By Deanna Huff, Ph.D., Th.M. | November 26, 2023
This brief article is offered in response to a Bellator Christi reader’s question: “What Does it mean that Jesus is the image of the invisible God?” (Colossians 1:15)
Revealing the Supremacy of Christ
In the book of Colossians, Paul encourages the church at Colossae and speaks to some of their cultural challenges. Chapter one emphasizes the supremacy of Christ in verses 15-20. Discussing the passage of Colossians 1:15-20 is popular among scholars. Some scholars indicate that Paul inserts a hymn or poem in the poetic verses, and others contend that the evidence for it being liturgical is absent.[1] Either way, it reveals the supremacy of Christ. In the midst of thanksgiving to the Father, Paul introduces Christ as the one who rescued them from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of his beloved Son in verses 13 and 14. In Col 1:15, Paul expands on who Christ is. He is the Son of the Father, bringing the redemptive work. The ruler over all things. He is God in the flesh. Although there are much lengthier responses to this passage, this short answer will focus on the meaning regarding Jesus as the image of the invisible God.
Jesus Is the Perfect Image of God
In Colossians, Paul presents the identity of Jesus. Referring to Christ, Col 1:15 states, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” The word “image” in the Greek is Eikόn, meaning image or likeness. It is where we get the word icon, which refers to a statue. Genesis 1:27 states that man is made in the “image of God.” He was patterned after the second person of the Trinity. However, man sinned, and now all humanity is fallen. Man also lacks the supernatural attributes of God. Man is only human. G.K. Beale states, “Col 1:15 refers not to Christ as the ‘image’ in his human incarnational and exalted form. Rather, as is in verses 15b–17, Christ’s preexistence as God’s divine ‘image’ is the focus, though his status as the divine image still applies to his incarnational state and eternal exalted status.”[2] Verse 16 brings this to light: “by Him all things were created” and “all things have been created through Him and for Him.” And verse 17, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” He did not become the image of God at his incarnation, but He is the image of God before all things were made. He is the exact imprint of God. When you see Him, you have seen the Father (John 14:9). Jesus is God in the flesh.
Jesus Is Supreme
Sometimes, readers claim that Jesus is created from this passage due to the translation “the firstborn of all creation.” However, the word “firstborn” in the Greek prōtotokos can refer to a position or status. Bill Mounce states, “In biblical culture, the firstborn had higher status and received a greater share of the inheritance. Jesus Christ, as the firstborn of God, is of supreme status and inherits all things.”[3] Jesus is not created, but positionally, everything is his (Psalm 89:27-29). Christ’s sovereignty over the first creation is in verses 15-17, and his sovereign position in the new creation is observed in verses 18–20 through the resurrection. It states, “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” Jesus is supreme and ruler over all.
Conclusion
Jesus is the exact “image” of the invisible God. He is the tangible of the intangible. He pre-existed before all things and is the second person of the Trinity. Man is made in the image of God to reflect his characteristics, but he is marred by sin. Man lacks the supernatural, divine qualities. However, Jesus is God in the flesh. He is supreme above all things and in the position of the highest rank over everything. He has overcome death and will return for his people to rule in His new kingdom to come.
About the Author
Deanna Huff, Ph.D., Th.M.: Associate Vice President of Spiritual Care and Outreach, Assistant Editor, Publisher, and Contributor
She has been teaching and training for the last twenty years equipping people to know their Christian faith and share it with others. Deanna has led many seminars for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Ladies Retreat, and the State Evangelism Conference. She taught high school students for ten years at Christian Heritage Academy, in Bible, Universal History, Apologetics and Philosophy. Deanna earned a Ph.D. in Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University. She holds a Master of Theology in Apologetics and Worldview from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oklahoma.
Deanna is an active member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church where she participates with her pastor in a worldview podcast called The Analysis. She also participates with her daughter in a podcast called but why should i care. She and her husband teach an adult Sunday school class discipling others in the faith.
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Notes
[1] G. K. Beal, Colossians and Philemon (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2019), 269, ProQuest Ebook Central.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Bill Mounce, https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/prototokos.
