Christ Is Supreme
Bible Study Notes from the Book of Colossians
In this week’s Bible workout, we studied Colossians chapter 1, beginning from verse 18, and continued into chapter 2. Paul’s central theme throughout this section is unmistakable: the supremacy and preeminence of Christ.
1. Christ: Head, Beginning, and Firstborn (Colossians 1:18–20)
Paul opens by declaring:
“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.”
Christ is not merely a leader within the church—He is the head. The church does not exist independently of Him, nor is it governed by human authority. Christ directs, sustains, and gives life to His body.
When Paul refers to Jesus as “the firstborn from among the dead,” he is not describing Christ’s origin, but His position. In biblical culture, the firstborn son held the greatest authority, privilege, and inheritance. Paul is emphasizing that Christ holds the highest rank over life, death, and all creation.
This reinforces Paul’s overarching message:
Christ is supreme over everything.
Paul continues:
“For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him.”
This statement clearly affirms Christ’s divinity. Jesus is not partially God or a representative of God—the fullness of God dwells in Him bodily. To know God truly, we must look to Christ.
Paul adds:
“And through Him to reconcile to Himself all things… by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.”
Peace with God was not achieved through effort, morality, or religion, but through the blood of Christ and the cross. Reconciliation is God’s work, accomplished through Jesus.
2. From Alienation to Reconciliation (Colossians 1:21–23)
Paul then applies this truth personally:
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.”
The word alienated indicates distance, separation, and exclusion from righteousness. Humanity was not merely indifferent toward God—we were enemies in our minds, actively opposed to His nature and ways.
Yet Paul declares the transforming power of the gospel:
“But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”
Through Christ’s sacrifice, believers are:
Reconciled to God
Made holy
Presented without blemish
Free from accusation
This is entirely the result of Christ’s finished work.
However, Paul also provides an exhortation:
“If you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.”
Believers are called to remain grounded in the gospel. The Christian life is sustained not by innovation, but by perseverance in the truth that first saved us.
This explains why the primary mission of the church is the preaching of the gospel. Through the gospel:
People are reconciled
Lives are restored
Order is brought to what was once broken
Anything that takes precedence over the gospel diminishes the church’s spiritual power rather than strengthening it.
3. Suffering, Sacrifice, and the Mission of the Church (Colossians 1:24–29)
Paul then speaks of his suffering:
“Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you… for the sake of His body, which is the church.”
Paul’s suffering was not meaningless—it served the purpose of building up the church and advancing the gospel.
This reveals a timeless truth:
The work of God always costs something.
Wherever the church is flourishing—where lives are changed, people encounter God, and deliverance takes place—there is sacrifice behind the scenes. Time, resources, energy, and comfort are often laid down for the sake of the gospel.
Paul outlines his mission clearly:
“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”
The goal is not merely church attendance, but spiritual maturity. Disciple-making involves:
Proclamation
Admonition
Teaching
Paul labors for this purpose, yet he acknowledges the source of his strength:
“With all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”
God supplies power as His people put their hands to the plow.
4. Knitted Together in Love (Colossians 2:1–3)
Moving into chapter 2, Paul emphasizes unity:
The church is made up of people from different backgrounds, cultures, ages, and social standings, yet it must be knitted together in love.
Love is the thread that holds the church together. Without it, no amount of talent, resources, or presentation can sustain spiritual life. Remove love, and the church begins to unravel.
5. Guarding Against Deception and Empty Philosophy (Colossians 2:4–10)
Paul issues a strong warning:
“I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.”
Believers are reminded:
“As you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him—rooted and built up in Him.”
Spiritual growth requires depth in Christ, not distraction from Him. Paul cautions against philosophies and teachings that attempt to add to Christ while subtly diminishing His sufficiency.
He writes:
“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy… not according to Christ.”
Paul’s decisive statement follows:
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”
If deeper knowledge of God is desired, the answer is not found elsewhere—it is found by looking more closely at Christ.
6. Complete in Christ (Colossians 2:11–15)
Paul explains that believers are fully complete in Christ:
Spiritually circumcised
Buried and raised with Him
Forgiven of all sins
Old religious rituals and external ceremonies are no longer necessary. Christ has:
Wiped away the legal demands that stood against us
Nailed them to the cross
Disarmed spiritual powers and authorities
Paul uses imagery from ancient warfare, where defeated enemies were paraded publicly to display victory. Christ has done this, triumphing over every power that once held dominion over humanity.
Conclusion: Go Deeper in Christ
Paul’s message throughout Colossians is consistent and clear:
You began with Christ.
You are sustained by Christ.
You grow by going deeper in Christ, not by moving away from Him.
What saved us is what keeps us.
And Christ in us is the hope of glory.
This is the foundation of the church, the gospel we preach, and the life we are called to live.