Colossians 1:15

 Colossians 1:15

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.

[Strong: 3588. [tēs] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tēs] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn,ta, tēs,tois, tō, tōn.]

a. NLT: Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,  [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: Who is the image of the invisible God, first-born of all creation,  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: [Now] He is the exact likeness of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible]; He is the Firstborn of all creation. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

1. “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.”

a. Who [Strong: 3739. hos hos, including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.

b. is [Strong: 2076. esti es-tee' third person singular present indicative of 1510; he (she or it) is; also (with neuter plural) they are:--are, be(-long), call, X can(-not), come, consisteth, X dure for a while, + follow, X have, (that) is (to say), make, meaneth, X must needs, + profit, + remaineth, + wrestle.]

c. the [Strong: 3588. [tou] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tou] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn,ta, tēs,tois, tō, tōn.]

d. image [Strong: 1504. eikon i-kone' from 1503; a likeness, i.e. (literally) statue, profile, or (figuratively) representation, resemblance:--image.]

e. [of] the [Strong: 3588. [tou] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tou] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn,ta, tēs,tois, tō, tōn.]

f. invisible [Strong: 517. aoratos ah-or'-at-os from 1 (as a negative particle) and 3707; invisible:--invisible (thing).]

g. God [Strong: 2316. theos theh'-os of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).] 

2. “...the firstborn of every creature.”

a. [the] firstborn [Strong: 4416. prototokos pro-tot-ok'-os from 4413 and the alternate of 5088; first-born (usually as noun, literally or figuratively):--firstbegotten(-born).]

b. [of] every [Strong: 3956. pas pas including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole:--all (manner of, means), alway(-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no(-thing), X thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.]

c. creature [Strong: 2937. ktisis ktis'-is from 2936; original formation (properly, the act; by implication, the thing, literally or figuratively):--building, creation, creature, ordinance.]

1). This is referring to Christ being the firstborn from the dead.

a). Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

2). It is referring to Jesus when he was quickened, made alive in hell and raised from the dead. What it is saying about Christ it is saying about the church. When Christ was quickened or made alive in the bowels of hell, we were made alive with him. 

a). Ephesians 2:4-6 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

3). The physical and soulish/mental, emotional suffering shown in Psalm 22 was clearly fulfilled while Jesus was on the cross; but it was not the complete fulfillment. The revelation of the Scriptures tell that Jesus was made our sin. We can see in these verses a partial fulfillment of the travail of his soul. During this part, Jesus has already had the iniquity of us all laid on him, he has been forsaken of God, his Father. 

a). 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

4). The prophetic foreshadow of this act of redemption is in the Old Covenant.

a). Numbers 21:4-9 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.

21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

b). John 3:14, 15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

3:15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

5). After Jesus died physically, he also died spiritually and he went to hell.

a). Acts 2:25-31 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

2:26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

2:28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

b). Ephesians 4:8, 9 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

c). Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

d). Romans 10:7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

6). Knowing that Jesus went to hell and as Jesus himself said in Matthew 12:40, that he would be there three days. What happened during the three days?  Jesus suffered in hell the punishments meant for us.

a). Acts 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

(1) pains [5604 * odin] Strongs: the pain of childbirth, travail pain, birth pangs

intolerable anguish, in reference to the dire calamities precede the advent of the Messiah.]

(2) Note that the pains of death were loosed before Jesus was raised. The death referred to in Acts 2:24 is the death Jesus suffered by the grace of God for all mankind mentioned in Hebrews. 

(3) Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.  

b). Psalm 88:1-8 O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

88:2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;

88:3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

88:4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:

88:5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.

88:6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.

88:7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.

88:8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance for from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, an I cannot come forth.

(1) We must remember the words of verses 10 and 11 here: “When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed…he shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.” When Jesus was being made an offering for sin, we were in view. Here we see the demands of justice being met, satisfied and sin being paid for.

c). Psalm 71:20, 21 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

71:21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.