Grace and Peace to you in the name of our Lord Christ Jesus
As we prepare to gather for worship this Sunday, we will be looking at the second half of the Christ Hymn from Colossians 1:15-20. The first half, verses 15-17 focused on Christ in relation to creation and the second half, verses 18-20 focuses on Christ in relation to His church.
Questions for us as we approach this text include 1) What does it mean that the church is the body of Christ? 2) What does it mean that Christ is the head of the body? 3) What peace does Jesus bring?
Colossians 1:15–23 (ESV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 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. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.