Amplified Bible
Colossians 1:17
17And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]
Colossians 1:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
- New International Version (NIV)He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Context of Colossians 1:17
15He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation. 16For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him. 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.] 18He is also the head [the life-source and leader] of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will occupy the first place [He will stand supreme and be preeminent] in everything. 19For 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),
Read all of Colossians 1Colossians 1:17 word by word
καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων, καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Colossians 1:17
- Colossians 1:15He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation.
- Proverbs 8:22“The Lord created and possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old [were accomplished].
- Isaiah 43:11I, [only] I, am the Lord, And there is no Savior besides Me.
- Isaiah 44:6“For the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts says this, ‘I am the First and I am the Last; And there is no God besides Me.
- Micah 5:2But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah; From you One shall come forth for Me [who is] to be Ruler in Israel, His goings forth (appearances) are from long ago, From ancient days.”
- John 1:1In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.
- John 8:58Jesus replied, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am.”
- John 17:5Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory and majesty that I had with You before the world existed.
- 1 Corinthians 8:6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, who is the source of all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things [that have been created], and we [believers exist and have life and have been redeemed] through Him.
- Hebrews 13:8Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.
- Revelation 1:8“I am the Alpha and the Omega [the Beginning and the End],” says the Lord God, “Who is [existing forever] and Who was [continually existing in the past] and Who is to come, the Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all].”
- Revelation 2:8“And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God] who died and came to life [again]:
- 1 Samuel 2:8He raises up the poor from the dust, He lifts up the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor and glory; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He set the land on them.
- Psalms 75:3“The earth and all the inhabitants of it melt [in tumultuous times]. It is I who will steady its pillars. Selah.
- John 5:17But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now [He has never ceased working], and I too am working.”
- Acts 17:28For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being], as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’
Commentaries on Colossians 1:17
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17And he is before all things - As he must be, if he created all things. Those who regard this as referring to a moral creation, interpret it as meaning that he has the pre-eminence over all things; not as referring to his pre-existence. But the fair and proper meaning of the word “before” ( ̀ pro) is, that he was before all things in the order of existence; compare Matthew 8:29; John 11:55; John 13:1; Acts 5:36; Acts 21:38; 2 Corinthians 12:2. It is…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-23Verses 15-23 Christ in his human nature, is the visible discovery of the invisible God, and he that hath seen Him hath seen the Father. Let us adore these mysteries in humble faith, and behold the glory of the Lord in Christ Jesus. He was born or begotten before all the creation, before any creature was made; which is the Scripture way of representing eternity, and by which the eternity of God is represented to us. All things being created by Him, were…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-20Paul describes Jesus as the ultimate creator and redeemer (1:15–17; 1:18–20). Three main things suggest these verses quote an early Christian hymn about Jesus: These verses are brief statements. These verses have contain high praise and special honor for Christ (he is exalted). These verses use similar language and ideas. Paul applied this hymn to the situation of the church in Colossae.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. (Joh 8:58.) Translate as Greek, "And He Himself (the great He) is (implying divine essential being) before all things," in time, as well as in dignity. Since He is before all things, He is before even time, that is, from eternity. Compare "the first-born of every creature" (Col 1:15). by him--Greek, "IN Him" (as the conditional element of existence, Col 1:16) [Alford]. consist--"subsist." Not only are called into being from nothing, but are maintained…Read the comment
Topics related to Colossians 1:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Colossians 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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