Colossians 1:14-18 NIV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 1:15

Who is the image of the invisible God ,.... Not of deity, though the fulness of it dwells in him; nor of himself, though he is the true God, and eternal life; nor of the Spirit, who also is God, and the Spirit of the Son; but the Father, called "God", not to the exclusion of the Son or Spirit, who are with him the one God: "and he is invisible"; not to the Son who lay in his bosom, and had perfect and infinite knowledge of him; nor, in some sense, to angels, who always behold his face, but... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 1:16

For by him were all things created ,.... This is a reason proving Christ to be before all creatures, to be the common Parent of them, and to have the government over them, since he is the Creator of them. The creation of all things, by him, is not to be understood of the new creation, for whenever that is spoken of, the word "new" is generally used, or what is equivalent to it, or some clause or phrase added, which determines the sense, and is not the case here: besides, all things that are... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 1:17

And he is before all things ,.... Not only in dignity, being preferable to angels and men in his nature, names, offices, and works, and worthy of more honour than all creatures; but he is before them in existence, as he must needs be, since they are all made by him; he was not only before John the Baptist, his forerunner, before Abraham who saw his day and was glad, before the first man was made, but before the angels were in being, or the heavens and the earth, or any creature were formed;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 1:18

And he is the head of the body, the church ,.... By "the church" is meant, not any particular congregated church, as the church at Colosse, or Corinth, or any other; but the whole election of grace, the general assembly and church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven in the Lamb's book of life; the church which Christ has given himself for, and has purchased with his blood, and builds on himself the rock, and will, at last, present to himself a glorious church without spot or... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:14

In whom we have redemption - Who has paid down the redemption price, even his own blood, that our sins might be cancelled, and we made fit to be partakers of the inheritance among the saints in light. The clause, δια του αἱματος αυτου , Through his blood, is omitted by ABCDEFG, and by most others of weight and importance; by the Syriac, Arabic of Erpen, Coptic, Ethiopic, Sahidic, some copies of the Vulgate and by the Itala; and by most of the Greek fathers. Griesbach has left it out of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:15

Who is the image of the invisible God - The counterpart of God Almighty, and if the image of the invisible God, consequently nothing that appeared in him could be that image; for if it could be visible in the Son, it could also be visible in the Father; but if the Father be invisible, consequently his image in the Son must be invisible also. This is that form of God of which he divested himself; the ineffable glory in which he not only did not appear, as to its splendor and accompaniments,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:16-17

For by him were all things created, etc - These two verses contain parts of the same subject. I shall endeavor to distinguish the statements of the apostle, and reason from them in such a way as the premises shall appear to justify, without appealing to any other scripture in proof of the doctrine which I suppose these verses to vindicate. Four things are here asserted: That Jesus Christ is the Creator of the universe; of all things visible and invisible; of all things that had a... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:18

He is the head of the body - What the apostle has said in the two preceding verses refers to the Divine nature of Jesus Christ; he now proceeds to speak of his human nature, and to show how highly that is exalted beyond all created things, and how, in that, he is head of the Church - the author and dispenser of light, life, and salvation, to the Christian world; or, in other words, that from him, as the man in whom the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwelt, all the mercy and salvation of the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:14

Verse 14 14.In whom we have redemption. He now proceeds to set forth in order, that all parts of our salvation are contained in Christ, and that he alone ought to shine forth, and to be seen conspicuous above all creatures, inasmuch as he is the beginning and end of all things. In the first place, he says that we have redemption (300) and immediately explains it as meaning the remission of sins; for these two things agree together by apposition (301) For, unquestionably, when God remits our... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:15

Verse 15 15.Who is the image of the invisible God. He mounts up higher in discoursing as to the glory of Christ. He calls him the image of the invisible God, meaning by this, that it is in him alone that God, who is otherwise invisible, is manifested to us, in accordance with what is said in John 1:18, — No man hath ever seen God: the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, hath himself manifested him to us. I am well aware in what manner the ancients were accustomed to explain... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 1:15

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 1:16

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 1:17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 1:18

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:14

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:15

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:16-17

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:18

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:14

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:15

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