Firstborn of All CreationCreation, in biblical terms, is the universe as we know or perceive it. Genesis says that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In the book of Revelation (which speaks of end times) the author declares that God created all things and...
Affirmations in the Christ-hymn of Colossians 1:15-20 have played an important role in Christological controversies in the history of the church. In the fourth century, for instance, the affirmation that Christ is the “firstborn (prototokos) of all creation” was used by both sides in the Arian controversy. The Arians understood this term to mean that Christ was the first created being, while the Athanasians maintained that “firstborn” indicated that Christ was “begotten” rather than created, insisting that Christ was “of one being,” and co-eternal with the Father.
In our own day, the affirmation of Christ as the one in whom “all things in heaven and on earth were created,” and in whom “all things hold together,” has taken on new relevance in relation to the growing ecological crises faced by our planet and concern for the integrity of creation. As many have argued, the integral role of Christ in creation, in its “holding together” and in its redemption, demands that his Body, the Church, rediscover creation as a holyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine sphere of divine presence and work for its healing and restoration.
Beyond planet earth, scientific advances have enhanced human understanding of how vast our still-expanding universe is. In recent years, photos from ever more powerful telescopes have given us astounding visual images of this immeasurable universe in all its mysteryA mystery is something secret, hidden and not perceived by ordinary means. In the book of Daniel a significant mystery is revealed through divine revelation (Daniel 2); Paul speaks of a mystery of God in Romans 11 and again in Ephesians 3. In speaking of... and beauty. These glimpses into the vast reaches of the cosmos provide fertile ground for theological reflection concerning what it means to confess that Christ, the incarnate one who lived on our relatively tiny planet earth, is the one in whom all things in heaven and on earth hold together.
Reconciliation of All Things
The affirmation in 1:19-20 that through Christ, “God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of the cross,” has been foundational for Christian universalism. Christian universalism is the belief that because of divine love and mercyMercy is a term used to describe leniency or compassion. God's mercy is frequently referred to or invoked in both the Old and New Testaments., all people will eventually be reconciled to God. Such views were expressed by early church fathers such as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Gregory of Nyssa. The universalist current in theology has continued to the present day. Several passages in the undisputed letters of PaulThe Apostle Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus, was the author of several New Testament letters and the founder of many Christian communities. may also be interpreted to speak of the reconciliation or salvationSalvation can mean saved from something (deliverance) or for something (redemption). Paul preached that salvation comes through the death of Christ on the cross which redeemed sinners from death and for a grace-filled life. of all human beings (e.g., Romans 5:18; 11:32: 14:11; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 28; Philippians 2:9-11).
Indeed, the Christ-hymn in Colossians seems to go even further than universal human salvation in suggesting that the entire universe – all things, whether on earth or in heaven – are reconciled to God in Christ. The idea that human salvation is inextricably linked with the redemption of all creation is likewise expressed in Romans 8:18-23, where Paul says that “the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God… in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” By affirming the solidarity of humans with creation and affirming the whole creation as the object of God’s redemptive work, these passages offer a corrective to concepts of human salvation as escape from the created world.
Deceptive Teachings
The warnings in Colossians about “being deceived by plausible arguments” (2:4), and “taken captive through philosophy and empty deceit” (2:8) have prompted much scholarly debate about what particular false teachings were being combated in Colossae and who was promoting this deception. A clear picture remains elusive. It seems that the teachings had something to do with appeasing the “elemental spirits of the universe” (2:8, 20) and commanded certain asceticAn ascetic is one who willingly lives a life of self-denial and refrains from worldly pursuits. John the Baptist lived a life of asceticism. Such a lifestyle, which was believed to promote spirituality, was not uncommon in the early and medieval church. practices and ritual observances (2:16-21). In any case, the author is clearly concerned to warn readers against the idea that anything more than faith in Christ is needed for their salvation or spiritual growth (2:19-23).
Throughout the history of the church, there have been movements and branches of the church promoting ideas of a “higher” or “better” spirituality through certain practices. Paul would certainly say that any practice that places confidence in one’s own efforts rather than what Christ has accomplished for us is contrary to the gospel (cf. Galatians 2:21). Indeed, Colossians warns us to recognize what are “simply human commands and teachings” (2:22) and to distinguish between appearance and reality. “These have indeed an appearance of wisdomWisdom encompasses the qualities of experience, knowledge, and good judgment. The Old Testament book of Proverbs, which sometimes invokes a Woman as the personification of Wisdom, is a collection of aphorisms and moral teachings. Along with other biblical passages, it teaches, "The fear of the... in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence’ (2:23). The author insists that it is only by being buried and raised with Christ in baptismJesus was baptized (literally, "dipped") in the Jordan River by John the Baptizer, at which time he was acclaimed from heaven as God's Son, the Beloved. Much later baptism became one of the sacraments of the Church, the action by which a person is incorporated... that the old self is put to death and the new self is born (3:1-11).
Newness of Life
In Colossians 3, the author presents a vision of new life in Christ grounded in baptism. Although the word baptism does not appear in this section, the language from 2:12 about dying and rising with Christ in baptism is reprised. Being raised with Christ, believers are to set their minds on “the things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (3:2).
Passages such as this have sometimes been interpreted to mean that our future heavenly life is more important than our present earthly one. Yet that is not the contrast the author is making. There is no other-worldly escapism here, no encouragement to be “so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly good,” as the saying goes. Rather, what is “earthly” refers to destructive human behavior: fornication, impurity, passionPassion is the theological term used to describe Jesus' suffering prior to and including his crucifixion. The Passion Narrative (the portions of the Gospels that tell of the Last Supper, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus) are often read in church during Holy Week., evil desire, greed, anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive language, and lying (3:5b-9).
The new self with which believers are to be clothed is consistent with their new identity in Christ as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved. It has everything to do with life on earth, particularly life in community. Stripping off the destructive behavior of the old self, the new self is to be clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love. It is to be characterized by bearing with and forgiving others, being ruled by the peace of Christ, and giving thanks to God (3:12-17). All very down-to-earth stuff!
The Social Order
Perhaps the most problematic section of Colossians from a contemporary ethical perspective is 3:18 – 4:1, which contains the “householdA household is a living unit comprised of all the persons who live in one house. A household would embrace all the members of a family, including servants and slaves. In the book of Acts, stories are told of various persons and their households, like... codes” (also found in Ephesians 5:21-33). Such codes, which enshrine a patriarchal ordering of society, were well-known in both the Jewish and Greco-Roman worlds. They assume a social world in which women are viewed as inferior to men, and in which slavery is pervasive and rarely questioned. It must be said that the Pauline texts differ from the Greco-Roman codes of the time in that the dominance of the man as head of the household is restrained by the admonition to love his wife, not to provoke his children, and to treat his slaves justly and fairly, “remembering that you also have a Master in heaven.”
However, the view of marriage presented in the codes is difficult to square with the remarkably egalitarian instruction regarding sexual conduct between husbands and wives in 1 Corinthians 7. This discrepancy has been used to support the hypothesis that Colossians and Ephesians were written by later disciples of Paul. If that is the case, it is likely that the household codeHousehold codes are rules for Christian households; they tell how Christian families should treat one another. Such guidelines for wives, husbands, children, and slaves are given in Colossians 3. Discussion of relations within a household also occurs in Ephesians 5, Titus 2, and 1 Peter 2. passages were included in these letters as a reaction against certain liberating tendencies in Paul’s teachings. Coming from a context in which the Christian faith was increasingly suspected by Roman authorities of threatening the stability of patriarchal society, perhaps the authors wanted to show that, in fact, the Christian faith supports the order of society.
The household codes have been used in the history of the church to justify a subservient role for women in marriage, the church, and society. Likewise, the instructions to slaves to obey their earthly masters have been used to justify slavery in many cultures and contexts, including the American South. The very real damage done by unquestioning adherence to these passages must be acknowledged.
It is widely understood among Christians today that slavery is contrary to God’s will for human flourishing and that the liberating currents in Scripture must be given precedence as a “canonA canon is a general law or principle by which something is judged. The body of literature in the Old and New Testaments is accepted by most Christians as being canonical (that is, authentic and authoritative) for them. within the canon.” Similarly, many churches have focused on the liberating tendencies with regard to women in Jesus’ ministry and in Paul’s undisputed writings and have decided that these take precedence over the household codes and other patriarchal passages in Scripture. This understanding regarding the roles of women, however, is still far from gaining universal acceptance among Christian denominations.
