The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith
At the church in which I grew up, a wide wooden plaque hangs above the platform in front of the sanctuary. It is an illuminated text patiently crafted by one of the founding members of the church in 1949 and big enough to be read from the back of the room. “That in all things He might have the preeminence. Col 1:18.” As a child I assumed it was the entire thought of the Bible passage and a stand-alone verse. When I finally read it for myself, I discovered an amazing paragraph around it that depends on verses before and after for the full intent of the apostle’s epistle. It starts in verse 3, after the greeting, and takes up the entire chapter from there.
The first section of the chapter encourages the Colossians with the fact that they are demonstrating the love of Christ to those around them, as they ought. The next section explains that Paul and his co-workers are praying for the Colossians in very specific terms. Then he describes the fundamental nature of Salvation, along with Jesus’ majesty and significant role in redemption. The end of the chapter explains how redemption affects those of us who know Jesus as Savior. It also details Paul’s resultant ministry. Here is Colossians 1:12-18 and 19-29, an amazing and short summary of what the Bible is all about.
“Giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. [He] has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins. [He] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. 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: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. 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.
“For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell and, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, unblameable, and unreproveable in His sight if you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven. … I Paul [who] am made a minister… now rejoice in my sufferings for you. I fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfil the word of God, even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints. …God would make known [to them] what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. …We preach [Him], warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
What a lot we have to praise God for! Creation, redemption, reconciliation, our holiness and righteousness before God were achieved by our Lord Jesus Christ. “That in all things He might have the preeminence” flows out of that mystery described here as “Christ in you, the hope of glory”.
