Colossians 1:16
For bby him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα, τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα, εἴτε θρόνοι, εἴτε κυριότητες, εἴτε ἀρχαί, εἴτε ἐξουσίαι· τὰ πάντα δι᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται·
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John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Hebrews 3:3-3:6 3. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. 4. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 5. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6. But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Romans 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
1 Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Ephesians 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
Colossians 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Hebrews 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
he proves Christ to be before and Lord over every creature, more excellent than them all, with a prerogative other princes want, for none of them is a creator of his subjects, who were not made by him or for him, as all creatures without exception were made by and for Christ. The apostle here is as cautious as may be, lest by speaking of Christ as
he should seem to put him in the order of creatures, which he shows do depend upon him for their creation and preservation, since he brought them out of nothing into being, and therein doth sustain them.
in whom they have their beings, live and move, Act 17:28. Some render the particle in, rather than by. But they disclaim the philosophical notions about Platonic ideas, only conceive all to be made in Christ, as the exemplary cause, whom God had in his eternal decree set up as the pattern of all perfections, being his image, according to which it was agreed, in the council of the Trinity, man should be made, Gen 1:26. But the most do, according to our translation, render it (as a Hebrew phrase) by, ( being of the same import with that in the end of the verse), or through, which is expressive of the principal efficient, not the instrumental cause, for all the things made were produced out of nothing into being immediately by him, Joh 1:3,10 Heb 1:8,10: he might well be Lord over them all, who was the first founder of them, Act 10:36 1Co 8:6; and whatever the adversaries allege, it is plain in Scripture that by is used of the principal cause, Col 1:1 Rom 11:31,36 1Co 1:1 1Co 12:8,9 2Co 1:1 Gal 1:1 1Th 4:2 2Th 3:12.
creation is simply, universally, and absolutely attributed to him; for whatever subtilties some would suggest,
is equivalent to he created all things; compare Psa 96:5 102:25, with Isa 44:24 48:13 Jer 10:12 Act 17:24, with Rom 11:36: (like 1Co 1:9, with 1Th 2:12).
the apostle speaks extensively of all proceeding from not being into being, both generally and distributively, agreeably to the common expression of
that were made at the beginning, Act 4:24: though in Scripture, where mention is made of the creation, heaven and earth be not always expressed, Isa 40:26 Mar 10:6 13:19 Act 17:24 Rom 1:20 2Pe 3:4 Rev 4:11; but here, where all things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, are expressed, it is evident that heaven and earth are together comprehended.
these two adjuncts of visible and invisible do divide all creatures whatsoever, there being nothing made that is not one or the other.
all enumeration is particularly made of the latter, which for their excellency (if any) might seem to be exempted (by those in danger of being beguiled to the worshipping of angels) from the state and condition of being created by Jesus Christ; particularly,
those he here names, as elsewhere, Rom 8:38 Eph 1:20,21 3:10 6:12, in the abstracts for the concretes, the invisible inhabitants of the world.
I know some would have dignities in human policy to be meant, as Tit 3:1 2Pe 2:10 Jud 1:8; but it is more rational, with the generality of ancient and modern interpreters, as Col 2:15, to expound these titles of incorporeal and angelical creatures, whether by an emphatical synonyme, angels generally, by a metonymy, being ministers of the heavenly state; or more probably, as should seem from the scope of the place, by such a subdivision of invisibles as the apostle did conceive there was, according to the properties wherein they were eminent, and the offices whereunto they were delegated of God, which he expressed disjunctively by borrowed titles from the distinctions of men in dignities and offices here below, as dukes, earls, lords, and other magistrates; the Scriptures elsewhere initmating distinctions amongst the spiritual ministers attending the commands of the heavenly Majesty upon his throne, represented shadowed by the cherubims, Gen 3:24 Exo 25:18,22 1Sa 4:4 2Sa 6:2 1Ch 28:18 Psa 80:1 Isa 37:16 Eze 1:13; denominated archangels and princes, Dan 10:13,21 1Th 4:16 Jud 1:9; which imply some distinctions and orders amongst angelical beings, but what that is we know not, (whatever is disputed in the Roman schools from the spurious Denys), and therefore having no ground from Scripture, account it no better than curiosity to inquire, and rashness to determine.
after his enumeration and distribution of things created, the apostle doth, for further confirmation, repeat the universal proposition or assumption, with a preposition expressive of the same absolute efficiency of causality that is attributed to God the Father and the Holy Ghost; all created things being made by him, i.e. by Christ, whose works without are undivided from those of the other Persons in the Trinity; they were all brought out of nothing into being by him, not by angels.
which is more fully proved from his being the final (as well as efficient) cause of them; they all had their being in respect of him or for him, i.e. his glory, Rom 11:36, to manifest his Divine power and infinite goodness, Joh 5:17,23Jn 17:5; he is their end as well as founder, Rev 5:13; the apostle affirms the same of him that is affirmed of the Father, Job 9:8 Pro 16:4 Isa 44:24; he made them all for his own sake. The Socinians, in derogation to Christ’s Divinity, would restrain, limit, and narrow what Christ saith here in this verse to the new creation, or reparation, but against manifest reason. For:
1. The words creature and creation in the foregoing verse and this, are used absolutely, as was before suggested, and so created here repeated twice, and joined with the word all, and therefore to be understood, as elsewhere, absolutely of the old or first creation, Mar 10:6 13:19 16:15 Rom 1:20,25 1Co 11:9 1Ti 4:3 Heb 4:13 2Pe 3:4 Rev 10:6; for when it is used of the second creation, or restoration, the restrictive additament of new is joined with it, Isa 65:17,18 2Co 5:17 Gal 6:15 Eph 2:15 4:24, not left indefinitely as here.
2. In parallel places, the making and founding of the old creation is ascribed to Christ, both negatively and positively, Joh 1:3 Heb 1:3,10; not one thing is excepted, and therefore should not be restrained to men.
3. It is most evident from the context the apostle doth in this verse discourse of creation, in contradistinction to what he speaks of afterwards in, {Col 1:18,20} when he comes to treat of Christ as Head of his church, and we have no reason to charge the apostle with a useless repetition further.
4. The apostle’s significant enumeration and distinction of things created, doth evidence that he understood the subject, the creation, in the most extensive and unlimited consideration of it. He reckons up material as well as immaterial things, and those in heaven, which needed no restoration, as well as those on earth, which did, being polluted with sin. Those angels who had not put off the honour of the first, did not belong to the new creation; having not divested themselves of their original integrity, they needed not to be reinvested with that they never lost: and devils cannot be ranked among new creatures, neither can wicked souls, Mat 25:41 Rev 22:15; neither are there new and old orders of angels; so that the dominion Christ is here (as elsewhere) asserted as founder of, is the whole, not only the new creation, Rev 5:13.