THE PREEMINENCE OF CHRIST

I found this information in my dad’s study Bible and thought it would make a good post.  We will be discussing the preeminence of Christ in the book of Colossians. 

First off, what does the word ‘preeminence’ mean?  According to Merriam-Webster, it means having paramount rank, dignity, or importance.  Other synonyms of the word are outstanding, superiority, and supremacy.  

As believers, we know that Christ is superior to all because He is God.  So why would Paul stress this in his letter to the Colossian church?  During the time frame that this letter was written, the idea of Gnosticism had crept up in the church.  This was a movement that tried to marginalize Christ within the church.  It was a mix of Jewish and Greek teachings, as well as some mysticism that tried to teach that Christ wasn’t God.  They thought that there was a secret that needed to be revealed to the people in order to be saved and that receiving Christ wasn’t enough.  They also believed that Christ was an angel.  This is a blatant attack against the Gospel!  As such, Paul wrote to the believers in the Colossae to remind them of the preeminence of Christ.  He is God, there is no question.  

We’ll do a little bit more of a deep dive into Colossians to see Paul’s examples.  The examples of Christ’s preeminence are broken down into 5 sections, which will then be separated into 4 different posts for the month of September.

Christ is preeminent in Religious Observance

Colossians 2:11-13 -  In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

• We were dead in our trespasses and sins.  But we were made alive in Christ through His death and resurrection.  The work that Christ did on the cross is superior to the Old Testament rules on circumcision.  New believers do not need to be circumcised, just need to believe in Christ to be part of His family.  

Colossians 2:16-23 - So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.  Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

• No need for legalism and ritualism under Christ.  Days and foods, observed under Mosaic Law, are not binding to the New Testament believers.  Legalistic religion is defined by what you can’t do rather than what you can do.  Christianity is a faith that is of positive action.  

• Our identification is with Christ in His death and resurrection.  Since He is the foundation of our Christian life, He is our law keeper.  

Christ is Preeminent in Christian Living

Colossians 3:3 - For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

• Paul focuses here on practical Christian living, which is built on a foundation of truth.  Because we know and believe that Christ was raised from the dead, we are sure in our identification with Him.  

• Since our lives should be fully in Christ, we should have our minds fixed on heaven.  We should not be living in our sins anymore.  We should be living in constant fellowship with God and His people and serving one another.    

Colossians 3:5-14 - Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

• Because of our identification with the risen Christ, we need to put to death the things in our lives that do not align with an identity in Christ.  As such, we should avoid immorality (fornication, uncleanness, passion, and evil desire) and bless others.

• We are charged to put off the old man in all aspects of our lives, including in what we say.  We must bridle our tongue to refrain from anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, and lies. 

• In addition to putting off the old man, we are charged to put on the new man.  The new man desires to know more about the word of God.  That is expressed in our relationships and how we treat one another with tender mercies, kindness, humility, and forgiveness.