Colossians 1:15 says, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."
Let's break it down 😊.
1. *Image ≠ Original*: An image is a copy, not the original. Jesus is the image of God, not God Himself.
2. *Paul's wording*: Paul said Jesus is the image of "his God", not God. This aligns with 1 Corinthians 8:6, where Paul affirms the Father as the one true God.
3. *Representation, not identity*: Jesus represents God's nature (Hebrews 1:2-3), like humans represent their parents.
4. *No biblical contradiction*: If Jesus is God, it creates two Gods, contradicting passages like John 17:3 and Isaiah 44:24.
5. *Firstborn meaning*: Jesus is firstborn "over all creation" (Colossians 1:15) meaning "from among the dead" (Colossians 1:18), emphasizing His preeminence.
6. His pre-eminence, superiority, supremacy, greatness, excellence, distinction, prominence, predominance, eminence, peerlessness, transcendence, importance.
7. Paul's point: Jesus reflects God's nature and is the first to receive a glorified body. If Jesus were God, Paul would've said so directly.
Next time: Colossians 1:16 – what's the truth about creation through Jesus?
Part 3 here:

No comments:
Post a Comment