Thought of the Day: Creation
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister." Colossians 1:15-23
With a bit of paragraphing, this passage does have a chronological flow in literary sense. It is about the hope for all Christians when Church history comes to an end.
'Old' Creation: Genesis; Christ as the "firstborn of all [over] creation".
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church..."
New Creation: Resurrection; Christ is the "firstborn from the dead". As promised, the 'firstborn' won't be the last. We who will soon be "dead", or in my humble view, already "dead", will be born again one day.
"...He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."
Church History from Old to New Creation: "And you"; what it means for me as participants in this process that Christ's death has enabled and started.
"And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister."
Sometimes, I do wish that He will just come down and kickstart the whole process of a new order. Sometimes, I wish my life span is shorter so that I can leave this world in which I have been an alienated, hostile, and sinful member of. I'm reminded that there is great hope in the gospel, that if I keep my faith in Him, I will be presented to him holy and blameless one day. No more business with this sinful flesh, this embodied self. I'll eventually be free someday.
With a bit of paragraphing, this passage does have a chronological flow in literary sense. It is about the hope for all Christians when Church history comes to an end.
'Old' Creation: Genesis; Christ as the "firstborn of all [over] creation".
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church..."
New Creation: Resurrection; Christ is the "firstborn from the dead". As promised, the 'firstborn' won't be the last. We who will soon be "dead", or in my humble view, already "dead", will be born again one day.
"...He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."
Church History from Old to New Creation: "And you"; what it means for me as participants in this process that Christ's death has enabled and started.
"And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister."
Sometimes, I do wish that He will just come down and kickstart the whole process of a new order. Sometimes, I wish my life span is shorter so that I can leave this world in which I have been an alienated, hostile, and sinful member of. I'm reminded that there is great hope in the gospel, that if I keep my faith in Him, I will be presented to him holy and blameless one day. No more business with this sinful flesh, this embodied self. I'll eventually be free someday.
posted by astral at 3:44 PM
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