Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
The head of the body (h kefalh tou swmatov). Jesus is first also in the spiritual realm as he is in nature (verses Colossians 1:18-20). Paul is fond of the metaphor of the body (swma) for believers of which body Christ is the head (kefalh) as seen already in I Corinthians 11:3; I Corinthians 12:12, I Corinthians 12:27; Romans 12:5. See further Colossians 1:24; Colossians 2:19; Ephesians 1:22 f.; Ephesians 4:2, Ephesians 4:15; Ephesians 5:30.
The church (thv ekklhsiav) Genitive case in explanatory apposition with tou swmatov. This is the general sense of ekklhsia, not of a local body, assembly, or organization. Here the contrast is between the realm of nature (ta panta) in verses Colossians 1:15-17 and the realm of spirit or grace in verses Colossians 1:18-20. A like general sense of ekklhsia occurs in Ephesians 1:22 f.; Ephesians 5:24-32; Hebrews 12:23. In Ephesians 2:11-22 Paul uses various figures for the kingdom of Christ (commonwealth politeia, verse Colossians 1:12, one new man eiv ena kainon anqrwpon, verse Colossians 1:15, one body en eni swmati, verse Colossians 1:16, family of God oikeioi tou qeou, verse Colossians 1:19, building or temple oikodomh and naov, verses Colossians 1:20-22).
Who (ov). Causal use of the relative, "in that he is."
The beginning (h arxh). It is uncertain if the article (h) is genuine. It is absolute without it. Christ has priority in time and in power. See Revelation 3:14 for his relation as arxh to creation and I Corinthians 15:20, I Corinthians 15:23 for aparxh used of Christ and the resurrection and Acts 3:14 for arxhgov used of him as the author of life and Hebrews 2:10 of Jesus and salvation and Hebrews 12:2 of Jesus as the pioneer of faith.
That in all things he might have the preeminence (ina genhtai en pasin autov prwteuwn). Purpose clause with ina and the second aorist middle subjunctive of ginomai, "that he himself in all things (material and spiritual) may come to (genhtai, not h, be) hold the first place" (prwteuwn, present active participle of prwteuw, old verb, to hold the first place, here only in the N.T.). Christ is first with Paul in time and in rank. See Revelation 1:5 for this same use of prwtotokov with twn nekrwn (the dead).
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Colossians 1:18:
Matthew 1:18
Matthew 14:19
Acts 3:15
Acts 17:18
Acts 20:28
Romans 8:29
1 Corinthians 8:6
1 Corinthians 10:17
1 Corinthians 12:12
1 Corinthians 12:28
1 Corinthians 15:20
Ephesians 1:10
Ephesians 1:22
Colossians 1:13
Colossians 1:14
Colossians 1:14
Colossians 1:15
Colossians 1:18
Colossians 1:24
Colossians 2:10
Colossians 2:19
Colossians 3:15
Hebrews 1:6
Hebrews 12:23
Revelation 1:5
Revelation 3:14
Revelation 21:6
Revelation 21:6
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