Robertson Word Pictures - Colossians 1:18 - 1:18

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Robertson Word Pictures - Colossians 1:18 - 1:18


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

The head of the body (hē kephalē tou sōmatos). Jesus is first also in the spiritual realm as he is in nature (Col 1:18-20). Paul is fond of the metaphor of the body (sōma) for believers of which body Christ is the head (kephalē) as seen already in 1Co 11:3; 1Co 12:12, 1Co 12:27; Rom 12:5. See further Col 1:24 : Col 2:19; Eph 1:22.; Eph 4:2, Eph 4:15; Eph 5:30.

The church (tēs ekklēsias) Genitive case in explanatory apposition with tou sōmatos. This is the general sense of ekklēsia, not of a local body, assembly, or organization. Here the contrast is between the realm of nature (ta panta) in Col 1:15-17 and the realm of spirit or grace in Col 1:18-20. A like general sense of ekklēsia occurs in Eph 1:22.; Eph 5:24-32; Heb 12:23. In Eph 2:11-22 Paul uses various figures for the kingdom of Christ (commonwealth politeia, Col 1:12, one new man eis hena kainon anthrōpon, Col 1:15, one body en heni sōmati, Col 1:16, family of God oikeioi tou theou, Col 1:19, building or temple oikodomē and naos, Col 1:20-22).

Who (hos). Causal use of the relative, “in that he is.”

The beginning (hē archē). It is uncertain if the article (hē) is genuine. It is absolute without it. Christ has priority in time and in power. See note on Rev 3:14 for his relation as archē to creation and 1Co 15:20, 1Co 15:23 for aparchē used of Christ and the resurrection and Act 3:14 for archēgos used of him as the author of life and Heb 2:10 of Jesus and salvation and Heb 12:2 of Jesus as the pioneer of faith.

That in all things he might have the preeminence (hina genētai en pāsin autos prōteuōn). Purpose clause with hina and the second aorist middle subjunctive of ginomai, “that he himself in all things (material and spiritual) may come to (genētai, not ēi, be) hold the first place” (prōteuōn, present active participle of prōteuō, old verb, to hold the first place, here only in the N.T.). Christ is first with Paul in time and in rank. See note on Rev 1:5 for this same use of prōtotokos with tōn nekrōn (the dead).