Colossians 1: 17 – He is before all

…and He is before all…

When Paul declares here that the Son is “before all”, then this is not so much a new fact in this argument as the logical conclusion from the foregoing. Naturally, it means that the Son has absolute priority over every creature. But “before everything” is primarily a determination of time. For if all things came into being through the Son, then it follows that He was before all things. So it speaks of his pre-existence.

Christ’s pre-existence is certainly a Biblical fact, although it does not mean what is usually understood by it. His pre-existence does not imply that He was already Jesus before His birth. Or Christ. Or Son. For these are all names or titles related to his birth as well as to his resurrection from the dead. For since then (and on that basis!) He is the Son (Luke 1:35; Acts 13:33), Jesus (Matt. 1:21) and Christ (Luke 2:11; Acts 2:36) .

It is God’s word which is from the beginning and by which all things were made (John 1:1-3). This word became flesh and we now know it as God’s Son (John 1:14). That is why John the Baptist testified: “He who comes after me has been before me” (John 1:15). “His name is called the Word of God” (Rev.19:13).

Delen: