The Centrality of Christ

15 He is the image of the invisible God,(A)
the firstborn over all creation.[a](B)
16 For everything was created by Him,(C)
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through Him and for Him.(D)
17 He is before all things,(E)
and by Him all things(F) hold together.
18 He is also the head of the body, the church;
He is the beginning,(G)
the firstborn from the dead,(H)
so that He might come to have
first place in everything.
19 For God was pleased to have
all His fullness(I) dwell in Him,(J)
20 and through Him to reconcile
everything to Himself
by making peace(K)
through the blood(L) of His cross[b](M)
whether things on earth or things in heaven.

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:15 The One who is preeminent over all creation
  2. Colossians 1:20 Other mss add through Him

Christ Is Supreme

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
    He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,[a]
16 for through him God created everything
    in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
    and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
    Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
    and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church,
    which is his body.
He is the beginning,
    supreme over all who rise from the dead.[b]
    So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness
    was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled
    everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
    by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:15 Or He is the firstborn of all creation.
  2. 1:18 Or the firstborn from the dead.

The Preeminence of Christ

15 (A)He is the image of (B)the invisible God, (C)the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by[a] him all things were created, (D)in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether (E)thrones or (F)dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created (G)through him and for him. 17 And (H)he is before all things, and in him all things (I)hold together. 18 And (J)he is the head of the body, the church. He is (K)the beginning, (L)the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For (M)in him all the (N)fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and (O)through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, (P)making peace (Q)by the blood of his cross.

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:16 That is, by means of; or in

15 He hos is eimi the image eikōn of the ho invisible aoratos God theos, · ho the firstborn prōtotokos over all pas creation ktisis; 16 for hoti in en him autos all pas things ho were created ktizō, in en · ho heaven ouranos and kai on epi · ho earth , things ho visible horatos and kai · ho invisible aoratos, whether eite thrones thronos or eite dominions kyriotēs, whether eite principalities archē or eite powers exousia all pas things ho have been created ktizō through dia him autos and kai for eis him autos. 17 And kai he autos is eimi before pro all pas things , and kai in en him autos all pas things ho hold synistēmi together . 18 And kai he autos is eimi the ho head kephalē of the ho body sōma, the ho church ekklēsia. He hos is eimi the beginning archē, the firstborn prōtotokos from ek the ho dead nekros, in hina order that he autos might be ginomai preeminent prōteuō in en everything pas. 19 For hoti God was pleased eudokeō to have all pas his ho fullness plērōma dwell katoikeō in en him autos, 20 and kai through dia him autos to reconcile apokatallassō · ho all things pas to eis himself autos, · ho whether eite · ho on epi · ho earth or eite · ho in en · ho heaven ouranos, by making peace eirēnopoieō through dia his autos blood haima shed on the ho cross stauros.

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The Supremacy of the Son of God

15 The Son is the image(A) of the invisible God,(B) the firstborn(C) over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created:(D) things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;(E) all things have been created through him and for him.(F) 17 He is before all things,(G) and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head(H) of the body, the church;(I) he is the beginning and the firstborn(J) from among the dead,(K) so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased(L) to have all his fullness(M) dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile(N) to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,(O) by making peace(P) through his blood,(Q) shed on the cross.

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