How would you describe God? Jesus? The Trinity? What is the relationship among the persons of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)?
We might find answering those questions difficult, but at least we have various resources to fall back on. There is the Bible and especially the New Testament (which, of course, includes our passage this week). There also have been almost two millennia of Christian thought, dialogue and (often) debate. Out of these have come Christian hymns such as “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
The early Christians struggled with similar issues and questions such as those above. They did not have all the ensuing years of Christian resource to which we have access. They had the Old Testament, but not the New. They did have their previous religious experiences and ways of thinking.
It is not surprising, then, that the first century Christians brought to their new belief and life all sorts of cultural and religious baggage. This often warped the theology and practices within their churches. God inspired many New Testament books to correct such wrong teaching. Such was the apparent case with Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
Colossae was a city on a trade route in western Asia Minor. It was just south of Laodicea. People who lived there were from varied backgrounds. Travelers through Colossae brought with them a mixture of cultural and religious histories and thought.
It seems Paul had received mixed news from Colossae. The good news was that many had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The bad news was that false teachings had arisen among them. Perhaps some was from Jewish mysticism that stressed visions, angels, and keeping the Jewish laws. Others may have grown out of Greek philosophies that relied too heavily on human reason and tradition. This latter may have been a form of Gnosticism that saw Jesus as less than God.
Paul wrote to help the Colossians to understand the supremacy of Jesus. He starts by describing Jesus as the supreme visual expression of the God one cannot see (v. 15). This must have reminded Paul’s Jewish readers of the Immanuel (“God with us”) referred to in Isaiah 7:14. As the object of our faith, Jesus also is the fulfillment of our faith as it is defined in Hebrews 11:1.
Paul does not stop there. All humans are created in God’s image, but Jesus is “the firstborn over all creation” (v. 15). For Jewish readers, this would have reminded them of Psalm 89:27. It also would have been important due to the superior status of a first born son in Jewish society.
But Jesus’ supremacy reaches farther. In verses 16-17, Paul reminds us the world was created and is sustained by Jesus and for his glory. Jesus was human, but was not “just a man.” He is the Creator God. Paul uses words that would have been used by various religious and philosophical groups to describe human and spiritual power—thrones, rulers, authorities. Even these were created by Jesus and are subject to him.
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Paul’s description of the supremacy of Jesus in terms of God and creation sounds (and is) imposing. One can read it and see Jesus as distant, unapproachable and frightening. Jesus’ supremacy includes another aspect that is very special. In verses 18-23, Paul depicts Jesus’ activity in the world. First, Jesus is supreme in (the head of) his body, the church (v. 18). Jesus himself implied this in Matthew 16:18, saying, “I will build my church.”
As with creation, the church is possible only through Jesus. According to verse 19, Jesus gives a complete image of God (grace and love as well as holiness and righteousness). It was and is Jesus who “patches things up” between us and God. He died to make it happen (v. 20). Jesus took estranged, evil and hostile humanity and gave his life to render us blameless (vv. 21-22).
Finally—and wonderfully—Jesus is the one who not only died for the church and put it together. He also still works to sustain and keep the church together. We know we are saved only by the work of Jesus. The same can be said of how our salvation is maintained—by the supreme love and power of Jesus. Certainly Paul instructs us to do our share: “if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel (v. 23).
We do have our work, but we remain sinners. Because of that sinful nature, any moralism we devise is insufficient to maintain our right relationship with God. Our continuing salvation is not through our work, but only through the supremacy of Jesus.
Ours is a world of many “gods.” What do we have to say to such a world? How can we be the right kind of witnesses to the supremacy of Jesus Christ? We always and ultimately must depend on the supreme character and work Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul put it this way: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
Questions to explore
• What difference has Jesus’ supremacy made in your life?
• How does your life describe Jesus?
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