And 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.
All Commentaries on Colossians 1:18 Go To Colossians 1
John Chrysostom
AD 407
And He is the head of the body, the Church.
Then having spoken of His dignity, he afterwards speaks of His love to man also. He is, says he, the Head of the body, the Church. And he said not of the fullness, (although this too is signified,) out of a wish to show His great friendliness to us, in that He who is thus above, and above all, connected Himself with those below. For everywhere He is first; above first; in the Church first, for He is the Head; in the Resurrection first. That is,
That He might have the preëminence. So that in generation also He is first. And this is what Paul is chiefly endeavoring to show. For if this be made good, that He was before all the Angels; then there is brought in along with it this also as a consequence, that He did their works by commanding them. And what is indeed wonderful, he makes a point to show that He is first in the later generation. Although elsewhere he calls Adam first 1 Corinthians 15:45, as in truth he is; but here he takes the Church for the whole race of mankind. For He is first of the Church; and first of men after the flesh, like as of the Creation. And therefore he here uses the word firstborn.
What is in this place the meaning of the Firstborn? Who was created first, or rose before all; as in the former place it means, Who was before all things. And here indeed he uses the word firstfruits, saying, Who is the Firstfruits, the Firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the preëminence, showing that the rest also are such as He; but in the former place it is not the Firstfruits of creation. And it is there, The Image of the invisible God, and then, Firstborn.
