What is the supremacy of Christ and what does it mean?

The expression, "that in all things He might have the pre-eminence," refers to the two spheres of the glory of Christ, of which mention has just been made; viz., creation and the assembly; and it simply means that it is God's purpose that Christ should have the "first place," the absolute supremacy, in both. The proper glory of the person of Christ, or rather of the Son, is the special subject of this epistle; and, in addition, His acquired glory through His death and resurrection is unfolded. Thus the moment the apostle touches redemption in the words, "In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins," he proceeds to say, "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature" (or, "before all creation"). And we learn that He takes the pre-eminence in creation (He who was "before all things," eternally existent as the Son) on the ground of being Himself the Creator. If all things, whatever their degree or glory, were created by Him and for Him, and if all things subsist in Him, by the very rights of His own person He must have the place of supremacy in all the circles of created existences. But there is another sphere - a sphere outside of creation - which has been revealed in connection with the counsels of God in redemption; viz., that of the assembly, as the body of Christ. Of this we learn that He is head. For if God has brought the first man, Adam, to his judicial end in the cross, Christ in resurrection is the "beginning," God's commencement of His new order in the person of the Second Man. It is true that He was the Second Man in incarnation, but He was not in the condition of the Second Man until he was risen and glorified; and hence it is that He, as glorified, is presented as the model to which all the redeemed are to be conformed. He is, moreover, "the beginning" as the "firstborn from the dead"; and it is as such also that He has become the Head of the body, the church, of which believers have been, through grace, made members in virtue of the indwelling Spirit. In this circle also Christ must therefore be necessarily supreme; and happy is it for us when we practically and habitually acknowledge His pre-eminence in "all things." The following remarks may be further helpful: "One of these pre-eminences depends on His divine rights as Creator, the other on His work and on the power displayed in His humanity in the act of resurrection. He holds all as Man and all by divine glory; but in some sort it may be said that one part of His glory depends on His divinity, the other on His victory as Man."

The expression, "that in all things He might have the pre-eminence," refers to the two spheres of the glory of Christ, of which mention has just been made; viz., creation and the assembly; and it simply means that it is God's purpose that Christ should have the "first place," the absolute supremacy, in both. The proper glory of the person of Christ, or rather of the Son, is the special subject of this epistle; and, in addition, His acquired glory through His death and resurrection is unfolded. Thus the moment the apostle touches redemption in the words, "In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins," he proceeds to say, "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature" (or, "before all creation"). And we learn that He takes the pre-eminence in creation (He who was "before all things," eternally existent as the Son) on the ground of being Himself the Creator. If all things, whatever their degree or glory, were created by Him and for Him, and if all things subsist in Him, by the very rights of His own person He must have the place of supremacy in all the circles of created existences. But there is another sphere — a sphere outside of creation — which has been revealed in connection with the counsels of God in redemption; viz., that of the assembly, as the body of Christ. Of this we learn that He is head. For if God has brought the first man, Adam, to his judicial end in the cross, Christ in resurrection is the "beginning," God's commencement of His new order in the person of the Second Man. It is true that He was the Second Man in incarnation, but He was not in the condition of the Second Man until he was risen and glorified; and hence it is that He, as glorified, is presented as the model to which all the redeemed are to be conformed. He is, moreover, "the beginning" as the "firstborn from the dead"; and it is as such also that He has become the Head of the body, the church, of which believers have been, through grace, made members in virtue of the indwelling Spirit. In this circle also Christ must therefore be necessarily supreme; and happy is it for us when we practically and habitually acknowledge His pre-eminence in "all things." The following remarks may be further helpful: "One of these pre-eminences depends on His divine rights as Creator, the other on His work and on the power displayed in His humanity in the act of resurrection. He holds all as Man and all by divine glory; but in some sort it may be said that one part of His glory depends on His divinity, the other on His victory as Man."

He by whom we have redemption, the Son of God's love, is the image of the invisible One representing Him to His creatures, and He is the firstborn of all creation, a position and dignity thus independent of priority in time. And the reason assigned for His place in the universe as man is, that by Him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, and for Him, and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. Such is His place in relation to creation; such, too, is His history in relation to it in the past, the present, and the future. By Him all things were created. By Him all things consist. He upholds all things by the word of His power. For Him too they were all created. So one can understand that the Creator and upholder of all things, and He who is before all things, should not enter the ranks of His creatures and become a man without having the position in creation and the title of the Firstborn. Next we learn of another Headship with which He is invested. He is the Head of the Body the Church, who is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. His place as Firstborn in the ranks of creatures tells us of His incarnation. His title as Firstborn from the dead reminds us necessarily of His cross and resurrection. As risen He is in the relationship of Head of the Body the Church, the beginning too of a new order of things, of which those redeemed by His blood form part, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence, and this pre-eminence He must have, because in Him all the fulness was pleased to dwell.

The Firstborn then, in a double sense, Firstborn of all creation and Firstborn from the dead, before all, upholding all, and in all things to have the pre-eminence, such is the One into whose kingdom we are translated, and who has redeemed us by dying on the cross. He to whom this pre-eminence belongs has entered the ranks of creatures. But in what condition was creation found? In what condition were men proved to be when He became incarnate? Things in heaven and things on earth needed to be brought into order. Men needed to have the enmity of the heart removed. Both these are effected by His cross. All the fulness is pleased to reconcile all things to itself, things in heaven and things on earth, having made peace by the blood of His cross. This we wait to see effected by the exercise of sovereign power. Men, however, have been reconciled to God in the body of Christ's flesh through death. Of this the Colossian saints were an illustration, and such will be presented holy, unblameable, and unreproveable in God's sight, if they continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which those saints had heard, and which was preached in the whole creation under heaven, of which Paul was made a minister.

In Colossians we find some amazing glories. He speaks of the Image of the invisible God, the First-born of every creature, pre-eminent there, for by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, and for Him. John states it also. Not one thing was brought into existence but by Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. That shows the pre-eminence. He that brings anything into existence must be above that thing, and indeed also above all things. He adds that they were created not only by Him, but for Him. All were connected with Him. Creation was by the Son acting. All was connected with the manifestation of His divine glory. Again (ver. 17), "He is before all things." He was before all, as He was the only cause of all, and the cause must have priority and superiority to every effect; and he adds, "by him all things consist," or stand together. He holds everything by the hand of His power. The pillars of the earth rest on that Man who was despised, spit upon, and crucified. The One that with such gentle compassion pleaded with Saul of Tarsus, and knocked long at the hearts of many of us, before any hearing was produced in us, before we opened to Him, a stranger as He then was to us, He was the One who upheld everything. He goes beyond the heavens and the earth, and the fruitful seasons. This pre-eminence was His. Then he goes on to speak of redemption, the peculiar place He would hold to one part of the redeemed, "Head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell; and having made peace by the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."

The Epistle to the Colossians treats of the same precious mystery, in a somewhat different aspect. Christ's headship of this body is mentioned as one of the many titles and glories which belong to Him. He is spoken of as "the image of the invisible God, the first-born of (that is, the chief over) every creature." "By him," we are told, "were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." These are titles essentially divine. Creation of all things in heaven and earth — proprietorship of all things thus created for as well as by Him — priority to all things — and the actual upholding of every thing, so that by Him all things consist — such are the titles in which Christ is here presented. To these are added — "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead: that in all things he might have the pre-eminence." What are the truths here presented to us? First, that the Person with whom the Church is, by marvellous grace, identified as its Head, is the One to whom, in Himself, all these divine rights and titles belong. Secondly, that ineffably near as is the relationship between the blessed One, the Head, and His body the Church, yet the headship even here belongs to Him. If grace has brought us so near to Christ as to be one body with Him, we are still to remember that we are but the body, and that He is the Head — that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. Thirdly, it is as risen that He takes this place of headship to His body, the Church — "who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead." The importance of the truth last named — that it is as risen He has become the Head of the Church, is further apparent from what follows. "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell: and having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself: by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable, and unreprovable in his sight." All things (not persons, observe) in heaven and in earth are to be reconciled by Christ, in virtue of His having made peace through the blood of His cross; but as to the Church, its reconciliation is already accomplished — you has He reconciled. The Church, already "reconciled in the body of Christ's flesh through death," peace being made by His blood, is in resurrection become His body. Of this body, He Himself, the beginning, the first-born from the dead, is the ever-living and glorious Head. He is also by divine rights of creatorship, sustentation, and proprietorship, Head over all creation; and He is actually to take this place, when, by virtue of the same peace-making blood by which the Church is already reconciled, He reconciles all things both in heaven and in earth. He has already reconciled the Church, that when He does take this place, the Church may be with Him, presented "holy, unblamable, and unreprovable in his sight." This is the hope of the gospel, whereof Paul tells us he had been made a minister. He also speaks of rejoicing "to fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in his flesh, FOR HIS BODY'S SAKE, WHICH IS THE CHURCH." He still further testifies here, as in Ephesians, of this being a mystery, or to give his own words, "THE MYSTERY which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints; to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." It was indeed a mystery, of which no one in previous ages could have had an idea. It was clearly enough revealed in the Old Testament, how Messiah should reign in glory over Israel and the whole earth, and how He should thus be the glory of His people Israel. But that any, and most of all, that Gentiles should form the body of Christ, so that what an apostle preached should be, "Christ in you;" and yet that this should be before the manifestation of His glory as Head and Reconciler of all things; so that it is "Christ in you, the hope of glory;" — this was indeed a mystery previously unrevealed! Alas! to how many Christians might it as well have remained still unrevealed; I mean as to any knowledge or enjoyment of it possessed by their souls. The Lord awaken His beloved people to a perception, by faith, of what their real place, and portion, and privileges, and prospects are! More literally, "For in him it pleased all the fulness to dwell."

The Colossian epistle has seven structural elements which blend into one harmonious whole. The first twelve verses form the introduction. The next ten verses, forming the second section, present the glories of the person of Christ in language which is unsurpassed for majesty and range in all Scripture. There is first a sevenfold presentation of His essential glory in His Eternal Being which shines forth like a constellation of stars of first magnitude in the hemisphere. These are mainly in relation to created things. They are:— "Son of the Father's Love." In pre-creation as during creation, He was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him. (Prov. 8:22). "Image of the Invisible God." No man has seen God at any time. The Son has rendered Him visible. Adam was created in the image of God and was thus, in measure, the representation of the invisible God. In 1 Cor. 15, those who are heavenly in constitution and origin, do not yet bear "the image of the heavenly," because, when that is effected, all that they are as heavenly will be displayed to the universe. The Second Man from heaven is, in the final sense, "the image of the invisible God:" "First-born of Creation." This is not in point of chronological order, but in respect of pre-eminence. This usage is illustrated in the Old Testament in various types, e.g., Manasseh was Joseph's elder son, but the Scriptural record is, "Ephraim is my first-born." Again, of Solomon (although he was one of David's younger sons) it was said, "I will make him my first-born higher than the kings of the earth"—although this passage awaited its complete fulfilment in One who was greater than Solomon. Thus, in right, dignity and power, Christ has precedence over all. "He is before all things." He could say, "Before Abraham was, I am." (Not "I was" but the term which peculiarly marked Him as Jehovah). "All things were created by Him." "All things subsist in Him." "All things were created for Him."

These passages tersely state that He is the Preceder, Author, Sustainer, and Purpose of every created thing. In verses 18-22, there shines out another sevenfold presentation of His glories, but composed of those which have come to Him in resurrection. It is necessary that in this hemisphere of display also He should have undisputed pre-eminence. They are briefly as follows:— "Head of the Body," the Church, which takes inception from Christ's death and resurrection. "The beginning of the new creation of God." "First-born from the dead." "All fulness is pleased to dwell in Him." Thus He is not a mere emission of radio-activity from the Godhead. "He has made peace by the blood of His cross," which is the central feature of His redemption glory. "By Him all things will yet be reconciled." The earnest expectation of creation waits for the revelation of the sons of God.... The creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. (Rom. 8:19-21). "But even now He has reconciled us in the body of His flesh, through death."

As we said, the important matter of universal pre-eminence has been settled. In perfect righteousness, and in divine wisdom, the first place in all things is Christ’s. It has been the Godhead pleasure so to fix permanently the pre-eminent place; and in view of this, “in Him all the fullness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to itself, having made peace by the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:19-20, N.Tr.). And every heart that knows Him says with gladness, He is worthy to be pre-eminent in all things!

In this is enfolded the divine secret, for it was none less than the Creator who came in incarnation as “Firstborn of all creation”; just as in redemption and reconciliation is unfolded that same secret, for in resurrection He is “First-born from among the dead, that He might have the first place in all things.” Yes, it was the Creator Son who came into the creation as Man; who has settled eternally the sin question for God’s glory and our blessing. In Him all fullness dwells, and He is pre-eminent in all things. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily; and, miracle of grace! in that same One we are also filled full! (Col. 2:9).

Something of the magnitude and majesty of the place of pre-eminence in which Christ is set according to the pleasure of the Godhead may be grasped, as we ponder these words: “All things, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether they be thrones, or lordships, or principalities, or authorities, all things have been created by Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16).

One word must be said as to the context in Colossians. Immediately after describing our blessed Lord as the Firstborn from the dead, it proceeds, "That in all things He might have the pre-eminence." The apostle had already spoken of Him as the first-born of every creature, or "before all creation," and he explains that this place belongs to Him in virtue of His creatorship: "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist." If, that is, the Creator Himself steps, so to speak, into His own creation, He must, of necessity, take the first place, and this is one of the glories of His supremacy. Then, on introducing us into the new circle of the Church, we are also reminded that He has the first place in it, for He who is the head of His body, the Church, is the Beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. Thus, wherever Christ is, whether regarded as connected with the first creation or the new, He is first - in the absolute pre-eminence of His personal and acquired glories.

Pre-eminence (proteuon) is mentioned once only in Scripture, in Colossians 1:18. Christ is “the Head of the assembly; who is the beginning, firstborn from among the dead, that He might have the pre-eminence in all things.” The first place is His alone. In this same chapter we read of that which some speak of as the two headships. The headship in creation and the headship in redemption, or more correctly, reconciliation. This is a helpful way of putting it, for “Firstborn” (Prototokos), twice mentioned here, involves headship. In verse 15 Christ is the Firstborn in the creation; and in verse 18 He is the Firstborn in the reconciliation; and this latter in resurrection, as the former in incarnation. The distinction and dignity of this is His, not because He was, as to time, the first to be born, but because of who He is. Had He been the last to be born, the headship in all creation as Firstborn would still be His. Solomon was not the first to be born of David, but He reigned in regal glory as firstborn on the throne. It is a matter of distinction; only, in that of which we speak, it must necessarily be held in perfect righteousness.