Col 1:15-17 | Family | STEP | The image of the invisible God ; the invisible God made manifest. Christ is the image of God, as possessing perfect equality with the Father in substance and divine perfections. Compare his own words: "He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father." . The first-born of every creature ; or, the first-born of all creation. Since Christ is the creator of all things, verse , he is not himself one of the creation. But he is the first-born of all creation, as being before all things, verse , and above them as their supreme head, verse .

Colossians 1:15-17

The image of the invisible God; the invisible God made manifest. Christ is the image of God, as possessing perfect equality with the Father in substance and divine perfections. Compare his own words: "He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father." Joh 14:9.

The first-born of every creature; or, the first-born of all creation. Since Christ is the creator of all things, verse Col 1:16, he is not himself one of the creation. But he is the first-born of all creation, as being before all things, verse Col 1:17, and above them as their supreme head, verse Col 1:20. In heaven--in earth, visible and invisible; the apostle labors to assert in the most absolute way that the whole universe of created things is the work of Christ. Compare Joh 1:3, and Heb 3:4. "He that built all things is God."

Thrones--powers; words that denote the different orders of created intelligences. Compare Eph 1:21; 3:10.

For him; as their end. This is the highest possible assertion of Christ's proper deity. Consist; are upheld in their present state. Compare Heb 1:3. "Upholding all things by the word of his power."