17 (A)And He is before all things, and in Him (B)all things consist. 18 And (C)He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, (D)the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Reconciled in Christ

19 For it pleased the Father that (E)in Him all the fullness should dwell,

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17 He [a](A)is before all things, and in Him all things [b]hold together. 18 He is also the (B)head of (C)the body, the church; and He is (D)the beginning, (E)the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For [c]it was (F)the Father’s good pleasure for all (G)the [d]fullness to dwell in Him,

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:17 Or has existed prior to
  2. Colossians 1:17 Or endure
  3. Colossians 1:19 Or all the fullness was pleased to dwell
  4. Colossians 1:19 I.e., fullness of deity

17 And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.](A) 18 He is also the head [the life-source and leader] of the body, the [a]church; and He is the beginning, [b]the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will occupy the first place [He will stand supreme and be preeminent] in everything.(B) 19 For it pleased the Father for all the fullness [of deity—the sum total of His essence, all His perfection, powers, and attributes] to dwell [permanently] in Him (the Son),

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:18 This refers to the entire body of born-again believers (whether past, present, or future), not a local congregation.
  2. Colossians 1:18 Christ is the first to be resurrected with an incorruptible, immortal body. Others who were raised had to die again.

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

18 And 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 preeminence.

19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

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