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Pentecost Season · Proper 11 · Year C

Colossians 1:15-28

The Supremacy of Christ

July 23, 2028

Christ Pantocrator, Unknown (Byzantine-Sicilian mosaicist)
Christ Pantocrator, Unknown (Byzantine-Sicilian mosaicist), 1148Christ Pantocrator, apse mosaic (1148) — Cathedral of Cefalù, Sicily
In the apse at Cefalù, made by Byzantine craftsmen for a Norman king. The face is nearly five metres high and is widely held to be the finest of all Pantocrators.He is the image of the invisible God: Colossians makes the claim this mosaic exists to assert.Christ Pantocrator, apse mosaic (1148) — Cathedral of Cefalù, SicilyA Norman cathedral on the Sicilian coast, begun in 1131, whose apse mosaic was made by Greek craftsmen for a Latin king.Christ Pantocrator, apse mosaic (1148) — Cathedral of Cefalù, Sicily
Revised Common Lectionary
GospelLuke 10:38-42Lk 10:38-42
EpistleCol. 1:15-28Col 1:15-28
Old TestamentAmos 8:1-12Am 8:1-12Alt. OTGen. 18:1-10aGn 18:1-10a
PsalterPs. 52Ps 52Alt. PsalmPs. 15Ps 15

Overview & Insights

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." (Colossians 1:15)

Paul quotes an early Christian hymn proclaiming Christ as the image of God and the one through whom and for whom all things were created, holding all things together. He then describes his own ministry of suffering and proclamation as service to this cosmic Christ, made present in the church.

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Commentary

Commentary on Colossians 1:15-28Commentary on Col 1:15-28 Working Preacher

Reads Christ as 'firstborn of all creation' against the backdrop of imperial claims about Caesar.

Colossians 1:15-28 CommentaryCol 1:15-28 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching

A preaching-focused walk through the Christ hymn and Paul's ministry of suffering.

Colossians 1 Bible CommentaryCol 1 Bible Commentary Enduring Word · David Guzik

Verse-by-verse evangelical commentary on the supremacy of Christ passage.

Colossians 1:15 CommentariesCol 1:15 Commentaries BibleHub

Aggregates classic commentaries verse by verse on the Christ hymn.

Colossians 1 (Gill's Exposition)Col 1 (Gill's Exposition) StudyLight

John Gill's full exposition of the chapter, useful for close textual detail.

Background & Word Study

Colossians 1:15 InterlinearCol 1:15 Interlinear BibleHub

Shows the Greek behind 'image' (eikon) and 'firstborn' (prototokos).

Colossians (video)Col (video) BibleProject

Animated overview of Colossians' argument that Christ is supreme over all powers.

The Church Fathers

Catena on Colossians 1Catena on Col 1 Catena

Patristic comments on the Christ hymn, central to early debates over Christ's divinity.

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