The Centrality of Christ

15 He is the image of the invisible God,(A)
the firstborn over all creation.(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,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace(K)
through his blood,(L) shed on the cross.[a](M)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1:20 Other mss add through him

The Supremacy of Christ

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,(A) 16 for in[a] him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in[b] him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.(B) 19 For in him all the fullness of God[c] was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.(C)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1.16 Or by
  2. 1.17 Or by
  3. 1.19 Gk lacks of God