Book of Colossians Chapter 1

Going Through the Book of Colossians

Exalting Christ, Supremacy of Christ, Preeminence of Christ

Paul's purpose is to refute the Colossian heresy. To accomplish this goal,   he exalts Christ as the very image of God (1:15), the Creator (1:16), the preexistent sustainer of all things (1:17), the head of the church (1:18), the first to be resurrected (1:18), the fullness of deity in bodily form (1:19; 2:9) and   the reconciler (1:20-22). Thus Christ is completely adequate. We "have been   given fullness in Christ" (2:10). On the other hand, the Colossian heresy was   altogether inadequate. It was a hollow and deceptive philosophy (2:8), lacking   any ability to restrain the old sinful nature (2:23).

The theme of Colossians is the complete adequacy of Christ as contrasted   with the emptiness of mere human philosophy.