Colossians 1:18

Colossians 1:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Context of Colossians 1:18

16When God created everything, it was his Son who did it. His Son made everything that is on earth and in heaven. He created everything that we can see, as well as the things that we cannot see. He made rulers and leaders. He made everything that has power and authority. God gave his Son the authority to create everything, so that his Son would receive praise. 17God's Son was there before anything else was there. And now he causes everything to continue in its proper place. The church is like Christ's body and he is its head. He is where it all begins. As God's special Son, he was the first person who became alive again after death. As a result, Christ is first and most important in all things. 19God chose to put his nature in Christ completely. 20He decided that Christ would die on the cross as a sacrifice. In that way, God would bring all things back to himself. Then everything could live in peace with God. That includes everything on the earth and everything in heaven.

Colossians 1:18 word by word

καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας· ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the headκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776
• of the bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
• the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
• whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• the beginningἀρχήarchē · beginningG746
• the firstbornπρωτότοκοςprōtotokos · firstbornG4416
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the deadνεκρόςnekros · deadG3498
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• mightγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• have the preeminenceπρωτεύωprōteuō · be firstG4409

Cross-references for Colossians 1:18

• Colossians 1:24At this time, I am suffering on your behalf, but I am still happy. Christ himself suffered on behalf of his people, the church. Now, while I live in my human body, I also suffer. I continue to receive the pain that Christ received, so that it may be complete. In that way, I help the church, which is like Christ's own body.
• Colossians 2:10And because you are united with Christ, you are now complete. He is the one who rules over everything that has power or authority.
• 1 Corinthians 11:3This is something that I want you to know: Christ has authority over every man, as his head. Also, the head of a woman is her husband. And the head of Christ is God.
• Ephesians 1:10God will make that plan happen when the time is completely right. At that time, he will bring everything together so that Christ rules all of them. That includes the things that are in heaven, and the things that are on earth.
• Ephesians 4:15Instead, we will love each other and we will speak God's true message. As a result, we will become more and more like Christ in every way. He is the head of his body, which is the church.
• Ephesians 5:23A husband has authority over his wife, in the same way that Christ has authority over the church. The church is like Christ's body. As its head, he saves her.
• John 1:1In the beginning, the Word was already there. The Word was with God. The Word was God.
• 1 John 1:1We have an important message to tell you. We want to tell you about the person who was already there before the beginning of the world. We have heard him speak. We have seen him with our own eyes. We watched him and we touched him. He is the Word that gives us life with God.
• Revelation 1:8The Lord God says, ‘I caused all things to begin and I will cause the end of all things. I have all power and authority. I am alive. I have always been alive. I will continue to be alive for ever.’
• Revelation 3:14‘Write this to the angel of the church at Laodicea: “This is my message to you. I am the one whose name is ‘Amen’. I faithfully tell people God's true message. Everything that God has created starts with me.
• Revelation 21:6He also said to me, ‘Everything is now done! I caused all things to begin and I will cause the end of all things. I am the beginning and the end. If anyone is thirsty, I will give them water to drink. Nobody will have to pay anything for it. That water comes from a spring of water that gives life to people.
• Revelation 22:13I caused all things to begin and I will cause the end of all things. I am the first and the last. I am the beginning and the end.
• John 11:25Jesus said to her, ‘I have authority over death. I raise dead people, and I give people true life. Anyone who believes in me will live. Even if that person dies, he will continue to live.
• Acts 26:23They said that God's special Messiah would have much pain and he would die. But God would raise him up to be alive again. He would be the first dead person to become alive and not die again. In that way, he would show God's message and bring light to people. He would save both Jewish people and Gentiles. That is what the prophets and Moses wrote. And I say the same thing.’
• 1 Corinthians 15:20But it is really true that God raised Christ up after his death. He rose up to go to God in heaven. He was the first, so we know that believers who die will also rise up.
• Revelation 1:5Jesus Christ will also help you. He always speaks a true message. He is the first person who became alive again after death. He rules the kings of the earth. Jesus loves us and he died for us. That is how he made us free. Because of Jesus, God will not punish us for the bad things that we have done.

Commentaries on Colossians 1:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18He is the head of the body - What the apostle has said in the two preceding verses refers to the Divine nature of Jesus Christ; he now proceeds to speak of his human nature, and to show how highly that is exalted beyond all created things, and how, in that, he is head of the Church - the author and dispenser of light, life, and salvation, to the Christian world; or, in other words, that from him, as the man in whom the fullness of the Godhead bodily…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18And he is the head of the body, the church - Notes Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 5:23, note. Who is the beginning - In all things - alike in the work of creation and in the church. He is the fountain of authority and power, and commences everything that is designed to uphold the order of the universe, and to save the world. The first-born from the dead - At the head of those who rise from their graves. This does not mean literally that he was the first who…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. 18Head of the body, the church: The Greek word kephalē (meaning “head”) often has the sense of authority over or chief when Paul uses it as a metaphor (see also 2:10, 19; 1 Corinthians 11:3–10; Ephesians 4:15; 5:23). of the body: The metaphor of the church as Christ’s body shows the essential unity of Christ and the church (see also Colossians 1:24; 2:19; 3:15; Ephesians 1:23; 2:16; 4:4, 12; 5:23, 30). firstborn from among the dead: See study note on…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. Revelation of Christ to the Church and the new creation, as the Originator of both. he--emphatical. Not angels in opposition to the false teachers' doctrine concerning angel-worship, and the power of Oeons or (imaginary) spirit emanations from God (Col 2:10, 18). head of the body, the church--The Church is His body by virtue of His entering into communion corporeally with human nature [Neander], (Ep 1:22). The same One who is the Head of all things…Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 1:18

• Church
• Jesus Continued
• Temple

In the dictionaries

• Birthright
• Consist
• Darkness
• Dominion
• Fill
• Kingly office of Christ
• Mightily
• Philippians, Epistle to
• Reconcile
• Redemption

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