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Selected Verse: Colossians 1:18 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Col 1:18 |
King James |
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Revelation of Christ to the Church and the new creation, as the Originator of both.
he--emphatical. Not angels in opposition to the false teachers' doctrine concerning angel-worship, and the power of Oeons or (imaginary) spirit emanations from God (Col 2:10, Col 2:18).
head of the body, the church--The Church is His body by virtue of His entering into communion corporeally with human nature [NEANDER], (Eph 1:22). The same One who is the Head of all things and beings by creation, is also, by virtue of being "the first-born from the dead," and so "the first-fruits" of the new creation among men, the Head of the Church.
who is--that is, in that He is the Beginning [ALFORD]. Rather, this is the beginning of a new paragraph. As the former paragraph, which related to His originating the physical creation, began with "Who is" (Col 1:15); so this, which treats of His originating the new creation, begins with "who is"; a parenthesis preceding, which closes the former paragraph, that parenthesis (see on Col 1:16), including from "all things were created by Him," to "Head of the body, the Church." The head of kings and high priests was anointed, as the seat of the faculties, the fountain of dignity, and original of all the members (according to Hebrew etymology). So Jesus by His unction was designated as the Head of the body, the Church.
the beginning--namely, of the new creation, as of the old (Pro 8:22; Joh 1:1; compare Rev 1:8): the beginning of the Church of the first-born (Heb 12:23), as being Himself the "first-born from the dead" (Act 26:23; Co1 15:20, Co1 15:23). Christ's primogeniture is threefold: (1) From eternity the "first-begotten" of the Father (Col 1:15); (2) As the first-born of His mother (Mat 1:25); (3) As the Head of the Church, mystically begotten of the Father, as it were to a new life, on the day of His resurrection, which is His "regeneration," even as His people's coming resurrection will be their "regeneration" (that is, the resurrection which was begun in the soul, extended to the body and to the whole creation, Rom 8:21-22) (Mat 19:28; Act 13:33; Rev 1:5). Sonship and resurrection are similarly connected (Luk 20:36; Rom 1:4; Rom 8:23; Jo1 3:2). Christ by rising from the dead is the efficient cause (Co1 15:22), as having obtained the power, and the exemplary cause, as being the pattern (Mic 2:13; Rom 6:5; Phi 3:21), of our resurrection: the resurrection of "the Head" involves consequentially that of the members.
that in all things--He resumes the "all things" (Col 1:20).
he might have the pre-eminence--Greek, "He HIMSELF may (thus) become the One holding the first place," or, "take the precedency." Both ideas are included, priority in time and priority in dignity: now in the regenerated world, as before in the world of creation (Col 1:15). "Begotten before every creature, or "first-born of every creature" (Psa 89:27; Joh 3:13). |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
And he is the head of the body, the church - Notes Eph 1:22; Eph 5:23, note.
Who is the beginning - In all things - alike in the work of creation and in the church. He is the fountain of authority and power, and commences everything that is designed to uphold the order of the universe, and to save the world.
The first-born from the dead - At the head of those who rise from their graves. This does not mean literally that he was the first who rose from the dead for he himself raised up Lazarus and others, and the bodies of saints arose at his crucifixion; but it means that he had the pre-eminence among them all; he was the most illustrious of those who will be raised from the dead, and is the head over them all. Especially, he had this pre-eminence in the resurrection in this respect, that he was the first who rose from death to immortality. Others who were raised undoubtedly died again. Christ rose to die no more; see the notes at Co1 15:20.
That in all things - Margin, "among all." The Greek will bear either construction, and either will accord with the scope of the apostle's remarks. If the former, it means that he is at the head of all things - the universe; if the latter, that he is chief among those who rose from the dead. Each of these is true, but the scope of the passage seems rather to require us to understand this of everything, and to mean that all the arrangements respecting him were such as to give him supremacy over the universe.
He might have the pre-eminence - Greek, "might be first" - πρωτεύων prōteuōn. That is, might be first in rank, dignity, honor, power. He has the pre-eminence:
(1) as over the universe which he has formed - as its Creator and Proprietor;
(2) as chief among those who shall rise from the dead - since he first rose to die no more, and their resurrection depends on him;
(3) as head of the church - all synods, councils, and governments being subject to him, and he alone having a right to give law to his people; and,
(4) in the affections of his friends - being in their affections and confidence superior to all others. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
And He
Emphatic. The same who is before all things and in whom all things consist.
The head of the body, the Church
The Church is described as a body, Rom 12:4 sq.; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Co1 10:17, by way of illustrating the functions of the members. Here the image is used to emphasize the position and power of Christ as the head. Compare Col 2:19; Eph 1:22, Eph 1:23; Eph 4:4, Eph 4:12, Eph 4:15, Eph 4:16; Eph 5:23, Eph 5:30.
Who is the beginning (ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχὴ)
Who is, equivalent to seeing He is. Beginning, with reference to the Church; not the beginning of the Church, but of the new life which subsists in the body - the Church.
The first-born from the dead (πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν)
Defining how Christ is the beginning of the new spiritual life: by His resurrection. Compare Co1 15:20, Co1 15:23, and Prince of life, Act 3:15 (note) See on Rev 1:5, where the phrase is slightly different, "first-born of the dead." He comes forth from among the dead as the first-born issues from the womb. Compare Act 2:4, "having loosed the pains of death," where the Greek is ὠδῖνας birth-throes. There is a parallelism between first-born of the creation and first-born from the dead as regards the relation of headship in which Christ stands to creation and to the Church alike; but the parallelism is not complete. "He is the first-born from the dead as having been Himself one of the dead. He is not the first-born of all creation as being himself created" (Dwight).
In all things
The universe and the Church.
Might have the preeminence (γένηται πρωτεύων)
Lit., might become being first. Πρωτεύω to be first only here in the New Testament. Γένηται become states a relation into which Christ came in the course of time: ἐστιν is (the first-born of all creation) states a relation of Christ's absolute being. He became head of the Church through His incarnation and passion, as He is head of the universe in virtue of His absolute and eternal being. Compare Phi 2:6, "being (ὑπάρχων) in the form of God - was made (γενόμενος) obedient unto death." This sense is lost in the rendering might have the preeminence. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| And - From the whole he now descends to the most eminent part, the church. He is the head of the church - Universal; the supreme and only head both of influence and of government to the whole body of believers. Who is - The repetition of the expression Col 1:15 points out the entrance on a new paragraph. The beginning - Absolutely, the Eternal. The first begotten from the dead - From whose resurrection flows all the life, spiritual and eternal, of all his brethren. That in all things - Whether of nature or grace. He might have the pre - eminence - Who can sound this depth? |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
He is the head of the body - What the apostle has said in the two preceding verses refers to the Divine nature of Jesus Christ; he now proceeds to speak of his human nature, and to show how highly that is exalted beyond all created things, and how, in that, he is head of the Church - the author and dispenser of light, life, and salvation, to the Christian world; or, in other words, that from him, as the man in whom the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwelt, all the mercy and salvation of the Gospel system is to be received.
The beginning, the first-born from the dead - In Co1 15:20, Christ is called the first-fruits of them that slept; and here, the chief and first-born from the dead; he being the first that ever resumed the natural life, with the employment of all its functions, never more to enter the empire of death, after having died a natural death, and in such circumstances as precluded the possibility of deception. The αρχη, chief, head, or first, answers in this verse to the απαρχη, or first-fruits, Co1 15:20. Jesus Christ is not only the first who rose from the dead to die no more, but he is the first-fruits of human beings; for as surely as the first-fruits were an indication and pledge of the harvest, so surely was the resurrection of Christ the proof that all mankind should have a resurrection from the dead.
That in all - he might have the pre-eminence - That he might be considered, in consequence of his mediatorial office, as possessing the first place in and being chief over all the creation of God; for is it to be wondered at that the human nature, with which the great Creator condescended to unite himself, should be set over all the works of his hands? |
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
13 The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
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 created by him, and for him:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.