. The author will expound on this further in chapter 10. Jesus
did not just make purification of sins possible, but effectualthrough His death
on the cross (see 10:10, 12, 14, 18). WhatI am about to say here is
controversial, but I ask you to considerit and ask God for understanding. I
believe that on the cross, Jesus did not actually make purification of sins for
all people. If He did, all would be purified, and everyone would go to heaven.
Rather, He actually securedpurification of sins for all that the Father had
given to Him (John 6:38-39).
C. H. Spurgeonput it this waywhen he preachedon this text (“Depths and
Heights,” [Ages Software], sermon2635, p. 521):
I tremble when I hear some people talk about the disappointed Christ,— or
about his having died at a peradventure, to accomplishhe knew not what,—
dying for something which the will of man might give him if it would, but it
might possibly be denied him. I buy nothing on such terms as that, I expectto
have what I purchase; and Christ will have what he bought with his own
blood; especiallyas he lives againto claim his purchase.
It is of greatcomfort to know that our purification is secure because Christ
paid for us and He will getwhat He paid for!
7. Jesus is supreme as the One who satdown at the right hand of the Majesty
on high.

Christ’s sitting signifies the completion of the work of redemption. In the Old
Testament, the priests always stoodin the Holy of Holies when making
atonement. But Jesus offeredHimself for our sins once for all and took His
seaton high. His sitting at the right hand of the Majestyon high (a reverent
term for God) also signifies His being in the place of highesthonor. This is not
a literal place, in that God, who is Spirit, does not have a right hand or left.
But it uses human language to convey that there is no higher designation
possible!Sitting at the right hand of God also pictures Jesus as the Sovereign
Ruler of the universe (1:8, 13).
While this phrase affirms Jesus’deity (how could any created being sit at the
right hand of the Majestyon high without being consumed?), it also indicates
a degree of subordination of the Son to the Father (P. Hughes, p. 48). Though
equal with God in His essentialbeing, the Sonvoluntarily submits to the
Father to carry out the divine purpose (1 Cor. 15:24-28). Pauluses this order
in the Godheadto argue for the leadershipof men overwomen in the local
church (1 Cor. 11:3-16). Men and women are equal in their being and as heirs
with Christ, but there is to be an order of headship and submissionto reflect
the image of God.
Conclusion
When I went to CoastGuard BootCamp, we were pretty much on our own
for the first weekend, whichwas a holiday. But in our barracks was the office
of the most ill-named man I have ever met, Mr. Angel. This man’s reputation
went before him and grew bigger up to the first moment that he strode into
the barracks and sentterror into every heart. We had heard that he was
meanness personified. For recreation, he liked to go into bars and pick fights.
A sign on his door said that before he was through with you, you would know
his shoe size from intimate contactwith your behind. He reputedly marched
one company off the end of a pier into the waterto see if they would obey his
commands.
So when Mr. Angel stomped into our barracks and barked, “On your feet,
squirrels!” (plus a few unrepeatable expletives), there was not a single man
who stayedon his bunk and said, “I don’t feel like getting on my feet just

now!” The point is, because Mr. Angel had authority to do you greatbodily
harm, you obeyedhis every command! WhateverMr. Angel commanded, we
did with greathaste!
I hope that you see that this glorious description of our Lord Jesus Christis
not just interesting theology, but that it applies practically to every one of us.
If Jesus Christ is who the writer here proclaims Him to be, then we all must
bow before Him in worship and obey His every claim on our lives. To
brazenly disobey the Sovereign, Almighty Creatorand Lord of the universe
would be utterly arrogant and stupid! God’s Sonis supreme overall. We must
live to obey Him completely!
DiscussionQuestions
1. Why is our understanding of who Jesus is so vitally important?
2. The Jehovah’s Witnessessaythat Jesus is the highest createdbeing. Can
a person believe this and be saved? Why not?
3. How can we know that the claims of Christ are genuine and not made up
later by His followers?
4. Can any for whom Jesus made purification of sins rejectHim and be
lost? Defend biblically.
Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2003,All Rights Reserved.
Jesus is the sustainerCol 1:17 And he is before all things, and in him all things
hold together.
Christ Createdand Sustains the World (Hebrews 1:1–2:8)

Critical to the theologyin Hebrews is that Christ createdand sustains the
world. He is the Son “through whom [God] also createdthe worlds” (Heb.
1:2). Therefore, Hebrews is a book about Christ, the creator, at work in his
workplace, the creation. This may be surprising to some who are used to
thinking of the Father alone as creator. But Hebrews is con-sistentwith the
rest of the New Testament(e.g., John1:3; Col. 1:15–17)in naming Christ as
the Father’s agentin creation.[1]BecauseChristis fully God, “the reflection
of God’s glory and the exactimprint of God’s very being” (Heb. 1:3), the
writer of Hebrews can refer interchangeablyto Christ or the Fatheras the
Creator.
How then does Hebrews portray Christ at work in the creation? He is a
builder, founding the earth and constructing the heavens. “In the beginning,
Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands”
(Heb. 1:10). Moreover, he sustains the presentcreation, bearing “all things by
his powerful word” (Heb. 1:3). “All things,” of course, includes us as well:
“Forevery house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God . . .
and we are his house if we hold firm” (Heb. 3:4, 6). All of creationis built by
God through his Son. This strongly af-firms the creationas the primary place
of God’s presence and salvation.
The imagery of God as workercontinues throughout Hebrews. He put
togetheror pitched the heavenly tent (Heb. 8:2; by implication, Heb. 9:24),
constructeda model or a blueprint for Moses’tabernacle (Heb. 8:5), and
designedand built a city (Heb. 11:10, 16; 12:22;13:14). He is a judge in a
court as well as the executioner(Heb. 4:12–13;9:28; 10:27–31;12:23). He is a
military leader(Heb. 1:13), a parent (Heb. 1:5; 5:8; 8:9; 12:4–11), a master
who arranges his household(Heb. 10:5), a farmer (Heb. 6:7–8), a scribe (Heb.
8:10), a paymaster(Heb. 10:35; 11:6), and a physician (Heb. 12:13).[2]
It is true that Hebrews 1:10–12, quoting Psalm102, does point out a contrast
betweenthe Creatorand the creation:
In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work
of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wearout like

clothing; like a cloak you will roll them up, and like clothing they will be
changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end.
This is very much in keeping with the emphasis on the transitory na-ture of
life in this world, and the need to seek the enduring city of the new heavens
and the new earth. Nonetheless, the emphasis of Hebrews 1:10–12 is on the
might of the Lord and his deliverance, rather than the fragility of the
cosmos.[3]The Lord is at work in the creation.
Human beings are not only products of God’s creation, we are also sub-
creators (or co-creators,if you prefer) with him. Like his Son, we are calledto
the work of ordering the world. “Whatare human beings that you are
mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for
a little while lowerthan the angels;you have crowned them with glory and
honor, subjecting all things under their feet” (Heb. 2:6–8, quoting Ps. 8).[4]If
it sounds a bit vain to regard mere humans as participants in the work of
creation, Hebrews reminds us, “Jesus is not ashamedto callthem brothers
and sisters” (Heb. 2:11).
Therefore, our work is meant to resemble God’s work. It has undying value.
When we make computers, airplanes, and shirts, sell shoes, underwrite loans,
harvest coffee, raise children, governcities, provinces, and nations, or do any
kind of creative work, we are working alongside Godin his work of creation.
The point is that Jesus is the one supremely in charge of the creation, and only
by working in him are we restoredto fellowshipwith God. This alone makes
us capable to take our place againas vice-regents ofGod on earth.
Humanity’s createddestiny is being achievedin Jesus, in whom we find the
pattern (Heb. 2:10; 12:1–3), provision (Heb. 2:10–18), end, and hope for all
our work. Yet we do so during a time marked by frustra-tion and the menace
of death, which threatens our very existence with meaninglessness(Heb. 2:14–
15). Hebrews acknowledgesthat “we do not yet see everything in subjection”
to the ways of his kingdom (Heb. 2:8). Evil plays a strong hand at present.
All of this is crucialfor understanding what Hebrews will later sayabout
heaven and “the coming world” (Heb. 2:5). Hebrews is not contrasting two
different worlds—a bad material world with a goodspiritual world. Rather, it

is acknowledgingthat God’s goodcreationhas become subject to evil and is
therefore in need of radicalrestorationin order to become fully goodagain.
All of creation—notjust human souls—is in the process ofbeing redeemed by
Christ. “In subjecting all things to them [human beings], God left nothing
outside their control” (Heb. 2:8).
https://www.theologyofwork.org/new-testament/hebrews#christ-created-
sustains-the-world-hebrews-11-28
JESUS CHRIST – THE CREATOR AND SUSTAINER OF ALL THINGS
In this post I will be citing specific translations of those texts that identify
Christ as the Creatorof all things who sustains and gives life to all creation,
which render the Greek prepositiondia as by, instead of through. The reason
for doing so is because there are groups out there who use this particular
prepositionalphrase to argue that the God-breathed Scriptures do not teach
that Jesus is the Creator, but rather assigns to him a secondary, passive
instrumental role. Their purpose is to show that the Father alone is the
Creator, and therefore he alone is God in an absolute, eternalsense.
To better appreciate this point, and in order to highlight how translations can
affectthe meaning of specific texts, here is the New International Version
(NIV) of the Holy Bible’s translation of the key passages whichemploy the
preposition dia to describe the role that Christ played in creating all things:
“Through him (di’ autou) all things were made; without him nothing was
made that has been made… He was in the world, and though the world was
made through him (di’ autou), the world did not recognize him.” John 1:3, 10
“yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and
for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom (di’
ou) all things came and through whom (di’ autou) we live.” 1 Corinthians 8:6
“Forin him (en auto) all things were created:things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all

things have been createdthrough him (di’ autou) and for him (eis auton). He
is before all things, and in him (en auto) all things hold together.” Colossians
1:16-17
“but in these last days he has spokento us by his Son, whom he appointed heir
of all things, and through whom (di’ ou) also he made the universe. The Son is
the radiance of God’s glory and the exactrepresentationof his being,
sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification
for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majestyin heaven.” Hebrews
1:2-3
We will also be quoting translations that make explicit what is implied by this
prepositionalphrase, namely, that Jesus Christ is not some passive instrument
that God used to create all things. Rather, Christ is in fact THE Creatorand
Sustainerof all things who is just as much responsible as the Fatherand the
Holy Spirit are for bringing the entire creationinto existence. This can be
readily seenby this next passage,
“He also says, ‘In the beginning, Lord [the Son], you laid the foundations of
the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but
you remain; they will all wearout like a garment. You will roll them up like a
robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your
years will never end.’” Hebrews 1:10-12 NIV
Which quotes the following Psalm, that describes Jehovahas the unchanging
Creatorand Sustainerof all creation,
“In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are
the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear
out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be
discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” Psalm
102:25-27 NIV
And applies it to the Son!
This sufficiently shows that Jesus didn’t play some secondary, less significant
role in creation, but rather proves that our glorious Lord is in fact THE one

true Creatorand SustainerGod who, togetherwith the Father and the Holy
Spirit, createdand sustains all things by his powerful word.
With that said we are ready to proceedto the various translations of the
aforementionedverses.
John 1:3
“All things were made BY him; and without him was not any thing made that
was made.” Authorized King James Version(AV)
“All things were made BY him: and without him was made nothing that was
made.” Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
“All things were made BY him, and without him was not any thing made that
was made.” Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB)
“He createdeverything there is—nothing exists that he didn’t make.” Living
Bible (TLB)
“All things were createdBY him, and apart from him not a single thing was
createdthat has been created.” Mounce Reverse-InterlinearNew Testament
(MOUNCE)
“All things were made BY him, and nothing was made without him.” New
Century Version (NCV)
“All things were createdBY him, and apart from him not one thing was
createdthat has been created.” New EnglishTranslation(NET)
“He made all things. Nothing was made without Him making it.” New Life
Version (NLV)
“And through his creative inspiration this Living Expressionmade all things,
for nothing has existence apart from him!”
Footnotes:
a. John 1:3 Or “all things happened because ofhim and nothing happened
apart from him.” The Aramaic is, “everything was in his hand” (of power).
See Ps. 33:6; Isa. 44:24. The PassionTranslation(TPT)

“Godmade everything BY the Word. Nothing has been made without him.”
Worldwide English New Testament(WE)
John 1:10
“He was in the world, and the world was made BY him, and the world knew
him not.” AV
him not.” DRA
him not.” JUB
“But although he made the world, the world didn’t recognize him when he
came.” TLB
“He was in the world, and the world was createdBY him, but the world did
not know him.” MOUNCE
“The Word was in the world, and the world was made BY him, but the world
did not know him.” NCV
“He was in the world, and the world was createdBY him, but the world did
not recognize him.” NET
“He came into the world. The world was made BY Him, but it did not know
Him.” NLV
“He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.”
New Living Translation (NLT)
“He came into the world—the world he had created—andthe world failed to
recognise him. He came into his own creation, and his ownpeople would not
accepthim.” 1:10-11 J. B. Philips New Testament(PHILIPS)
“He entered into the very world he created, yet the world was unaware. He
came to the very people he created—to those who should have recognizedhim,
but they did not receive him.” 1:10-11 TPT

“He, the Word, was in the world. Yes, he even made the world. And yet the
world did not know him.” WE
1 Corinthians 8:6
“but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in
him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, BY whom are all things, and we BY him.”
AV
“Yet to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we
unto him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, BY whom are all things, and we BY
him.” DRA
“but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in
him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, BY whom are all things, and we BY him.”
JUB
“But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who createdall things
and made us to be his own; and one Lord Jesus Christ, who made everything
and gives us life.” TLB
“in fact, to us there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything comes,
and for who we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, BY whom
everything exists, and BY whom we ourselves are alive.” PHILIPS
“yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we
exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, BY whom are all things, and we
exist through Him.” New American Standard Version (NASB)
“But for us there is only one God. He is the Father. All things came from him,
and we live for him. And there is only one Lord. He is Jesus Christ. All things
came because ofhim, and we live because ofhim.” NIRV
“But we know there is only one God. He is the Father. All things are from
Him. He made us for Himself. There is one Lord. He is Jesus Christ. He made
all things. He keeps us alive.” NLV

“Yet for us there is only one God. He is the Father. All things come from him.
He is the one for whom we live. And there is only one Lord. He is Jesus Christ.
He made all things. He is the one who gives us life.” WE
Colossians 1:16
“for BY him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities,
or powers:all things were createdBY him, and for him:” AV
“Foreverything was createdBY him, in heavenand on earth, the visible and
the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all
things have been createdthrough him and for him.” Christian Standard Bible
(CSB)
“Everything was createdBY him, everything in heaven and on earth,
everything seenand unseen, including all forces and powers, and all rulers
and authorities. All things were createdBY God’s Son, and everything was
made for him.” ContemporaryEnglish Version (CEV)
“Forin him were all things createdin heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers:all
things were createdBY him and in him.” DRA
“ForBY him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—allthings
were createdthrough him and for him.” English Standard Version (ESV)
“He createdall things in heavenand on earth, visible and invisible. Whether
they are kings or lords, rulers or powers— everything has been created
through him and for him.” GOD’S WORD Translation(GW)
“ForBY him all things in heavenand on earth were created, things visible
and invisible, whether they are kings, lords, rulers, or powers. All things have
been createdthrough him and for him.” International Standard Version (ISV)
“for BY him were all things created, that are in the heavens and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether they are thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers:all things were createdBY him and in him;” JUB

“Christ himself is the Creatorwho made everything in heaven and earth, the
things we can see and the things we can’t; the spirit world with its kings and
kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made BY Christ for his own use
and glory.” TLB
“ForBY Him all things were createdthat are in heaven and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they are thrones, or dominions, or principalities,
or powers. All things were createdBY Him and for Him.” Modern English
Version (MEV)
“He createdall things in heavenand on earth, visible and invisible. Whether
they are kings or lords, rulers or powers— everything has been created
through him and for him.” Names of God Bible (NOG)
“ForBY Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all
things have been createdthrough Him and for Him.” NASB
“All things were createdin him. He createdeverything in heaven and on
earth. He createdeverything that canbe seenand everything that can’t be
seen. He createdkings, powers, rulers and authorities. All things have been
createdBY him and for him.” NIRV
“Christ made everything in the heavens and on the earth. He made everything
that is seenand things that are not seen. He made all the powers of heaven.
Everything was made BY Him and for Him.” NLV
“It was BY Him that everything was created:the heavens, the earth, all things
within and upon them, all things seenand unseen, thrones and dominions,
spiritual powers and authorities. Every detail was craftedthrough His design,
by His own hands, and for His purposes.” The Voice (VOICE)
“ForBY him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things
visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or
powers;all things have been createdthrough him, and for him.” World
English Bible (WEB)

“He made everything in the skyand on the earth. He made the things which
can be seenand the things which cannot be seen. That means angels, kings,
greatpowers, and rulers. They were all made BY him and for him.” WE
Hebrews 1:2
“hath in these lastdays spokenunto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed
heir of all things, BY whom also he made the worlds;” AV
“But now at last, Godsent his Son to bring his messageto us. God createdthe
universe by his Son, and everything will somedaybelong to the Son.” CEV
“at the end of these days has spokento us in [the person of the] Son, whom he
has establishedheir of all things, BY whom also he made the worlds;”
DARBY
“In these days hath spokento us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of
all things, BY whom also he made the world.” DRA
“has in these last times spokenunto us by his Son, whom he has appointed
heir of all things, BY whom also he made the ages;” JUB
“But in these last days He has spokento us through His Son. God gave His
Son everything. It was by His Son that God made the world.” NLV
“In these lastdays, he talked to us through his Son. God chose him to be the
one to whom he would give all things. God also made the world by this Son.”
WE
With the foregoing in view we are ready to proceedto the next part of our
discussionwhere we provide further evidence for the Lord Jesus being the
eternal Creatorand Sustainer of all things
https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/08/09/jesus-christ-the-
creator-and-sustainer-of-all-things-pt-2/.
Further Reading
Is Jesus Creator –orMiddle Man?
http://www.chick.com/bc/2015/creator_or_middle_man.asp

Is Jesus Creatoror Middle Man?
https://www.chick.com/m/bible/transcripts/52-bibles-that-say-all-things-were-
created-through-jesus.asp
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Colossians1:17 17He is before all things, and in him
all things hold together.
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Christ's Headship Over Nature
Colossians 1:15-17
T. Croskery
The Gnostic errorists at Colossae taughtthat the gulf betweenthe infinite God
and finite man was bridged acrossby subordinate angelic agencies.The
apostle teaches thatthe gulf is bridged by Jesus Christ, who, being both God
and Man, touches both and is the ReconcilerofGod and man. He shows that
Christ has a double sovereignty, a twofold mediatorial function - in relation to
the universe and in relation to the Church. Thus we have a most pregnant

statementconcerning the doctrine of the personof Christ with the view of
showing that there is a real mediation betweenGodand creation.
I. HIS RELATION TO THE INVISIBLE FATHER. "Who is the Image of the
invisible God." Christ is likewise called"the Brightness of the Father's glory,
the express Image of his person" (Hebrews 1:3).
1. The meaning of this image.
(1) Christ is not a mere likeness ofthe Father, like the head of a sovereign
stamped on a coin, or as a sonhears the features of his father.
(2) But he is an essentialmanifestationand embodiment of the Father. Thus
the invisible God becomes visible to man, according to our Lord's own words,
"No man hath seenGod at any time; the only begottenSon, who is in the
bosom of the Father, he hath revealedhim" (John 1:18). "He that hath seen
me hath seenthe Father" (John 14:9).
(3) It implies his perfectequality with the Father in respectto substance,
nature, and eternity. The Son is the Father's Image except in respectthat he is
not the Father.
2. Lessons to be drawn from this representationof Christ's glory.
(1) If we would know the Father, we must get into Christ by faith (2
Corinthians 4:4).
(2) As it is Christ's glory to be God's Image, be it our honour to be Christ's
image, in knowledge (Colossians3:10), in holiness, in righteousness
(Ephesians 4:21). We are "predestinatedto be conformed to the image of his
Son" (Romans 8:29).
(3) How great a sin it is to turn the glory of the incorruptible Godinto the
image of corruptible creatures" (Romans 1:23)!
II. CHRIST'S RELATION TO THE UNIVERSE. He is "the Firstborn of all
creation." As his being God's Image implies his eternal unity with God, so his
being the only begottenSon of God implies the distinctness of his Person. The

apostle thus guards the truth on one side againstArianism, on the other side
againstSabellianism. There are two ideas involved in this statement.
1. Christ has a priority to all creation. Arians refer to the passage as implying
that he is only one, though the very first, of createdbeings. But
(1) he is said here to be begotten, not created.
(2) He is declaredin the context to be "before all things," and therefore he is
no part of them.
(3) "All things" are declaredto be "made by him," but he is himself
necessarilyexceptedfrom the number of the things he created.
(4) The Scriptures elsewhere declarehis eternalpreexistence and Godhead.
2. Christ is sovereignLord of creationby right of primogeniture. The word
"Firstborn" is used of the Messiahalmostas his technical designation(Psalm
2:7), as we see by Hebrews 1:6, "Whenhe bringeth the First-begotteninto the
world." As such he is "Heir of all things" (Hebrews 1:2: Romans 4:14). There
is thus implied a mediatorial function in the world as well as in the Church.
3. Christ is the actualCreatorof all things. "Forin him were all things
created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and invisible,
whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers." Thesewords
justify the title of "Firstborn of all creation." They were all created"in him,"
not merely "by him" - as if the germ of all creative powerand wisdom lay in
his infinite mind, as the sphere of their operation. The words impliedly
exclude the Gnostic idea that Christ was an inferior agentof the infinite God.
He was the creative centre of the universe. Mark:
(1) The extent of creation - "things in the heavens and things upon the earth."
This includes all creationas describedby locality.
(2) The variety of the creation - "whetherthings visible or invisible." This
division would include the sun, moon, stars, the earth with all its visible
glories, in one class;the angels and the souls of men in the other class.

(3) The orders of creation, "whetherthrones, or dominions, or principalities,
or powers." As Gnosticismplaced Christ among the higher intelligences, the
apostle places him far above all angelic intelligences ofevery order. It is not
possible to say whether these names represent various grades ofa celestial
hierarchy, but it is probable that they do; "thrones and dominions" belonging
to the first order, "principalities and powers" standing next, as including
spirits both good and evil. Christ made the angels.
4. Christ is himself the End or final Cause ofcreation. "All things have been
createdthrough him and for him." All things were createdby him as well as
for him - for the manifestation of his glory. "He that was the first Cause must
be the last End." The final destination of the universe is referred to the Son,
just as it is elsewhere ascribedto the Father(Romans 11:36). The Son is the
Centre of the world's final unity.
5. Christ is the Sustainerof the universe. "And by him all things consist." The
continued existence, as wellas the creation, of all things, depends upon him.
"My Father workethhitherto, and I work" (John 5:17). He "upholds all
things by the word of his power" (Hebrews 1:3). The sustaining unity of the
creationis in him
(1) because he maintains its order, appointing all things to their respective
ends;
(2) because he sustains the operation of all things, correlating means with
ends;
(3) because he secures the cooperationofall things, so that all things work
togetherfor his glory;
(4) because he maintains the perpetuity of all things. Thus Christ maintains
the cohesionofthe universe.
III. LESSONS TO BE DRAWN FROM CHRIST'S RELATION TO HIS
FATHER AND TO THE UNIVERSE.
1. We delight in the doctrine of Christ's divinity, which is the doctrine of
Christendom.

2. If he made angels and men, they may well worship him.
3. His relation to creationencourages us to hope that he will overrule all the
powerof nature for the growth of his Church. Even wickedmen will have no
powerto destroyhis Church. The creationproves his power, and his love
proves his goodwill.
4. The knowledge ofhis glory ought to deter from all creature worship.
5. We should ever pray that he would direct the work of our hands
continually. (Psalm90:7.)
6. We ought not to fret at Divine providence. (Psalm 37:2, 3.) The creative and
administrative work of Christ, in the natural order of things, is the comfort of
all believers. - T. C.
Biblical Illustrator
By Him all things consist.
Colossians 1:17
All things exist in Christ
J. Spence, D. D.
All things stand togetherin Him as the causaland' conditional sphere of their
continued existence. In Him they live and move and have their being, and in
Him the sustentationor upholding of the universe rests. How wondrous, then,
the glory and powerof the Son of God! Without Him the sun would not shine,
nor the seasonsrevolve; without Him the rain would not descend, nor the
rivers run, nor the trees grow, nor the oceans ebband flow. His power is
necessaryto summer and winter, seed.time and harvest, to earth and sky. He
upholdeth all things by the word of His power, and without Him creation
would collapse. Everyprovince of the empire of immensity, with all its
contents of life, force, and motion, depends on Him. The intellect of angels
reflects His light, the fire of seraphs is the glow of His love, the energy of our
own souls is an evidence of His beneficence andskill. In Him all things consist

— the powerof their support, the primal centre of their order, the rule of
their operation. This is the Being in whom we have redemption. What
sublimity His greatness sheds aroundthe gospel!What moral richness His
gospelthrows around nature and humanity! How lofty should be our
adoration, how strong our confidence, how warm our love, how complete our
submission!
(J. Spence, D. D.)
commentaries
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(17) He is before all things.—The words “He is” are both emphatic. He, and
He only, is; all else is created. It is impossible not to refer to the “I am” of
Eternal existence, as claimedby our Lord for Himself. “Before Abraham was,
I am” (John 8:58; comp. also John 1:15). Hence the word “before” should be
taken, not of supreme dignity, but of pre-existence.
By him all things consist.—Thatis, hold togetherin unity, obeying the
primæval law of their being. In this clause is attributed to our Lord, not only
the creative act, but also the constantsustaining power, “in which all lives and
moves and has its being,” and which, even less than the creative agency, can
be supposed to be a derivative and finite power, such as that of the Demiurgus
of Gnostic speculation.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
1:15-23 Christ in his human nature, is the visible discovery of the invisible
God, and he that hath seenHim hath seenthe Father. Let us adore these
mysteries in humble faith, and behold the glory of the Lord in Christ Jesus.

He was born or begottenbefore all the creation, before any creature was
made; which is the Scripture way of representing eternity, and by which the
eternity of God is representedto us. All things being createdby Him, were
createdfor him; being made by his power, they were made according to his
pleasure, and for his praise and glory. He not only createdthem all at first,
but it is by the word of his powerthat they are upheld. Christ as Mediatoris
the Head of the body, the church; all grace and strength are from him; and
the church is his body. All fulness dwells in him; a fulness of merit and
righteousness, ofstrength and grace for us. God showedhis justice in
requiring full satisfaction. This mode of redeeming mankind by the death of
Christ was mostsuitable. Here is presented to our view the method of being
reconciled. And that, notwithstanding the hatred of sin on God's part, it
pleasedGod to reconcile fallenman to himself. If convinced that we were
enemies in our minds by wickedworks, andthat we are now reconciledto
God by the sacrifice and death of Christ in our nature, we shall not attempt to
explain away, nor yet think fully to comprehend these mysteries;but we shall
see the glory of this plan of redemption, and rejoice in the hope set before us.
If this be so, that God's love is so greatto us, what shall we do now for God?
Be frequent in prayer, and abound in holy duties; and live no more to
yourselves, but to Christ. Christ died for us. But wherefore? Thatwe should
still live in sin? No; but that we should die to sin, and live henceforth not to
ourselves, but to Him.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
And he is before all things - As he must be, if he createdall things. Those who
regard this as referring to a moral creation, interpret it as meaning that he
has the pre-eminence over all things; not as referring to his pre-existence. But
the fair and proper meaning of the word "before" (πρὸ pro) is, that he was
before all things in the order of existence;compare Matthew 8:29; John
11:55;John 13:1; Acts 5:36; Acts 21:38;2 Corinthians 12:2. It is equivalent to
saying that he was eternal - for he that had an existence before any thing was
created, must be eternal. Thus, it is equivalent to the phrase, "In the
beginning;" Genesis 1:1; compare the notes at John 1:1.

And by him all things subsist - Or are sustained;see the notes at Hebrews 1:3.
The meaning is, that they are kept in the present state;their existence, order,
and arrangementare continued by his power. If unsupported by him, they
would fall into disorder, or sink back to nothing. If this be the proper
interpretation, then it is the ascription to Christ of infinite power - for nothing
less could be sufficient to uphold the universe; and of infinite wisdom - for this
is needed to preserve the harmonious actionof the suns and systems of which
it is composed. None could do this but one who is divine; and hence we see the
reasonwhy he is representedas the image of the invisible God. He is the great
and glorious and everactive agentby whom the perfections of God are made
known.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
17. (Joh 8:58.) Translate as Greek, "And He Himself (the greatHe) is
(implying divine essentialbeing)before all things," in time, as well as in
dignity. Since He is before all things, He is before even time, that is, from
eternity. Compare "the first-born of every creature" (Col1:15).
by him—Greek, "IN Him" (as the conditional element of existence, Col1:16)
[Alford].
consist—"subsist."Notonly are calledinto being from nothing, but are
maintained in their present state. The Sonof Godis the Conserver, as well as
the Creatorof all things [Pearson]. Bengelless probably explains, "All things
in Him come togetherinto one system: the universe found its completion in
Him" (Isa 41:4; Re 22:13). Compare as to God, Ro 11:36:similar language;
therefore Christ must be God.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
And he is before all things: to obviate all exceptions to what he had said
before, the apostle doth expressly assert(whatwas implied before) Christ’s
pre-existence to all the things that were created, and therefore that he himself
was not made, but eternally begotten, and so did exist, and was actually before
all creatures in causality, dignity, and time; which proves his eternity,
(consonantto other scriptures, Proverbs 8:22 Isaiah44:6 Micah5:2 John 1:1

17:5 Revelation1:8,11,17Re 22:13), because before allthings there was
nothing but proper eternity, Psalm90:2.
And by him all things consist:then follows this further argument of Christ’s
excellencyand perfection, that he is not only the Creatoror Founder, but
likewise the Supporter or Upholder, of all things whatsoeverare created, yea,
even of the most excellentand useful of them, who in him do live and move,
Acts 17:28 Hebrews 1:3: he being the conservantas well as procreantcause of
the heavens and earth, with all things therein, because in respectofGod it is
the same actionwhich is continued in conservationand providence whielt was
in creation, not breaking off the same influence which was exertedin
producing them out of nothing into being, Isaiah 46:4 John 5:19.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
And he is before all things,.... Not only in dignity, being preferable to angels
and men in his nature, names, offices, and works, and worthy of more honour
than all creatures;but he is before them in existence, as he must needs be,
since they are all made by him; he was not only before John the Baptist, his
forerunner, before Abraham who saw his day and was glad, before the first
man was made, but before the angels were in being, or the heavens and the
earth, or any creature were formed; and therefore must be God, who is from
everlasting to everlasting:
and by him all things consist;he upholds all things by the word of his power;
the heavens have their stability and continuance from him; the pillars of the
earth are bore up by him, otherwise that and the inhabitants of it would be
dissolved; the angels in heaven are confirmed in their estate by him, and have
their standing and security in him; the electorGodare in his hands, and are
his peculiar care and charge, and therefore shall never perish; yea, all
mankind live and move, and have their being in him; the whole frame of
nature would burst asunder and break in pieces, was it not held togetherby
him; every createdbeing has its support from him, and its consistencein him;
and all the affairs of Providence relating to all creatures are governed,

directed, and managed by him, in conjunction with the Father and the blessed
Spirit.
Geneva Study Bible
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Colossians 1:17. Καὶ αὐτός]which is to be separatedfrom the preceding by a
comma only (see on Colossians 1:16), places, in contradistinctionto the
createdobjects in Colossians 1:16 (τὰ πάντα), the subject, the creating self:
“and He Himself, on His part, has an earlierexistence than all things, and the
collective whole subsists in Him.” Neveris αὐτός in the nominative[39] the
mere unemphatic “he” of the previous subject (de Wette), either in Greek
authors or in the N. T., not even in passages suchas Buttmann (Neut. Gr. p.
94 [E. T. 107])brings forward; see Fritzsche, ad Matth. p. 47;Winer, p. 141 f.
[E. T. 187];Kühner, II. 1, p. 563.
πρὸ πάντων] like ΠΡΩΤΌΤΟΚΟς, referring to time, not to rank (as the
Socinians, Nösselt, Heinrichs, Schleiermacher, Baumgarten-Crusius,and
others hold); Paul thus repeatedlyand emphatically lays stress on the pre-
existence ofChrist. Insteadof ἐστί, he might have written ἦν (John 1:1); but
he makes use of the former, because he has in view and sets forth the
permanence of Christ’s existence, and does not wish to narrate about Him
historically, which is done only in the auxiliary clauses with ὅτι, Colossians
1:16; Colossians1:19. On the present, comp. John 8:58. His existence is more
ancient than that of all things (ΠΆΝΤΩΝ, not masculine, as the Vulgate and
Luther translate).
ἘΝ ΑὐΤῷ] as in Colossians 1:16, referring to the causaldependence of the
subsistence ofall existing things on Christ.

συνέστηκε] denotes the subsistence ofthe whole, the state of lasting
interdependence and order,—an idea which is not equivalent to that of
creation, but presupposes it. Reiske, Ind. Dem. ed. Schaef. p. 481:“Corpus
unum, integrum, perfectum, secum consentiens esseetpermanere.” Comp. 2
Peter3:5; Plat. Rep. p. 530 A: ξυνεστάναι τῷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ δημιουργῷαὐτόν
τε καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ, Tim. 61 A: γῆν … ξυνεστηκυῖαν, Legg. vii. p. 817 B: ἡ
πολιτεία ξυνέστηκε μίμησις τοῦ καλλίστου … βίου. Herod. vii. 225;Philo, quis
rer. div. haer. p. 489:ὁ ἔναιμος ὄγκος, ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ διαλυτὸς ὢνκαὶ νεκρὸς,
συνέστηκε κ. ζωπυρεῖται προνοίᾳ Θεοῦ κ.τ.λ. It expresses thatthere is in
Christ not merely the creative cause, but also the cause which brings about
organic stability and continuance in unity (preserving and governing) for the
whole of existing things. Comp. Hebrews 1:3. Of attempts at explanation
under the moral interpretation, we may note that of Schleiermacher:the
consolidating of earthly relations and institutions; and that of Baumgarten-
Crusius: “in this new world He is Lord in recognitionand in sway”
[39] Bengelcorrectlyobserves onver. 16: “Ipse hic saepe positum magnam
significatmajestatemet omnem excludit creaturam.”
REMARK.
The intentional prominence given to the factof the creationof all things
through Christ, and in particular of the creationof the angels in their various
classes, justifies the supposition that the false teachers disparagedChrist in
this respect, and that they possessedatleastelements of the Gnostic-
demiurgic doctrine which was afterwards systematicallyelaborated. There is
no evidence, however, of their particular views, and the further forms
assumedby the Gnostic elements, as they showedthemselves according to the
Fathers in Simon Magus (Iren. Haer. i. 20 “Eunoiam… generare angeloset
potestates, a quibus et mundum hunc factum dixit;” comp. Epiph. Haer. xxi.

4), Cerinthus, etc., and especiallyamong the Valentinians, while certainly to
be recognisedas fundamentally akin to the Colossiandoctrinal errors (comp.
Heinrici, Valentinian. Gnosis, 1871), are not to be identified with them; nor
are those elements to be made use of as a proof of the post-apostolic originof
the epistle, as still is done by Hilgenfeld (see his Zeitschr. 1870, p. 246 f.), and
more cautiously by Holtzmann. Of Ebionitism only Essene elements are to be
found in Colossae, mingledwith other Gnostic doctrines, which were not held
by the later Ebionites. In particular, the πρὸ πάντων εἶναι, on which Paul lays
so much stress, must have been doubted in Colossae, althougha portion of the
Ebionites expressly and emphatically taught it (λέγουσιν ἄνωθεν μὲν ὄντα πρὸ
πάντων δὲ κτισθέντα, Epiph. Haer. XXX. 3). Moreover, the opinion that Paul
derived the appellations of the classesofangels in Colossians 1:16 from the
language ofthe heretics themselves (Böhmer, comp. Olshausen)is to be
rejected, because in other passagesalso, where there is no contrastto the
Gnostic doctrine of Aeons, he makes use in substance of these names (Romans
8:38; 1 Corinthians 15:24; comp. Ephesians 1:20 ff; Ephesians 3:10;
Ephesians 6:11 ff.). They are rather to be regardedas well-knownand
generally-current appellations, which were derived from the terminology of
later Judaism, and which heretics made use of in common with the orthodox.
The anti-Gnostic element is contained, not in the technicalexpressions, but in
the doctrinal contents of the passage;and it was strong enough to induce
Marcion, who took offence at it, to omit Colossians 1:15-17(Tertullian, c.
Marcion, v. 19). See, besides, Räbiger, Christol. Paul. p. 51 f.; Lechler, apost.
Zeit. p. 55 f.; Klöpper, l.c.
Expositor's Greek Testament
Colossians 1:17. αὐτός ἐστιν. αὐτ. is emphatic, He and no other. Lightfoot
(followedby Westcottand Hort and Ellicott)accents ἔστιν, “He exists,” on
accountof the present, and compares ἐγὼ εἰμί (John 8:58). But there ἐγὼ εἰμί
stands alone, whereas here αὐτ. ἐστ. is completedby πρὸ πάντων. Besides,
there is no objectin the assertionofthe existence ofthe Son here. The sense of
ἐστὶν depends to some extent on that of πρὸ πάντων. If, as is usual, πρὸ is
takenhere as temporal, αὐτός will be the pre-incarnate Son. If, however, with
Haupt, it be takento assertsuperiority in rank, αὐτός will be the exalted
Christ, and the presentwill be quite regular. It is urged that for this some

other preposition, such as ἐπὶ or ὑπέρ, would have been expected. Gess says
that in eachof the elevenother passagesin which it occurs in Paul it is
temporal, and in the other N.T. passages(37)it is used of place or, as
generally, of time, exceptin Jam5:12, 1 Peter4:8, where it is used of rank. It
is used, however, in classicalGreek in this latter sense. Perhaps it is safestto
allow the generalPauline usage to determine the sense here. In this case πρὸ is
temporal and ἐστιν a timeless present. πάντων is, of course, neuter, like τὰ
πάντα, not masculine.—συνέστηκεν:“hold together”. The Sonis the centre of
unity for the universe. He keeps allits parts in their proper place and due
relations and combines them into an ordered whole. Apart from Him it would
go to pieces. Philo ascribes a similar function to the Logos. Haupt thinks that
this thought that Christ is the principle of coherence forthe universe is not in
the passage,which means no more than that He sustains it (cf. Hebrews 1:3,
φέρων τὰ πάντα).
The interpretation of Colossians 1:15-17 givenby Oltramare should not be
passedover. He eliminates the idea of pre-existence from the passage, and
says that the reference is throughout to Christ as Redeemer. Godhad in
creationto provide by a plan of Redemption for the entrance of evil into the
universe, and only on that condition could it take place. So since Christ is the
Redeemer, creationis based upon Him, He is the means to it, and the end
which it contemplates. He objects to the common view on the following
grounds: (1) Elsewhere PaulspeaksofGod, not Christ, as the Creatorand
goalof the universe; (2) Paul starts from the Christ in whom we have
redemption as πρωτότ. π. κτίσεως, and in Colossians1:18, which refers to the
same Personas Colossians 1:17, He is spokenof as the Head of the Church,
therefore the context is againstany reference to a pre-incarnate Christ; (3) He
carefully avoids saying that the Sonhas createdall things, though he has to
change the subject of the sentence. In reply to (1) it may be said that the Son
acts as Agent of the Father, and so creationmay be referred to either, and
that while Paul contemplates the final surrender by the Sonof the kingdom to
the Father, he also contemplates a prior subjectionof everything to the Son.
Oltramare himself, for another purpose, points to apparent inconsistencyin
John (John 1:2 compared with Revelation3:14;Revelation4:11; Revelation

10:6) and the author of Hebrews (Hebrews 1:2 comparedwith Hebrews 2:10,
Hebrews 11:3). If these writers did not find the two views incompatible, why
should Paul have done so? In reply to (2) it may be urged that Paul’s hold on
the personalidentity of the Son in the states through which He passedwas
strong enoughto enable Him to glide from one to the other without any sense
of incongruity. As to (3), the change in the form of sentence is probably to
prepare for διʼ αὐτοῦ κ. εἰς αὐτὸν. There is a similar change at Colossians
1:19, where ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ corresponds to ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ (Colossians 1:16). His own
view is open to fatal objections. It is not clearthat the creationof the angels
who did not fall would be conditionalon provision being made for
Redemption, nor yet how this would prove the superiority of the Redeemerto
these angels. The insuperable difficulty, however, is that the thought is so far-
fetched and not naturally suggestedby the words. ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα
can hardly be consistentwith the creationof the universe long before the Son
came into existence. Norcanδιʼ αὐτοῦ meanmerely that the Son was an
indispensable condition for the creationof the universe, it implies active
agency. Noris any adequate explanation of τ. πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν
given. Besides, Php2:5-8 sufficiently proves that Paul believed in the pre-
existence ofChrist, and that makes it less than everjustifiable to take the
passagein other than its plain sense.—Gess, itmay be added, explains that the
firstborn is the one who opens for those who follow the path of life, and by his
consecrationto Godmust purchase for them the Divine goodpleasure.
Exodus 13:2; Exodus 13:12 sq. and Numbers 3:12 sq. are quoted to prove this,
but neither says anything of the purchase of Divine favour for those born
after. Exodus 4:22 and Psalm 89:27 are explained to mean, accordingly, that
Israeland David, not the nations and their kings, are objects of God’s good
pleasure and mediators of it to the world. πρωτότ. π. κτ. is therefore explained
as the openerof the path of life and mediator of God’s love to every creature.
But this is to overlook the factthat in Psalms 89. the firstborn is further
defined as the highestof the kings of the earth.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
17. he] Emphatic in the Greek;He, and no other who could even seemto rival
or obscure His sublime eminence.

is before all things] ante omnes, Latin Versions. The Greek genitive form is
ambiguous; it might be either masculine or neuter. But the mention in the last
clause, in the unambiguous nominative, of “all things,” decides for a similar
reference here.
Lightfoot prints his rendering here, “and He is before all things,” comparing
John 8:58, and Exodus 3:14, and adding, “The imperfect [‘was’]might have
sufficed, … but the present [‘is’] declares that this pre-existence is absolute
existence.” He quotes Basilof Cæsarea(adv. Eunom., iv.) as emphasizing the
specialforce of “is” (as againste.g. “was”or“became”)in this very passage:
“(the Apostle) indicates thus that He ever is while the creationcame to be.”
“Before:”—i.e., as the whole context shews, in respectof priority of existence;
the priority of eternity.
by him] Lit. and better, in Him; see above on Colossians1:16.
consist]I.e., literally, stand together, hold together. The Latin-English
“consist” (Latin versions, constant)exactlyrenders the Greek. “He is the
principle of cohesionin the Universe. He impresses upon creationthat unity
and solidarity which makes it a cosmos insteadof a chaos” (Lightfoot). And
Lightfoot quotes Philo to shew that the “Logos”ofAlexandrian Judaism was
similarly regardedas the “Bond” of the universe.
“Christ was the conditional element of their creation, the causalelement of
their persistence … The declaration, as Waterland observes, is in fact
tantamount to ‘in Him they live, and move, and have their being’ ” (Ellicott).

Natural philosophy, after all observationand classificationofphenomena and
their processes,asksnecessarilybut in vain (so long as it asks only “Nature”),
what is their ultimate secret, whatis, for instance, the last reasonofuniversal
gravitation. Revelationdiscloses thatreasonin the Personand Will of the Son
of God.
Thus far the Apostle has unfolded the glory of Christ as the Cause and Bond
of all being in the sphere of “Nature,” material and otherwise. Now he turns
to the sphere of Grace.
Bengel's Gnomen
Colossians 1:17. ἜΣΤΙ, He is) He does not say, He was made; nor, He was, of
which the latter might, however, have been used in a dignified sense, comp.
John 1:1; but He is, in the present; comp. John 8:58.—πρὸ πάντων, before all
things) even before time, i.e. from eternity.—καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῳ συνέστηκε)
and all things in Him came togetherinto one system [Engl. Vers. By Him all
things consist, i.e. are maintained.] The universe found its completion in Him.
LXX. τὰ συστἡματα τῶν ὑδάτων, Genesis 1:10. He is the first and the last,
Revelation22:13. [Isaiah41:4, in regard to the origin: I the Lord am first, and
I am with the last.—V. g.]
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 17.
(d) All things through Him and unto Him have been created;
(e) And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
II. Ver. 18.

(e) And He is the Head of the body, the Church;
(a) Who is (the) Beginning, Firstborn out of the dead, that in all things He
might become pre-eminent:
Vincent's Word Studies
He is (αὐτὸς ἔστιν)
Both words are emphatic. Ἔστιν is, is used as in John 8:58 (see note), to
express Christ's absolute existence. "He emphasizes the personality, is the
preexistence" (Lightfoot). For similar emphasis on the pronoun, see Ephesians
2:14; Ephesians 4:10, Ephesians 4:11; 1 John 2:2; Revelation19:15.
Before all things
In time.
By Him (ἐν αὐτῷ)
In Him as Colossians 1:16. So Rev.
Consist(συνέστηκεν)
Cohere, in mutual dependence. Compare Acts 27:28; Hebrews 1:3. For other
meanings of the verb, see on Romans 3:5. Christ not only creates, but
maintains in continuous stability and productiveness. "He, the All-powerful,
All-holy Word of the Father, spreads His powerover all things everywhere,
enlightening things seenand unseen, holding and binding all togetherin
Himself. Nothing is left empty of His presence, but to all things and through
all, severallyand collectively, He is the giver and sustainerof life.... He, the
Wisdom of God, holds the universe in tune together. He it is who, binding all
with each, and ordering all things by His will and pleasure, produces the
perfect unity of nature and the harmonious reign of law. While He abides
unmoved forever with the Father, He yet moves all things by His own
appointment according to the Father's will" (Athanasius).

END OF BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
The Positionof Christ: Sustainerof All Things (Colossians 1:17)~ A Devotion
for September3, 2014
“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” ~ Colossians
1:17
Explanation of the Text: Continuing on in the passage aboutwho Christ is,
Paul moves from Christ as creatorto now his position within creation. He first
notes that Christ is ‘before all things.’ The meaning of the word ‘before’ often
becomes a source of debate for a number of people. Generally the meaning
has come to mean one of two things: (1) as a reference to Christ’s position in
relation to creationor (2) Christ’s existence in time in relationto creation.
The best interpretation, which is acceptedby many, is that it references
Christ’s existence in relationship to creation. Therefore, it would literally
refer to the preexistence ofChrist.[1] Lightfoot notes that this is the best
interpretation because this produces a natural flow of thought into the next
verse;additionally, had it referred to his position, the Greek wording would
have expressedit differently.[2] In indicating Christ as preexistent before
creation, Paul is expressing his eternality. Jesus Christ existedbefore all
things (John 8:58; 17:5; Philippians 2:6). Often, we think of Jesus as coming
into being at the virgin birth. However, it is important to remember that Jesus
always existedand through the virgin birth, he came into physical being as the
incarnation of God.[3]
We then come to what R. Kent Hughes calls “the apex of Paul’s argument”
noting that “Christ is superior in creationbecause he is the sustainerof
creation.”[4]JesusChrist did not only take part in creation, but it is through
Him that creationcontinues to exist. It is he who sustains everything, or as the
verse says, through Him “allthings are held together.” As “the one who holds
all things together(he) is the very ONE who placed all things togetherthrough
his reconciling work on the cross (verse 20).”[5]

Examination & Application of the Text: In his large systematic theologybook,
Norman Geislernotes the following three responses thatone can have to
recognizing eternality and specificallyin relationship to Christ:
Enjoy the confidence that His purposes will stand (Isaiah 46:10)
Establisha hope in Christ (Hebrews 6:19-20)
Recognize thathe canhelp us now (Hebrews 7:23-25)[6]
Speaking of God the Father, Isaiah 46:10 indicates that God has declaredthe
beginning and the end, and thus affirming his own plan to take place. This can
be seenthroughout the Old Testamentas God’s purposes take place according
to what He says will take place. Therefore, this should provide a comfortto
know that when Jesus Christ preaches ofa future with him (Luke 23:43).
Furthermore, there should be comfort in the hope that one can have in Jesus
Christ (Hebrews 6:19-20). Hope in anything other than Christ is a false hope
that even though may provide temporary comfort, will result in failure
leaving one feeling more empty than he/she may have felt before. Therefore,
one must build a solid foundation that is built on Christ and His word,
acceding only to that and not on the temporal, earthly realm.
Finally, the eternality of Christ leads to one who can help now (Hebrews 7:23-
25). Christ existedbefore all createdthings, appointed to the royal priesthood.
He is therefore, a mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) and because ofHim we have
access to God (John 14:6) because JesusChrist is God (John 8:58).
Understanding these points should make it easierto lean on and trust Christ
for all things. Recognizing that we have a presenthope in Him. This is a
continuous reality. If you note in the verse, the verbs are present tense. It does
not saythat Jesus Christ did hold all things together, but rather that He does
hold all things together. This ultimate reality is that we have hope in Him who
is presently at work in the world in which we live.
[1] Edwin Blum, Ed., Holman Christian Study Bible (Nashville: Broadman&
Holman Publishers, 2010), 2056.

[2] JosephBarber Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistles to the Colossiansand to
Philemon, 8th ed., Classic Commentaries onthe Greek New Testament
(London; New York: Macmillanand Co., 1886), 154.
[3] R.C. Sproul, Everybody’s A Theologian(Sanford: ReformationTrust,
2014), 143.
[4] R. Kent Hughes, Philippians, Colossians,and Philemon, Preaching the
Word (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013),Location3755.
[5] Todd D. Still, Colossians, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Ed.
Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
2006), 290.
[6] Normal L. Geisler, Systematic Theologyin One Volume (Minneapolis:
Bethany House, 2011), 608.
By Robert Zink|September 3rd, 2014|Devotionals|Comments Off
What does Colossians1:17 mean? [⇑ See verse text ⇑]
Paul adds to his praise of Christ, which beganin verse 15. Here, he explains
that Jesus existedprior to all other things. He is eternal, just like God the
Father (John 1:1–3). In the beginning, God createdthe heavens and the earth
(Genesis 1:1). Godthe Father, Son, and Spirit (Genesis 1:2–3)were all
involved in creation. Paul speaks elsewhereofJesus creating people
(Ephesians 2:10), while Hebrews 1:2 speaks ofthe creationcoming through
Christ.
Not only is Jesus—God—responsible forcreating all things, He is also the
reasonall things continue to exist. The Greek constructionof this verse can
also be translated as "all things continue" or "endure." Jesus is both creator
and sustainerof our world. In one sense, verse 17 summarizes Paul's words in
the previous two verses on this theme of the supremacy of Christ. This theme

is echoednot only by Paul's other letters, but by other New Testament
authors, such as John.
https://www.bibleref.com/Colossians/1/Colossians-1-17.html
R C SPROUL
The GreatSustainer
“All things were createdthrough him and for him. And he is before all things,
and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:16-17).
- Colossians 1:16-17
Sometimes it seems the Christian life is simply an ongoing discoveryof the
sufficiency of Christ. We come to faith by the work of the Holy Spirit and
believe that Jesus alone can save us, thereby receiving eternalsalvation (John
3:1–15), and yet we need to be reminded againand again that Jesus alone is
also the key to life after conversion. If we are honest with ourselves, allof us
have at leastactedotherwise, though many of us have believed otherwise as
well. Maybe, for a time, we lived like the Galatians, who thought that God
would really love them only if they dotted every “i” and crossedevery “t” of
the Mosaic law. If so, we forgot that God loves us on accountof the perfection
of Jesus our substitute (Gal. 2:15–21;3:10–14). Perhaps we once followedin
the footsteps ofSimon Magus, notin trying to purchase the Spirit but in
focusing so much on the powerof the Holy Spirit that we forgotthe One who
with His Fatherpours out the Spirit upon all believers (Acts 8:18–24;see John
14:15–31).It could even be that we actedlike the false teachers in Colossae,
turning to diets, superstitions, and other things for spiritual help, not because
we denied verbally Jesus’sufficiencybut to make sure all our religious bases
were covered(Col. 2:16–19).

Paul’s answerto all these errors is this — Christ alone is sufficient, and
believers mature as we take hold of this truth in our beliefs and actions (1:24–
29). The apostle’s revelationabout our Savior’s identity in Colossians 1:16–17
reveals clearlythe sufficiency of Christ. Jesus, we read, is the self-existent,
eternal agentof God’s creative acts describedin Genesis 1–2.Or, as John 1:1–
18 puts it, Jesus is the Word — the Logos who is God and is with God. In Him
all things were made, including the lesserprincipalities and powers whom the
Colossianfalse teachers trusted(Col. 1:16; 2:18). Their hope in angels for
spiritual advancement was misplacedbecause it meant turning from the
Creatorto creatures. Moreover, ifJesus’identity with the Creatoris not
enough to convince readers of Christ’s sufficiency, the apostle also explains
that the Son of God is the greatSustainer. “In him all things hold together”
(1:17): Christ, no other being or impersonal force, keeps the universe in order.
Without Him, the cosmos wouldbe chaos, and if He has the power to hold
everything together, how could anyone believe that he needs to turn anywhere
else to find completion?
Coram Deo
C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “Let us not come with any patronizing
nonsense about His [Jesus]being a greathuman teacher. He has not left that
open to us. He did not intend to.” The foolishness ofhumanity and false
religion is seenin the willingness to acceptJesus as a goodteacher, but
nothing more. He is either the Lord, Creator, and Sustainer of all, or He is
worthy of no more regard than we would give any other talented teacher.
Jesus the Sustainer
Postedon July 12, 2015 by faithcatalyst
Meditations in Colossians:32. Jesus the Sustainer
Col 1:17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Here we go againwith two phrases that we probably so often skip past
without little thought but which are, like the rest of these incredible snippets
in the letter, like nuggets of gold that need mining. First of all, “He is before
all things.” I suggeststhere are two meanings or applications of this part of
the verse. First, because he was begottenbefore the Godhead createdanything
else, he is indeed before all things. Second, I would suggestthat because of
who he is, he is before anyone and anything else in all of existence in respectof
importance.
I know we have been there before but it needs emphasising because we are so
slow to really take in these things, but let’s considermore fully this aspectof
Jesus having existed before anything else. Let’s recapagainJohn’s verses:“In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. He was with God in the beginning.” (Jn 1:1,2)The Living Bible puts it so
straightforwardly: “Before anything else existed there was Christ, with God.”
Then there is, “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was
born, I am!” (Jn 8:58). “I AM” of course was God’s divine name shared with
Moses in Exodus 3. Then remember how Jesus prayed in the Garden of
Gethsemane:“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I
had with you before the world began.” (Jn 17:5) Wow, that’s pretty clear!
To pick up the secondpossible meaning of that part of the verse if, as we have
been seeing, Jesus IS God and Jesus was there bringing into existence all of
creationand, as we’ll go on to see shortly, he holds all things together, then
indeed there is no competitor to rival him for importance. No other being –
human or otherwise – has had these things said about them. As a separate
study work your way through Hebrews chapter1 where the writer lists off a
stream of reasons why Jesus is pre-eminent.
But then Paul goes onto this secondtricky phrase: “in him all things hold
together.” This is quite amazing, Let’s look againat how a couple of the
paraphrase versions put it: “He was there before any of it came into existence
and holds it all together right up to this moment.” (Message)and“He was
before all else beganand it is his power that holds everything together.”
(Living) The consensus is that somehow or other, Jesus the Sonof God is the
one who keeps everything going;not the pull of gravity, not the initial big

bang momentum, but Christ. We measure ‘life’ in a human beings by brain
waves or heart beats and we assume they have just been startedoff by the
mother while the infant is in the womb, and they simply slow down and stop
at death. We observe life in a plant or a tree as sunlight and wateract on the
cells of the tree or plant and they multiply and we speak of the plant as
‘living’ but actually these verses saythat somehow life continues and the
world continues only because ofJesus.
The writer to the Hebrew wrote, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and
the exactrepresentationof his being, sustaining all things by his powerful
word.” (Heb 1:3) In the same way that life and matter were createdby God’s
word – “And God said, ‘Let there be…. And it was so.” (see Gen1)so it
seems, keeps things going by His word. While he speaks itkeeps going.
It is a mystery we will not understand until we getto heaven. But is makes
Jesus evenmore significant. We so often focus on his all important work on
the Cross (and rightly so) but we must never forget the New Testament’s
testimony that Jesus is with God and Jesus is God. Also that God createdthe
world and Jesus createdthe world. Now we see that the very existence ofthe
world depends on Jesus the Sonof God. We might ask, canwe ever elevate
Jesus enough? There is yet more to come.
https://biblemeditationshop.wordpress.com/2015/07/12/32-jesus-the-sustainer/
Christ the Sustainer
He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. (Colossians 1:17)
We left the lastverse discussing the greatnessofour Lord Jesus as the creator
of all things. Continuing on that thought, we will begin by looking at just
what it means that He is before all things. Does it mean before all things in
time, or does it mean that He is before all things in position?
From my understanding of the purpose of these verses, to me it appears to
mean before all things in position. While it is true that He certainly was

before all things in time, as He said emphatically in John:”Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58), and in case we miss the
full weightof what the Lord meant by this statement, the next verse says that
the Jews present“took they up stones to castat Him” (John 8:59); but this
verse is not speaking ofthe time element. It says that He is before all things,
the all things being those things that He created. He is before all things visible
and invisible. He is before the thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers.
He is preeminent in creationas the Creator. As Creator, He has a greater
position and a greaterglory than anything in this creation.
So let us continue also to look at what it means that “by Him all things
consist”. This is very rich indeed. When discussing Christ as the image of
God, I brought attention to the following verse:
Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person,
and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself
purged our sins, satdown on the right hand of the Majestyon high…
(Hebrews 1:3)
Notice the flow from His glory because ofWHO He is to His powerful word to
keepall things functioning. What holds the universe together? It is “by Him
that all things consist”. He upholds all. Greek mythology pictured a “god”
bearing the weight of the earth on his shoulders and nearly buckling under
the load. Jesus Christ upholds the universe by the word of His power! This
entire universe that He createdholds togetherbecause JesusChristsays so!
We canlook at the planets and stars and moons and suns and notice that they
all function like “clockwork”. Consistentand on time—every time. Why are
they so consistent? Maybe because theyare clockwork:
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the
day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, andfor days,
and years:And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give
light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the
greaterlight to rule the day, and the lesserlight to rule the night: He made the
stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon
the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light

from the darkness:and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the
morning were the fourth day. (Genesis 1:14-19)
Stepping awayfrom the vast expanse of the universe, how about the
irreducible complexity of the cell, or further yet, to the atom, and the nucleus
of the atom. Mankind’s keenability to efficiently kill eachother reacheda
new high when it discoveredthe energy containedin splitting the atom. But
what is it that holds the nucleus togetherin the first place? It is the word of
His power! It is because Jesus Christsays so that all of the atomic and
subatomic particles hold together.
A guide took a group of people through an atomic laboratoryand explained
how all matter was composedofrapidly moving electric particles. The
tourists studied models of molecules and were amazed to learn that matter is
made up primarily of space. During the question period, one visitor asked,
“If this is the way matter works, what holds it all together?” Forthat, the
guide had no answer.
But the Christian has an answer: Jesus Christ! Because“He is before all
things,” He canhold all things together. Again, this is another affirmation
that Jesus Christ is God. Only God exists before all of creation, and only God
can make creationcohere. To make Jesus Christless than God is to dethrone
Him.—Warren Weirsbe¹
How greatto know that the Creatorwho upholds the universe and makes it
function is able also to uphold the believing sinner who takes Him at His
word, and by faith accepts the gift of salvationby grace through faith in
Christ Who died and conquered death and rose from the dead!
The only way any of us can know that we are savedis that we know that Jesus
Christ savedus. If He savedus, then we are saved. God counts His
righteousness to us when we believe, and He lays all of our sin on Him. What
a weight for the Saviour to bear! He who upholds all things by the word of
His powerdied to bear the weightof our sins. And He did this and rose
victorious. He is not a victim, but He is a mighty Victor—through the cross!

For [God] hath made [Christ] to be sin for us, [Christ], who knew no sin; that
we might be made the righteousness ofGod in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
But to him that workethnot, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)
[Christ] was delivered for our offences, and was raisedagainfor our
justification. (Romans 4:25)
…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
(Acts 16:31)
Footnotes
Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Complete: Become the Whole PersonGodIntends
You to Be: NT Commentary, Colossians.Colorado Springs, CO:David C.
Cook, 2008. Print. P.61
https://distinguishingtruth.com/2017/02/14/christ-the-sustainer/
The Preeminence ofJesus Over Creation – Colossians 1:15-17
August 15, 2010
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(Greek words can be viewed with symbol font)

PastorScottL. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
August 15, 2010
The Preeminence ofJesus Over Creation
Colossians 1:15-17
Introduction
Paul warned in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “Forthe time will come when they will not
endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will
accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;and
will turn awaytheir ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.” We
live in such a time and one of the key evidences ofthis is the aversionthat
people now have for doctrine. Even saying the word makes a lot of people
want to go the other way claiming that doctrine only leads to quarreling and
division. Yet, doctrine fills our lives and is what enables us to accomplishour
goals. And contrary to the claim that it causes division, there cannot be any
unity without doctrine.
It is not doctrine that causes divisions but the conflicts that arise out of each
person wanting it their way. James 4:1-3 states, “Whatis the source of
quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage
war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; [so] you commit murder.
And you are envious and cannot obtain; [so] you fight and quarrel. You do
not have because youdo not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you
ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend [it] on your pleasures.”That
selfishness andself will are what cause people to “accumulate forthemselves
teachers in accordance to their own desires.” Whatis it that teachers teach?
Doctrine which is just the Latin word for teaching and learning. Doctrine is
simply the beliefs or principles held and taught by a group. Doctrine is actual
what brings unity to the group as it brings those within it to conformity with
the same setof beliefs. As Ephesians 4:4-6 explains, those who are true
disciples of Jesus Christ share in one body, one Spirit, one hope, One Lord,
one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. Without that unity of

doctrine there cannot be unity within the church. The lack of it explains why
there are so many denominational divisions among those who claim to be
Christians. Add to this that it also takes humility and diligent effort to
preserves unity even when the same doctrine is shared, and we can account
for the reasons behind splits in churches that are part of the same
denomination.
Tragically, I am well aware ofmany people over the years that have left this
church for both doctrinal reasons andreasons ofselfish pride. While that is
always disappointing, the greatertragedyis not that they left, but that so few
of them made even a feeble effort to examine their doctrinal differences by the
light of the Scriptures or to work through personalconflicts as the Scriptures
admonish to do. Our goalin this church is to follow what God has revealedin
the Bible, so we are always opento doctrinal challenges thatcause us to
examine God’s word more carefully to make sure we are following His will
and not our own. We also strive to help one another live in Christian unity in
the bonds of peace and therefore work through our differences.
It was not really any different for the believers in Colossae.Becausefalse
teachers had come in among them they were in danger of becoming divided as
had happened in the Corinthian church. Though Paul does not cite any
specific division that had already occurred, he does make a lot of
admonishments in chapters 3 & 4 about behaviors that could easilyresult in
such division. However, Paul first addressedthe issues underlying such
behavior by correcting their doctrinal errors. Our conductis always the fruit
of what we believe, so if we want to correctwrong behavior, we must first
correctwrong belief. That is exactly what Paul starts to do in the next section
of Colossianswhichwe will be studying this morning. Turn with me to
Colossians 1:15
This passagearises directlyout of Paul’s prayer for them (Colossians 1:9-14)
(See:The Prayerfor the Colossians,Pt. 1). Remember that Paul and his
companions in Rome had been praying for the Colossians eversince they had
heard Epaphras’ report about what was happening there. The focus of their
prayer was that they be filled with the full knowledge ofGod’s will with all
spiritual wisdom and understanding. Paul wanted them to be able to apply

what they had learned with godly discernment. The fruit of this would be that
they would walk in a manner worth of the Lord, pleasing Him in all respects.
This in turn would be demonstrated by their fruit of goodworks, increasing in
the knowledge ofGod, being strengthened by God to be able to even patiently
endure difficult circumstance and people with joy, and in giving thanks to
God for what He has done in saving us from our sin. Last week we lookedat
the four aspects ofthis that Paul cites in verses 12-14. Godhas qualified us for
heaven. He has delivered us from the devil’s domain. He has transferred us to
Jesus’kingdom, and Jesus has redeemedus so that we can be forgiven our
sins. (See: The Prayer for the Colossians, Pt. 2)
The next section, Colossians 1:15-23, is an expansionon the identification of
the belovedSon in whom we have redemption. Paul does this by pointing out
the unique position our redeemerhas in His relationship to God, creationand
the church. In doing this, Paul establishes the nature of Jesus which corrects
the false doctrines being promoted among the Colossians thatdeny His deity
or humanity.
As a quick note for those who like to read commentaries or are interestedin
grammaticalstructure, these verses contain severalrepetitions of words and
phrases and even chiastic parallelism. Becauseofthis, most commentators
considerthis to be an ancient hymn of some sort inserted into the letter.
However, no reconstructionof the supposedinserted hymn is convincing. If
there was some hymn in Paul’s mind as he wrote, he freely adapted and
changedit for his own use to lay a foundation to refute the heretics in
Colossae.
And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. 16 For
by Him all things were created, [both] in the heavens and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things
have been createdby Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in
Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and
He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might
come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the [Father’s] good
pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile
all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross;

through Him, [I say], whether things on earth or things in heaven. 21 And
although you were formerly alienatedand hostile in mind, [engaged]in evil
deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciledyou in His fleshly body through death, in
order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach– 23
if indeed you continue in the faith firmly establishedand steadfast, and not
moved awayfrom the hope of the gospelthat you have heard, which was
proclaimed in all creationunder heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a
minister.
This morning we are going to concentrate only on verses 15-17 andthe
relationship that our redeemerhas to God and creation. These verseswill
demonstrate the deity of Jesus.
The Image of the Invisible God – vs 15
Paul begins this sectionstating, “And He is the image of the invisible God.”
This sentence establishesJesus’deity.
First, the term for image, eikwn/ eikôn, from which we getour English word,
icon, has a range of meanings from a literal rendition of “statue” to figurative
usages suchas representation, form, likeness ormanifestation. The exact
meaning is determined by its context.
The word is often used of being a representationthat is a copy of a prototype
such as a statue would be of personor thing it represents. Sucha copy could
vary greatly in the degree to which it is a faithful image of the prototype. A
picture is a more exactlikeness than a line drawing, and a statue is more exact
than a bas relief carving. The term is used that way in Matthew 22:20 of the
image of Caesaron the coin used to pay taxes and in Romans 1:23 to refer to
the various idols that pagans would worship.
That is not the usage of the term here since the prototype is invisible and it is
impossible to make a physical representationof something that cannotbe
seen. Since God is spirit, no picture, drawing or statue can be made in His
image. That is why the secondof the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:4-5)
prohibits making an idol to worship it, for any gravenimage made would be a
false representationof God and therefore using it for worship would be false

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