All things, visible and invisible.

All things, visible and invisible

Please pray for the Christians of Mauritania

COL 1:15

Christ is pre-eminent, first above all things, in resurrection as well as in creation.

COL 1:16

Paul wishes to convince the saints at Colossae that Christ created all things in the heavens as well as on earth.

Visible and invisible

Thrones, dominions, rulers, authorities -these are categories of angels.

From the highest to the lowest, fallen and elect, ALL are subject to our Lord Jesus Christ.

And later on Paul reports that God had defeated the rulers and authorities through the cross of Christ.

COL 2:15

Why all of this attention on the rulers and authorities?

COL 2:8-10

The saints at Colossae were in danger of being taken captive by the traditions of their time and culture:

the lies and deceptions concerning the “elementary principles of the world”.

These were demonic influences (“gods”) believed by the pagans to possess great power …

… that they exercised by commandeering natural phenomenon such as the wind and the sea and fertility and fire.

ACT 19:23-28

COL 2:15

Christ had created and subjugated these very rulers and authorities who were trying to take the saints captive again.