Colossians 1:18

The term "head" (Gr. kephale) here does not point to Christ as the ruler of the church, though He is that, but to His being the beginning and the principle in creation and redemption. [Note: Stephen Bedale, "The Meaning of kephale in the Pauline Epistles," Journal of Theological Studies NS5 (1954):213.]

"In St. Paul’s day, according to popular psychology, both Greek and Hebrew, a man reasoned and purposed, not ’with his head,’ but ’in his heart’ . . ." [Note: Ibid., p. 212.]

He is sovereign because He is the first-born from the dead. Christ is the "beginning" of the church in that He is its power and source of spiritual life. He became this at His resurrection when He became the first-born from the dead in time. Christ was the first Person to rise from the dead with a glorified body never to die again. He broke death’s hold on humanity (1 Corinthians 15:20; 1 Corinthians 15:23). Thus Christ became preeminent also in the new creation, the church, as well as in the old creation (Colossians 1:16-17).

"Paul did not say that Jesus was the first person to be raised from the dead, for He was not. But He is the most important of all who have been raised from the dead; for without His resurrection, there could be no resurrection for others (1 Corinthians 15:20 ff.)." [Note: Wiersbe, 2:117.]

"Prototokos ["first-born"], used in both parts of the passage (Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1:18) unites His supremacy in the two realms, creation and salvation (cf. Acts 26:23)." [Note: Johnson, 473:18. Cf. Romans 1:4; 8:29; 1 Corinthians 15:20.]