Colossians 1:17

17 and he is before all, and all things be in him.

Colossians 1:17 Meaning and Commentary

Colossians 1:17

And he is before all things
Not only in dignity, being preferable to angels and men in his nature, names, offices, and works, and worthy of more honour than all creatures; but he is before them in existence, as he must needs be, since they are all made by him; he was not only before John the Baptist, his forerunner, before Abraham who saw his day and was glad, before the first man was made, but before the angels were in being, or the heavens and the earth, or any creature were formed; and therefore must be God, who is from everlasting to everlasting:

and by him all things consist;
he upholds all things by the word of his power; the heavens have their stability and continuance from him; the pillars of the earth are bore up by him, otherwise that and the inhabitants of it would be dissolved; the angels in heaven are confirmed in their estate by him, and have their standing and security in him; the elector God are in his hands, and are his peculiar care and charge, and therefore shall never perish; yea, all mankind live and move, and have their being in him; the whole frame of nature would burst asunder and break in pieces, was it not held together by him; every created being has its support from him, and its consistence in him; and all the affairs of Providence relating to all creatures are governed, directed, and managed by him, in conjunction with the Father and the blessed Spirit.

Colossians 1:17 In-Context

15 Which is the image of God invisible, the first begotten of each creature.

16 For in him all things be made, in heavens and in earth, visible and invisible, either thrones, either dominations, either princehoods, either powers, all things be made of nought by him, and in him,

17 and he is before all, and all things be in him.

18 And he is head of the body of the church; which is the beginning and the first begotten of dead men, that he hold the first dignity in all things [+the which is the beginning, or the first of all, and the first begotten of dead, that he be holding primacy, or the first dignity, in all things].

19 For in him it pleased all plenty to inhabit,