‘For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him’ (Colossians 1:16).
Paul uses three prepositions to describe the role of the Son of God in the divine work of creation. All things were created by him, through him, and for him. The prepositions indicate divine power, divine role and divine purpose. ‘By’ reveals he had the ability to create all things out of nothing; ‘through’ shows that he was the agent through whom the Father created the universe; and ‘for’ tells us that he was the appointed heir of all things. As the Matthew Henry Commentary observes, Jesus ‘is the end, as well as the cause of all things.’
Although Paul refers to the original creation work at the beginning, as described in Genesis 1, the only creatures he highlights are not mentioned in Genesis 1, the four heavenly orders or levels of authority. Does he mention the four because there was speculation in Colosse about angelic orders? Usually, those heavenly beings are described as angels, with one archangel over them called Michael. Whatever levels of authority there are, they are all creatures, created by the Son of God and infinitely below him.
It is possible to read the verse as saying that Jesus is above all authority whether visible (human rulers) or invisible (the four levels of angels are then mentioned to say what Paul has in mind by ‘invisible’). Moreover, he has authority over sinful rulers, whether human or angelic. Not that they serve him willingly or intentionally, yet he can overrule them constantly. All of them combined have no authority in comparison to who he is.
To say that all things were made for the Son of God is also a reminder of the Day of Judgement. All creatures, whether human or angelic, who did not fulfil the main reason for their existence, which was to live for his glory, will be judged by him at the Great Day and will be sentenced by him to a lost eternity.
Discovering that all things were made primarily by, through and for the Son of God gives a new insight into what we see or know to be around us. Why is Everest so high, why are the seas so deep, why the ranges of hours of daylight, why so many kinds of creatures, why anything? Because it pleased him who possessed the power, who acted as the Father’s agent, and who knew the divine purpose, to make them all.
The verse also challenges Christians as to who or what they are living for. Some in Colosse seemed to have shown a greater interest in speculative angelic positions than in living for Christ. Who or what are we living for?
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