^“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

He Is the Authority Over Creation (Col. 1:15). In this passage, Paul describes the Lord Jesus as “the image of the invisible God,” and “the first born of all creation.” Concerning this passage, Dr. David Jeremiah writes the following,

“While the false teachers of Colossae did not deny Christ, they relegated Him in a position of unimportance. Yet God’s Word accords Him with the supreme place of importance as the first born of all creation (Rev. 3:14). Firstborn in this context means first in position and privilege. The Colossian heresy taught that Jesus Christ was a created being. Paul presents Him as not only the Creator but also the Goal of creation-the one for whom all things were created (1 Pet. 3:22; Heb. 1:2)”

Concerning the phrase, “the firstborn of all creation”, David Lipscomb wrote the following,

“In respect to all creation he occupies the relation of priority. From this it follows that over all creation he occupies the relation of supremacy, such as is recorded to the ‘firstborn’, and as such is pre-eminently due to ‘the firstborn of all creation,’ because he is in his higher nature Maker and Head of all created being, representing and revealing in this way the perception of the invisible God.”

When we trace the Messianic line of Jesus, we see reference to the following passages: Isaiah 9:6-7. He is declared to be Immanuel, “God with us” (Matt. 1:23).  The though contained in the word “Firstborn” is not only sovereignty, “the highest of all the kings of the earth” (Psalm 89:27) but also the likeness to God and priority to all created beings.”

He is the Agent of Creation Col. 1:16). Christ’s authority over creation derives from His role as the agent of creation. The phrase “by Him,” denotes His divine omnipotence.  The Apostle John refers to Him as “the Word” through whom creation was spoken into existence (John 1:1, 3).  We read further in here in our passage, Col. 1:16-17, “¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

These verses convey the central idea that Jesus Christ is Lord. As the Lord of creation, he is the ruler and authority over everything else. Psalm 95:3-7 is fitting at this time. ³ For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. ⁴ In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. ⁵ The sea is his, for he made it, and his hand formed the dry land. ⁶ Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! ⁷ For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice,”

Paul wanted the Colossians to understand that our worship of Christ should correspond with the comprehensive nature of His reign. It should consume every aspect of our lives.