Christ is all and in all — beware philosophy and empty deceit
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible... all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Colossians 1:16-17Colossians is Paul's most Christ-exalting letter. Written from prison in Rome around 61 AD to a church he had never visited, the letter combats an early heresy — a mix of Jewish legalism, Greek philosophy, and angel worship. The false teachers were saying Christ was not enough. You need visions, you need to observe special days, you need to worship angels, you need secret knowledge. Paul's response is thunderous: Christ is all. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the church, and the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. You are complete in him.
The structure mirrors Ephesians. Chapters 1-2 are doctrine: Christ is supreme, you are complete in him, the old life is dead, the new life is hidden with Christ in God. Chapters 3-4 are duty: put off the old self, put on the new self, submit to one another in Christ, walk in wisdom. The letter is a beautiful blend of cosmic Christology and practical Christianity.
The Christ hymn in 1:15-20 is one of the highest statements of Christ's deity in Scripture. He is the image of God, the creator of all things, the sustainer of all things, the head of the church, the firstborn from the dead, the reconciler of all things. Paul is not describing a good man or a great teacher. He is describing God incarnate. The letter is a corrective to every attempt to add to Christ or subtract from him. He is sufficient. He is supreme. He is all.
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'Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him.' The false teachers at Colossae were offering secret knowledge, ascetic practices, and angel worship. Paul calls it philosophy and empty deceit. The antidote: Christ is the fullness of deity in bodily form. You are complete in him. Not complete in Christ plus rituals. Not complete in Christ plus visions. Complete in Christ alone. Every religious system that adds to Christ diminishes him. He is sufficient.
'And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.' The handwriting of ordinances is the Law — the written code with its demands. Christ nailed it to the cross, canceling the debt. Then he disarmed the spiritual powers, making a public spectacle of them. The cross is not just forgiveness. It is victory. The enemy is defeated. The debt is paid. We are free.
'If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.' Union with Christ has two dimensions: past (you died with him) and future (you will be glorified with him). The present implication: set your mind on things above. Your true life is not here. It is hidden with Christ in God. This is not escapism. It is perspective. We live in this world, but we are citizens of another. Our treasure is not here. It is in heaven, where Christ is.
This passage is likely an early Christian hymn Paul quotes or adapts. It describes Christ in the most exalted terms. He is 'the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature' — not the first created being but the one who has supremacy over all creation. All things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things consist (hold together). He is the head of the church, the firstborn from the dead, the one in whom all fullness dwells. The climax: through him God reconciles all things to himself, making peace through the blood of the cross. This is not a man who became God. This is God who became man.