Colossians 1:18

He is. Gr. autos estin, “he himself is,” the same phrase that opens v. 17 (see comment there).

Head of the body. As the head supplies the planning, ruling, deciding power to the body, and all the activities of the body are completely and continuously dependent upon the functioning of the head, so Christ functions for the body spiritual. This figure is frequent in the writings of Paul (see on 1 Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 1:22).

Church. Gr. ekklesia. See on Matt. 18:17.

Beginning. This expression may be understood either passively, showing Christ’s priority as to both time and rank, or actively, in the sense that Christ is the originator (cf. on Rev. 1:8). Some understand the expression as applying especially to what follows, declaring Christ to be the “beginning” of those who will be raised from the dead. Paul calls Him also the “firstfruits of them that slept” (see on 1 Cor. 15:20, 23). True, Moses and Lazarus were resurrected in point of time before Christ rose from the tomb, but it was only by virtue of His resurrection that these men came back to life.

Jesus is here set before the believers as possessing not only primacy and priority in time but also precedence in power and prestige. Since He is before all things, He therefore cannot be an emanation, or a lower, subsidiary order of creation. Paul’s declaration meets the arguments of the false teachers at Colossae.

Firstborn. Gr. prototokos (see on v. 15).

From the dead. As having been one of them, as the Greek implies (cf. on Rev. 1:18).

In all things. Since in the immediate context Christ’s priority has to do with the church, His position regarding “all things” also has to do with the church (see Col. 3:11; cf. Eph. 1:23). However, the statement is also true with respect to His position of sovereignty and priority relative to the entire universe.

He might have the preeminence. Literally, “He might come to hold first rank.” Christ was “declared to be the Son of God with power, ... by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4; cf. Phil. 2:9).