…of a dissident deity

Colossians 1:15-20

The Colossian Christians were troubled by false teaching. It wasn’t a full-blown heresy. Rather it seems to have been a teaching – possibly from a single influential member of the small community – that suggested that Jesus wasn’t enough to ensure our salvation. It might have been teaching that urged Christians to follow Jewish practices – especially the so-called ‘works of the Law’ (namely circumcision, keeping the Sabbath and observing the dietary regulations). It might have been teaching that suggested that as well as following Jesus’ teaching, you needed to learn other secret teaching that only certain special teachers had access to.

Needless to say, Paul was having none of this nonsense. The message that was bearing fruit – in the form of changed lives – among the Colossians as well as all over the world (1:6) was the message about Jesus. And it is Jesus that forms the focus of Paul’s attention in the second section of his letter. He has spelled out that the gospel is bearing fruit all over the place just as it has at Colossae. Now he turns his attention to spelling out what the gospel is. He does so by focusing first on Jesus and only secondly on us.

This wonderful poem or worship song might have been an existing hymn used in Christian worship or it might have been composed by Paul as he meditated on who Jesus is and how he was going to paint a vivid picture of him for the Colossian Christians.

His first hearers would have been very familiar with pictures of royalty in the form of the statues and stories about Caesar that were all over the ancient world – and were especially popular and prevalent in the region where the Colossians lived. Many of the words Paul used to describe Christ were used of Caesar. For example, imperial propaganda suggested that it was Caesar and his legions who ‘reconciled’ everyone together in the empire and brought peace to the known world (indeed it was described at Caesar’s ‘gospel’); further it suggested that the world that people lived and traded in came into being through Caesar, that it was held together by his wise and beneficent rule. So as Paul’s first hearers heard these words, they would have been comparing and contrasting Christ and Caesar.

Recently in the UK we’ve been confronted by two pictures of royalty: The Queen and the rest of the royal family – all pomp and protocol – a traditional picture of royalty. And then Diana – all informality, hugs and smiles: what’s that? That it was another image of royalty and one that appealed to lots of people was demonstrated by her funeral and to a lesser degree with her memorial service a decade later!

Here Paul paints a picture of Jesus so extraordinary, so unexpected, so subversive of commonly held pictures of royalty, power and empire that we find it hard to take it in. We actually need to read it backwards as well as forwards:

1) Supreme Lord (reading forwards from 15-20)

Paul uses just 123 words to paint his rich and amazing portrait of the Lord Jesus. Many of these words have Old Testament echoes as well as resonance with contemporary royal images:

ü Jesus is the Image of God (15a): 2 Cor 4:6; Heb 1:3; John 1:18 not a partial one, either: v19, 2:9: everything that can be seen of God in a person is seen in Jesus

ü Jesus is the First born (15b), that is the top dog: Ps 89:27: this speaks of priority of person (language used of Caesar!):

ü everything has been made by, through and for him: v16; see Pr 8:25-31

ü Jesus has always been around (17a) > hence incarnation John 1:14; Phil 2:4: Jesus is not a man made Lord at his resurrection, but the pre-existent Lord resuming his rightful place at God’s right hand – this is an extraordinary claim for a first century Jew to make!

ü Jesus holds it all together (17b). This is a picture of grace as well as power: he holds me together while I’m still sinning – despite his anger and grief, he does not let go.

ü Jesus is the head of the church (18a) So the church is the agent of his action in the world; authority in the church rests with him not ‘special’ people; and the agenda for church is his not ours (c.f. 1:1,9b)

ü Jesus is the Saviour (18b-20): he rescues us from sin. His resurrection (18b) means that death is defeated c.f. 2:15; here first born means the first of many who will be raised; and reconciliation (20a) means that sin has been dealt with, fellowship with God has been restored. How? Through the cross (notice it is the final word!)

2) Suffering servant (reading backwards 20a-15 in light of 20b)

This Lordship isn’t seen in pomp and power but in humility and pain – as the final word of v20 so graphically reminds us. So:

ü Reconciliation and the defeat of death and the forces of darkness is brought about by a suffering king: 20a-19; 2:13-15

ü The Church headed by a suffering king, one enthroned in blood (18): a stark contrast with Caesar and a pattern for our leadership and service

ü The universe is created and held together by a suffering monarch: (16). This is captured in the extraordinary scene at the heart of heaven’s worship in Rev 5:6

ü The visible image of the invisible God is the crucified Jesus: 15; see 1 Cor 1:22-25

This is a staggering, shattering portrait of God. These two pictures/readings must be held together, so we get a rounded, complete portrait of who Jesus is. And having read it and allowed it to sink in, the only appropriate response is awe and our lives offered to him in gratitude for all he has done.