GOD MANIFEST
21
`The dogmatic decisions of the church have been greatly misused. And how? By being treated as sources of our
positive information about Christ, practically overriding the gospel picture. It is well therefore to test all that
councils have said, by Scripture'.
We mistake the teaching of Colossians 1:15,16 if we limit it to the days of Christ's flesh. Paul is referring to
pre-creation times, for the One Who is the Image of the invisible God created all things, is before all things, and by
Him all things consist. In the fulness of time, this same blessed One laid aside His glory, stooped to the fashion of a
man and to the form of a slave, and humbled Himself to death, even the death of the cross. We must keep clear in
our mind the difference intended by the Image of the invisible God necessitated for the purpose of creation, and the
body, in fashion as a man, in the likeness of sinful flesh, which He assumed in order to accomplish our redemption.
Before leaving this passage and passing on to Hebrews 1, `a form of sound words' will include, wherever
possible, the underlying structure of the passage before us, and we submit the following, not as perfect, but as an
approximation to that underlying structure which is discoverable in all parts of the inspired Word.
Colossians 1:13-22
A 13,14.
Rescue, Translation, Redemption,
`Through His blood'
a Image of invisible God.
B 15-17. C 15.
b Firstborn of every creature.
FIRST-.
BORN.
c `By Him' Heaven and Earth.
D 16,17.
d He is before all.
CREATION
e In Him all things consist.
B 18-20. C 18.
a The Beginning. Head of the Church.
b Firstborn from the dead.
FIRST-.
BORN
D 18-20.
d In all things pre-eminent.
e In Him all fulness dwells.
RECONCIL-
c Through the blood of His cross
IATION
Earth and Heaven.
A 21,22.
Reconciliation, Presentation, `Through death'.
When we compare Hebrews 1 with the passage in Colossians 1 we discover that, while the terms used in the two
passages differ, they nevertheless move along similar paths. This we will demonstrate before examining the
opening verses in detail.
Colossians 1
Hebrews 1
The Image.
The express Image.
The invisible God.
The substance (Person).
All things created by Him.
Ages, Heaven and Earth made by Him.
Pre-eminent in all.
Superior to angels.
All the fulness.
Heir of all things.
All things by His counsel.
All things upheld by Him.
Firstborn.
Firstborn.
The blood of His cross.
Thy throne, O God!
The word `Image' in Colossians 1 is the Greek eikon, from eiko, `to be like'. It is a likeness, and its very essence
is visibility. In Hebrews 1:3 Christ is said to be `The express Image of His person'. Here the Greek word for
`express image' is charakter, from charatto, `to engrave'. It is used in secular Greek of letters imprinted in wax,
and the stamping of coins. Charagma is used in Acts 17:29 where it is translated `graven', and occurs eight times in
The Revelation, where it is translated `mark'. `The express Image' refers not so much to visibility as to the
character of something otherwise unrevealed and unexplored.