TOPIC:‌“The Magnificent Christ”

                 by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

TEXT:‌Colossians 1:15-23

‌‌“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made

‌‌anything at all and is supreme over all creation” (1:15, NLT).

‌Leaving the opening introduction by Paul, we now come to the instruction of the Epistle itself. The very heart of Paul's letter to the Colossian Christians deals with the threats of the so-called “Colossian heresy.” Paul's soul is filled with passionate anxiety over the possibility that this heretical poison might harm this newly established church. So he writes in chapter 2 verse 1 these words: “I wish you could understand how deep is my anxiety for you” (Phillips).

‌In order to answer the errors of this heresy, although nowhere in the Epistle itself does Paul describe or characterize it, he sets forth in the most majestic language a perfect revelation of Christ's deity, glory, and preeminence. As someone has written: “Paul enters upon one of the great Christological passages of the New Testament.” In words plain for all to understand, he attacks the errors of the heresy by a clear presentation of who Christ was and what He accomplished for each one of us.

I.

‌Consider, to begin with, the MAGNIFICENT PERSON of Christ. From the KJV we read in verse 15: “Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature.” Some explanation should be given to the words of Paul regarding Christ. He had more in mind in these words than just the idea of likeness, but sets forth the truth that Christ was the perfect manifestation of God. These words could be better rendered: “Who is the visible expression of the invisible God.”

‌God's nature was fully reflected in Christ. He made the invisible God visible to men. Christ was the great revealer of God. This glorious truth is declared by John in these words: “No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten Son…he has declared him” (John 1:18). In II Corinthians 4:4 Paul writes: “Christ, who is the image of God.” Christ declared: “He that has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). From these verses the fact is stated that the very nature and being of God has been perfectly manifested in Christ.