For in him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and in him.

“And [know ye, moreover], that He who was born of a woman was the Son of God, and He that was crucified was "the first-born of every creature," and God the Word, who also created all things. For says the apostle, "There is one God, the Father, of whom are all things; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things." And again, "For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus;" and, "By Him were all things created that are in heaven, and on earth, visible and invisible; and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist."”

“The rule of truth which we hold, is, that there is one God Almighty, who made all things by His Word, and fashioned and formed, out of that which had no existence, all things which exist. Thus saith the Scripture, to that effect "By the Word of the Lord were the heavens established, and all the might of them, by the spirit of His mouth." And again, "All things were made by Him, and without Him was nothing made." There is no exception or deduction stated; but the Father made all things by Him, whether visible or invisible, objects of sense or of intelligence, temporal, on account of a certain character given them, or eternal; and these eternal things He did not make by angels, or by any powers separated from His Ennoea. For God needs none of all these things, but is He who, by His Word and Spirit, makes, and disposes, and governs all things, and commands all things into existence,-He who formed the world (for the world is of all),-He who fashioned man,-He [who] is the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, above whom there is no other God, nor initial principle, nor power, nor pleroma,-He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we shall prove.”

“But who, except an heretical spirit, could ever bring his mind to believe that the invisible part of creation belongs to him who had previously displayed no visible thing, rather than to Him who, by His operation on the visible world, produced a belief in the invisible also, since it is far more reasonable to give one's assent after some samples (of a work) than after none? We shall see to what author even (your favourite) apostle attributes the invisible creation, when we come to examine him.”

“For according to them, the space of time in which they say that the Son had not yet been made by the Father, preceded the wisdom of God that fashioned all things, and the Scripture speaks falsely according to them, which calls Him "the First-born of every creature." Conformable to which, that which the majestically-speaking Paul says of Him: "Whom He hath appointed heir of all things. By whom also He made the worlds. But by Him also 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 now, since we accept as common ground the fact that God recognises His Son as God, I ask you: how does the creation of the world disprove our assertion that the Son is true God? There is no doubt that all things are through the Son, for, in the Apostle's words, "All things are through Him, and in Him." If all things are through Him, and all were made out of nothing, and none otherwise than through Him, in what element of true Godhead is He defective, Who possesses both the nature and the power of God? He had at His disposal the powers of the Divine nature, to bring into being the non-existent and to create at His pleasure. For "God saw that they were good."”

“But the sentiment of Truth in this matter must not be hidden, but must have high utterance. For the Word of God was not made for us, but rather we for Him, and `in Him all things were created.' Nor for that we were weak, was He strong and made by the Father alone, that He might frame us by means of Him as an instrument; perish the thought! it is not so. For though it had seemed good to God not to make things originate, still had the Word been no less with God, and the Father in Him. At the same time, things originate could not without the Word be brought to be; hence they were made through Him,—and reasonably. For since the Word is the Son of God by nature proper to His essence, and is from Him, and in Him, as He said Himself, the creatures could not have come to be, except through Him. For as the light enlightens all things by its radiance, and without its radiance nothing would be illuminated, so also the Father, as by a hand, in the Word wrought all things, and without Him makes nothing. For instance, God said, as Moses relates, `Let there be light,' and `Let the waters be gathered together,' and `let the dry land appear,' and `Let Us make man;' as also Holy David in the Psalm, `He spake and they were made; He commanded and they were created.' And He spoke, not that, as in the case of men, some under-worker might hear, and learning the will of Him who spoke might go away and do it; for this is what is proper to creatures, but it is unseemly so to think or speak of the Word. For the Word of God is Framer and Maker, and He is the Father's Will. Hence it is that divine Scripture says not that one heard and answered, as to the manner or nature of the things which He wished made; but God only said, `Let it become,' and he adds, `And it became;' for what He thought good and counselled, that forthwith the Word began to do and to finish.”

“Christ then is the Only-begotten Son of God, and Maker of the world. For He was in the world, and the world was made by Him; and He came unto His own, as the Gospel teaches us. And not only of the things which are seen, but also of the things which are not seen, is Christ the Maker at the Father's bidding. For in Him, according to the Apostle, were all things created that are in the heavens, and that are upon the earth, things visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things have been created by Him and for Him; and He is before all, and in Him all things consist. Even if thou speak of the worlds, of these also Jesus Christ is the Maker by the Father's bidding. For in these last days God spake unto us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds.”

“But let those who propound this difficulty and endeavour to enwrap the truth in a cloud tell us themselves whether the Father exerts His power of begetting within or without limits of time. If they say "within limits of time," then they will attribute to the Father what they object against the Son, so as to make the Father seem to have begun to be what He was not before. If their answer is "without such limits," then what is left them but to resolve for themselves the problem they have propounded, and acknowledge that the Son is not begotten under limits and conditions of time, since they deny that the Father so begets? If the Son, then, is not begotten within limits of time, we are free to judge that nothing can have existed before the Son, Whose being is not confined by time. If, indeed, there was anything in being before the Son, then it instantly follows that in Him were not created all things in heaven or in earth, and the Apostle is shown to have erred in so setting it down in his Epistle, whereas, if before He was begotten there was nothing, I see not wherefore He, before Whom none was, should be said to have been after any.”

“Next he proceeds to the doctrine itself. For that they may not think Him to be of more recent existence, because that in former times the approach was through Angels, but now through Him; he shows first, that they had no power (for else it had not been "out of darkness" that he brought), next, that He is also before them. And he uses as a proof of His being before them, this; that they were created by him. "For in Him," he saith, "were all things created." What say here the followers of Paul of Samosata? "The things in the heavens." What was in question, he has placed first; "and the things upon the earth." Then he says, "the visible and the invisible things"; invisible, such as soul, and all that has come to exist in heaven; visible, such as men, sun, sky. "Whether thrones." And what is granted, he lets alone, but what is doubted he asserts. "Whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers." The words "whether," "or," comprehend the whole of things; but by means of the greater things show it of the less also. But the Spirit is not amongst the "powers." "All things," he saith, "have been created through Him, and unto Him." Lo, "in Him," is "through Him," for having said "in Him," he added, "through Him." But what "unto Him"? It is this; the subsistence of all things depends on Him. Not only did He Himself bring them out of nothing into being, but Himself sustains them now, so that were they dissevered from His Providence, they were at once undone and destroyed. But He said not, "He continues them," which had been a grosser way of speaking, but what is more subtle, that "on" Him they depend. To have only a bearing on Him is enough to continue anything and bind it fast. So also the word "firstborn," in the sense of a foundation. But this doth not show the creatures to be consubstantial with Him; but that all things are through Him, and in Him are upheld. Since Paul also when he says elsewhere "I have laid a foundation," is speaking not concerning substance, but operation. For, that thou mayest not think Him to be a minister, he says that He continues them, which is not less than making them. Certainly, with us it is greater even: for to the former, art conducts us; but to the latter, not so, it does not even stay a thing in decay.”

“Before Abraham, I am, He Himself said: the Gospel speaks: hear, or read. But it is hardly sufficient, before Abraham creator: before Adam creator, creator before heaven and earth, before all Angels and the whole spiritual creation, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, and Powers, before all things creator. Because in the beginning, the Word was not made, but was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God: this was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him.”

“After he has mentioned above the special and universal benefits of grace, here he commends the author of this grace, namely Christ. And first by comparison to God; second, generally by comparison to the whole of creation, at the firstborn ; third, specifically by comparison to the Church, at and he himself is the head . Concerning the first, it must be noted that God is called invisible because he exceeds the capacity of the vision of any created intellect, so that no created intellect by natural knowledge can attain to his essence. Job XXXVI, 26: behold, God is great, surpassing our knowledge . I Tim., last chapter: he dwells in inaccessible light . He is therefore seen by the blessed from grace, not from nature. The reason for this is assigned by Dionysius, because every cognition terminates at something existing, that is, at some nature participating in being. But God is being itself, not participated; therefore he is unknown. Of this invisible God, therefore, the Son is the image. But it must be seen how he is called the image of God, and why he is called invisible. And indeed of the nature of an image there are three things, namely that there be likeness there, that it be drawn out or expressed from that with which it has the likeness, and that it be drawn out in something pertaining to the species or a sign of the species. For if there are two similar things, of which one is not derived from the other, we call neither the image of the other, just as an egg is not called the image of an egg. And therefore it is called an image from imitating. Likewise if it is similar, but not as to species, or a sign of the species, then it is not called an image either: just as in man there are many accidents, such as color, quantity, and things of this kind, and according to none of these is he called an image. But if one takes his figure, thus it can be an image, because figure is a sign of the species; but the son is like the father, and the father like the son, but the son has this from the father, while the father does not have it from the son. And therefore, properly speaking, we say that the son is the image of the father, and not the reverse, because this likeness is drawn out and derived from the father. Likewise this likeness is according to species, because the son is in some way represented among us, though deficiently, through the word of our mind. Now the word of our mind occurs when we actually form the form of the thing of which we have knowledge, and this we signify by an exterior word. And this word thus conceived is a certain likeness of the thing which we hold in the mind, and like it according to species. And therefore the Word of God is called the image of God. As to the second point, it must be known that the Arians understood this word badly, judging concerning the image of God according to the images which were made by the ancients, so that they might see in them their dear ones taken away from them, just as we also make images of the saints, so that those whom we do not see in substance, we may see in image. And therefore they say that being invisible is proper to the Father, but the Son is the first visible thing, in which the goodness of the Father is manifested, as though the Father were truly invisible, and the Son visible, and thus they would be of a different nature. But the Apostle excludes this at Hebr. I, 3, saying: who, since he is the splendor of glory, and the figure of his substance , etc. And thus he is the image not only of the invisible God, but he himself is also invisible like the Father. Who is the image of the invisible God . Then, when he says firstborn , etc., he commends Christ by comparison to creation. And first he does this, second he explains it, at because in him . Concerning the first it must be known that the Arians understand it thus, as though it were said "firstborn" because he is the first creature: but this is not the sense, as will be shown. And therefore two things must be seen, namely how this image is begotten, and how it is firstborn of creation. As to the first, then, it must be known that in each thing generation is according to the mode of its being and its nature. For the mode of generation is one thing in men, and another in plants, and so of other things. Now the nature of God is being itself understanding, and thus it is necessary that his generation, or intellectual conception, be the generation or conception of his nature. But in us, intelligible conception is not the conception of our nature, because in us understanding and our nature are different things. And therefore, since this image is the word and conception of the intellect, one must say that it is the offspring of nature, and thus of necessity begotten, because it receives nature from another. Second, it must be seen how he is called firstborn. For God does not know himself and creation by another thing, but knows all things in his essence, as in the first effective cause. Now the Son is the intellectual conception of God according as he knows himself, and consequently every creature. Insofar as he is begotten, therefore, he appears as a certain word representing the whole of creation, and he himself is the principle of all creation. For if he were not thus begotten, the word would be only the firstborn of the Father, but not of creation. Eccli. XXIV, 5: I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, the firstborn before all creation , etc. Then, when he says because in him , etc., he explains what he had said, namely that he is firstborn, because he is begotten as the principle of creation. And this as to three things: first as to the creation of things; second as to their distinction, at in the heavens ; third as to their conservation in being, at and all things in him , etc. He says therefore: he is the firstborn of creation, because he is begotten as the principle of all creation. And therefore he says because in him , etc. Concerning this it must be known that the Platonists posited ideas, saying that any thing came to be from the fact that it participated in an idea, for instance of man or of some other species. In place of these ideas, we have one, namely the Son, the Word of God. For the craftsman makes the artifact from this, that he makes it participate in the form conceived within himself, as it were enfolding it into exterior matter: as if it were said that the craftsman makes a house through the form of the thing which he has conceived within himself. And thus God is said to make all things in his wisdom, because the wisdom of God is related to created things as the art of the builder to the house made. Now this form and wisdom is the Word, and therefore all things are founded in him, as in a certain exemplar, Gen. I: he said, and they were made , because in his eternal Word he created all things that they might come to be. As to the distinction of things, it must be known that some, such as the Manichees, erred, saying that these earthly bodies, because corruptible, were made by an evil god, but the heavenly ones, because incorruptible, by a good god, namely the father of Christ. But they lie, because both are created by the same one. Therefore he says in the heavens , etc. And this is the distinction according to the parts of corporeal nature. Gen. I, 1: in the beginning , that is, in the Son, God created , etc. The Platonists also say that God through himself created the invisible creatures, namely the angels, and through the angels created corporeal natures. But this is excluded here, because it says visible and invisible . Concerning the first, Hebr. XI, 3: by faith we understand that the ages were fitted together, that from invisible things visible things might be made . Concerning the second, Eccli. XLIII, 36 and following: we have seen few of his works, but the Lord made all things , etc. Now this distinction is according to the nature of created things. The third distinction is of order and rank among the invisible things, when he says whether thrones , etc. The Platonists err here too. For they said that there are diverse perfections in things, and they attributed each to one first principle, and according to the orders of those perfections, they posited orders of principles, just as they posited a first being, from which all things participate being, and a principle other than this, namely the first intellect, from which all things participate understanding, and another principle, life, from which all things participate living. But we do not posit it thus, but from one principle things have whatever perfection is in them. And therefore he says whether thrones , etc., as if to say: they do not depend on other, ordered principles, but on that one Word of God alone. But what of what he says Eph. I, 22: he gave him as head , etc., where there seems to be some diversity from these? Solution. Here he enumerates descending, because he shows the progression of creation from God; there, ascending, because he shows that the Son of God, according as he is man, is above all creatures. But nevertheless there principalities are placed under powers, and virtues between dominations and powers, here principalities above powers, and principalities midway between dominations and powers. And according to this the opinions of Gregory and Dionysius differ. For Dionysius orders them according to what is said to the Ephesians, because in the second hierarchy he places dominations, virtues, and powers. Gregory, however, orders them as is held here, because in the second hierarchy he places dominations, principalities, and powers, and in the third, virtues, archangels, and angels. But it must be known that, as Gregory and Dionysius say, these spiritual gifts, from which these orders are named, are common to all, yet some are named from some of them, others from others, the reason for which is taken from the sayings of the Platonists, because everything that belongs to something belongs in three ways, namely either essentially, or by participation, or causally. Essentially, indeed, what belongs to a thing according to the proportion of its nature, as the rational to man. By participation, however, what exceeds its nature, but nevertheless it participates something of that, though imperfectly, as the intellectual to man, which is above the rational and is essential to angels, and man participates something of the same. Causally, however, what belongs to a thing in a supervening way, as artificial things to man, because they are not in him as in matter, but by way of art. Now each thing is named only from that which belongs to it essentially. Hence man is called neither intellectual nor artificial, but rational. Now concerning the said gifts in the angels, those things which belong to the higher ones essentially, belong to the lower ones by participation; and those which belong to the lower ones essentially, belong to the higher ones causally. And therefore the higher are named from the higher gifts. Now the highest thing in a spiritual creature is that it attains to God, and in some way participates him. And therefore the higher ones are named from this, that they attain to God. Seraphim, as it were burning toward God or setting on fire; Cherubim, as it were knowing God; thrones, as it were having God seated in themselves. For in three ways can something participate from another: in one way, by receiving a property of its nature; in another way, that it receive it by way of cognitive intention; in another way, that it in some way serve its power, just as someone participates the medical art from a physician either because he receives in himself the art of medicine, or he receives knowledge of the medical art, or because he serves the art of medicine. The first is greater than the second, and the second than the third. Now in Sacred Scripture something divine is signified through fire. Deut. IV, 24: the Lord your God is a consuming fire , etc. And therefore the supreme order is called Seraphim, as it were burning toward God, and containing some divine property. The second order is Cherubim, following him cognitively. And the third, thrones, serving his power. But the other orders are not named from attaining to God, but through some operation of his. And some as directing, and thus they are dominations. Others executing, and of these indeed as more principal, as principalities, Ps. LXVII, 26: princes went before , etc. Others according to execution, and thus they are executing over spiritual creatures, as are the powers which restrain demons; if over natural things, they are virtues, which work miracles; if over men, they are archangels for great things; if angels, for the least things. And so, concluding, he says all things through him , as through the effective cause, and in him , as through the exemplar cause. Jo. I, 3: all things were made through him , etc. But because someone could say: are not all things eternal? Therefore the Apostle, as it were responding to this, says that they are not, but he himself is before all things , namely times and other things. Prov. VIII, 22: the Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made anything from the beginning , etc. Or before in dignity. Ps. LXXXVIII, 7: who is like God , etc. As to conservation he says and all things hold together in him , that is, are conserved. For God is related to things thus, as the sun to the moon, which, when it withdraws, the light of the moon fails. And thus if God were to withdraw his power from us, in a moment all things would fail. Hebr. c. I, 3: bearing all things by the word of his power .”

“For by him were all things created,.... This is a reason proving Christ to be before all creatures, to be the common Parent of them, and to have the government over them, since he is the Creator of them. The creation of all things, by him, is not to be understood of the new creation, for whenever that is spoken of, the word "new" is generally used, or what is equivalent to it, or some clause or phrase added, which determines the sense, and is not the case here: besides, all things that are in heaven are said to be created here: which, to say nothing of the sun, moon, and stars, which are not capable subjects of the new creation, to restrain them to angels, cannot be true of them; for as for those who were once in heaven, but kept not their first estate, and quitted their habitation, these find no place there any more; they never were, nor will be renewed and restored by Christ; and as for the good angels, since they never sinned, they stand in no need of renovation. Moreover, all things that are on earth are also said to be created by him, and are, but not anew: for to confine these only to men, all men are not renewed in the spirit of their minds; all have not faith, nor a good hope through grace, nor love to God and Christ, the greater part of the world lies in open wickedness; and all that profess religion are not new creatures, these are a chosen generation, and a peculiar people: wherefore these words must be understood, not metaphorically, but literally; in which sense all things are created by Christ, not by him as an instrument, but as the efficient cause; for the preposition "by" does not always signify the former; but sometimes the latter; see Co1 1:9; nor to the exclusion of the Father and Spirit, who, with the Son, were jointly concerned in the creating of all things out of nothing: and these "all things" can only refer to the things that are made: eternal things can never be said to be created; this is a contradiction in terms; the Father is not created by him, nor he himself as the Son of God, nor the Spirit; but everything that is made is created by him: hence it follows, that he himself is no creature, otherwise he must create himself, which also is a contradiction, since every creature is made by him; and consequently he must be God, for he that made and built all things is God. These are divided as to the subject of them, or place where they are, into things that are in heaven, and that are in earth. The things that are in heaven, are the things that are in the airy and starry heavens, and in the heaven of heavens. The things in the airy heavens, the fowls thereof, were on the fifth day created by him; and the things in the starry heaven, the sun, moon, and stars, were on the fourth day ordained by him; and the inhabitants of the third heaven, the angels, were made by him, Heb 1:7; and, as the Jewish writers (i) say, on the second day of the creation, though some say on the fifth. The earth comprehends the whole terraqueous globe, consisting of land and sea; and the things in it are all that are in the seas, the fishes and other things in it; and all that are in the bowels of the earth, as well as on the surface of it, all metals and minerals, all plants, herbs, and trees, every beast of the forest, the cattle on a thousand hills, the fowls on the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field, and all human creatures. Again, these all things are, as to the quality of them, distributed into visible and invisible, both in heaven and in earth: the visible things in heaven are the fowls that fly in the airy heaven, the sun, and moon, and stars in the starry heaven, and the bodies of those saints that have been either translated, or raised, in the third heaven; the visible things in the earth are all creatures, animate and inanimate, rational and irrational, all bodies, all corporeal and material beings: the invisible things in earth are not only those that are in the innermost parts of it, but the spirits or souls of men; and those in heaven are not the invisible God, Father, Son, and Spirit, but the angels, who are incorporeal and immaterial spirits, and so invisible: and which, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, are all made by him; by these some understand civil magistrates among men, and the various degrees and orders of them. By "thrones" they think kings, or monarchs, are meant, who sit on thrones; and by "dominions", little petty kings, or lords, dukes, and earls; and by "principalities", governors of provinces and cities; and by "powers", interior magistrates; and indeed, political governors are sometimes called dominions, dignities, principalities, and powers; and there are different orders of them, the king as supreme, and governors under him; see Jde 1:8. But since these seem rather to be said of the invisible things in heaven, and to be an explanation of them, angels may rather be thought to be intended; and are so called, not as denoting different orders and degrees among them, which some have rashly ventured to describe, but because of the use that God makes of them in the government of the world, and the executions of the various affairs of Providence relating to particular persons and kingdoms; though these several names are not so much such as the apostle chose to call them by, as what they were called by others; the three latter are indeed elsewhere used by himself, Eph 1:21; but not the former, "thrones", which yet are used by Jewish writers, and given to angels. Thus, in a book of theirs, which they esteem very ancient, and ascribe to the patriarch Abraham, it is said (k), "there is no angel in which the name Jehovah is not found, which is everywhere, as the soul is in every member; wherefore men ought to allow Jehovah to reign in all the members, , "and in all the thrones", and in all the angels, and in every member of men. And elsewhere, speaking of the garments of God, "by these (say they (l)) , "the holy blessed God created the thrones", and the angels, and the living creatures, and the "seraphim", and the heavens, and the earth, and all that he created. And the thrones in Dan 7:9; are interpreted (m), of "the superior princes, , "the spiritual angels", who sit first in the kingdom; and they are called in the words of the Rabbins, "the throne of glory"; for so is the way of kings, that their princes sit before them, everyone on his throne, according to their dignity. Now the apostle's sense is, that the angels, the invisible inhabitants of the upper world, are all created by Christ, let them be called by what names they will, that the Jews, or the false teachers, or any sort of heretics of those times thought fit to give them, whether they called them thrones or dominions, &c. And so the Arabic version, rather interpreting than translating the words, renders them thus, "whether you say thrones, or whether you mention dominions, or whether you understand princes, or whether you say powers"; speak of them under what title or appellation you please, they are all the creatures of the Son of God. The apostle seems to have in view, and to oppose some notions of some heretics of his time, the followers of Simon Magus, who held, that the angels were created by his Helena; or, as others, by what they call "Ennea", and that these angels created the world, and are to be worshipped; but he here affirms, that all things were created by him, by Christ, even all the angels; and therefore he, and not they, are to be worshipped, a notion he afterwards takes notice of in the following chapter: and as all things are affirmed to be created by him, which demonstrates the dignity and deity of his person, so likewise for him; that is, for his pleasure, that he may take delight and complacency in them, and in his own perfections displayed by them; and for his service and use, as the angels, to worship him and minister to him and for others, he sends them to: elect men are made to serve and glorify him with their bodies and spirits, which are his; and even the non-elect are made to subserve his mediatorial kingdom and interest; yea, the whole world is built and kept in being purely on his account, until he has finished the great affair of the salvation of his people, in the application of it to each of them, as he has completed the impetration of it; and then he will dissolve the heavens, and burn up the earth and all the works that are therein: all are made for his glory, and that end is, and will be answered by them in one way or another, (i) Targum Jon. in Gen. i. 26. Bereshit Rabba, fol. 1. 1. & 3. 3. Menass. ben Israel, Conciliator in Gen. Qu. 12. (k) Sepher Jetzira, p. 17, Ed. Rittangel. (l) Tikkune Zohar in ib. p. 127, 128. & Zohar in Exod. fol. 18. 2. & in Lev. fol. 39. 1. & 47. 2. (m) Abarbinel in Dan. fol. 45. 4. & 46. 4.”

“For by him were all things created, etc - These two verses contain parts of the same subject. I shall endeavor to distinguish the statements of the apostle, and reason from them in such a way as the premises shall appear to justify, without appealing to any other scripture in proof of the doctrine which I suppose these verses to vindicate. Four things are here asserted: 1. That Jesus Christ is the Creator of the universe; of all things visible and invisible; of all things that had a beginning, whether they exist in time or in eternity. 2. That whatsoever was created was created For himself; that he was the sole end of his own work. 3. That he was prior to all creation, to all beings, whether in the visible or invisible world. 4. That he is the preserver and governor of all things; for by him all things consist. Now, allowing St. Paul to have understood the terms which he used, he must have considered Jesus Christ as being truly and properly God. I. Creation is the proper work of an infinite, unlimited, and unoriginated Being; possessed of all perfections in their highest degrees; capable of knowing, willing, and working infinitely, unlimitedly, and without control: and as creation signifies the production of being where all was absolute nonentity, so it necessarily implies that the Creator acted of and from himself; for as, previously to this creation, there was no being, consequently he could not be actuated by any motive, reason, or impulse, without himself; which would argue there was some being to produce the motive or impulse, or to give the reason. Creation, therefore, is the work of him who is unoriginated, infinite, unlimited, and eternal. But Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things, therefore Jesus Christ must be, according to the plain construction of the apostle's words, truly and properly God. II. As, previously to creation, there was no being but God, consequently the great First Cause must, in the exertion of his creative energy, have respect to himself alone; for he could no more have respect to that which had no existence, than he could be moved by nonexistence, to produce existence or creation. The Creator, therefore, must make every thing For himself. Should it be objected that Christ created officially or by delegation, I answer: This is impossible; for, as creation requires absolute and unlimited power, or omnipotence, there can be but one Creator; because it is impossible that there can be two or more Omnipotents, Infinites, or Eternals. It is therefore evident that creation cannot be effected officially, or by delegation, for this would imply a Being conferring the office, and delegating such power; and that the Being to whom it was delegated was a dependent Being; consequently not unoriginated and eternal; but this the nature of creation proves to be absurd. 1. The thing being impossible in itself, because no limited being could produce a work that necessarily requires omnipotence. 2. It is impossible, because, if omnipotence be delegated, he to whom it is delegated had it not before, and he who delegates it ceases to have it, and consequently ceases to be God; and the other to whom it was delegated becomes God, because such attributes as those with which he is supposed to be invested are essential to the nature of God. On this supposition God ceases to exist, though infinite and eternal, and another not naturally infinite and eternal becomes such; and thus an infinite and eternal Being ceases to exist, and another infinite and eternal Being is produced in time, and has a beginning, which is absurd. Therefore, as Christ is the Creator, he did not create by delegation, or in any official way. Again, if he had created by delegation or officially, it would have been for that Being who gave him that office, and delegated to him the requisite power; but the text says that all things were made By him and For him, which is a demonstration that the apostle understood Jesus Christ to be truly and essentially God. III. As all creation necessarily exists in time, and had a commencement, and there was an infinite duration in which it did not exist, whatever was before or prior to that must be no part of creation; and the Being who existed prior to creation, and before all things - all existence of every kind, must be the unoriginated and eternal God: but St. Paul says, Jesus Christ was before all things; ergo, the apostle conceived Jesus Christ to be truly and essentially God. IV. As every effect depends upon its cause, and cannot exist without it; so creation, which is an effect of the power and skill of the Creator, can only exist and be preserved by a continuance of that energy that first gave it being. Hence, God, as the Preserver, is as necessary to the continuance of all things, as God the Creator was to their original production. But this preserving or continuing power is here ascribed to Christ, for the apostle says, And by him do all things consist; for as all being was derived from him as its cause, so all being must subsist by him, as the effect subsists by and through its cause. This is another proof that the apostle considered Jesus Christ to be truly and properly God, as he attributes to him the preservation of all created things, which property of preservation belongs to God alone; ergo, Jesus Christ is, according to the plain obvious meaning of every expression in this text, truly, properly, independently, and essentially God. Such are the reasonings to which the simple letter of these two verses necessarily leads me. I own it is possible that I may have misapprehended this awful subject, for humanum est errare et nescire; but I am not conscious of the slightest intentional flaw in the argument. Taking, therefore, the apostle as an uninspired man, giving his own view of the Author of the Christian religion, it appears, beyond all controversy, that himself believed Christ Jesus to be God; but considering him as writing under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, then we have, from the plain grammatical meaning of the words which he has used, the fullest demonstration (for the Spirit of God cannot lie) that he who died for our sins and rose again for our justification, and in whose blood we have redemption, was God over all. And as God alone can give salvation to men, and God only can remit sin; hence with the strictest propriety we are commanded to believe on the Lord Jesus, with the assurance that we shall be saved. Glory be to God for this unspeakable gift! See my discourse on this subject.”

“Thrones, &c. are commonly understood to refer to the celestial hierarchy of Angels, though as to their particular rank, &c. nothing certain is known. We may here observe, that the Holy Spirit proportions itself and speaks according to our ideas of a temporal kingdom, in which one authority is subject to another. In the same manner the Angels seem subordinate to one another. (St. Dionysius in Calmet) — All things were created by him, and in him, and[3] consist in him. If all things that are were made by him, he himself was not made. And his divine power is also signified, when it is said all things consist or are preserved by him. (Witham)”

“For--Greek, "Because." This gives the proof that He is not included in the things created, but is the "first-begotten" before "every creature" (Col 1:15), begotten as "the Son of God's love" (Col 1:13), antecedently to all other emanations: "for" all these other emanations came from Him, and whatever was created, was created by Him. by him--rather as Greek, "in Him": as the conditional element, pre-existent and all-including: the creation of all things BY Him is expressed afterwards, and is a different fact from the present one, though implied in it [ALFORD]. God revealed Himself in the Son, the Word of the Father, before all created existence (Col 1:15). That Divine Word carries IN Himself the archetypes of all existences, so that "IN Him all things that are in heaven and earth have been created." The "in Him" indicates that the Word is the ideal ground of all existence; the "by Him," below, that He is the instrument of actually realizing the divine idea [NEANDER]. His essential nature as the Word of the Father is not a mere appendage of His incarnation, but is the ground of it. The original relation of the Eternal Word to men "made in His image" (Gen 1:27), is the source of the new relation to them by redemption, formed in His incarnation, whereby He restores them to His lost image. "In Him" implies something prior to "by" and "for Him" presently after: the three prepositions mark in succession the beginning, the progress, and the end [BENGEL]. all things--Greek, "the universe of things." That the new creation is not meant in this verse (as Socinians interpret), is plain; for angels, who are included in the catalogue, were not new created by Christ; and he does not speak of the new creation till Col 1:18. The creation "of the things that are in the heavens" (so Greek) includes the creation of the heavens themselves: the former are rather named, since the inhabitants are more noble than their dwellings. Heaven and earth and all that is m them (Ch1 29:11; Neh 9:6; Rev 10:6). invisible--the world of spirits. thrones, or dominions--lordships: the thrones are the greater of the two. principalities, or powers--rather, "rules, or authorities": the former are stronger than the latter (compare Note, see on Eph 1:21). The latter pair refer to offices in respect to God's creatures: "thrones and dominions" express exalted relation to God, they being the chariots on which He rides displaying His glory (Psa 68:17). The existence of various orders of angels is established by this passage. all things--Greek, "the whole universe of things." were--rather, to distinguish the Greek aorist, which precedes from the perfect tense here, "have been created." In the former case the creation was viewed as a past act at a point of time, or as done once for all; here it is viewed, not merely as one historic act of creation in the past, but as the permanent result now and eternally continuing. by him--as the instrumental Agent (Joh 1:3). for him--as the grand End of creation; containing in Himself the reason why creation is at all, and why it is as it is [ALFORD]. He is the final cause as well as the efficient cause. LACHMANN'S punctuation of Col 1:15-18 is best, whereby "the first-born of every creature" (Col 1:15) answers to "the first-born from the dead" (Col 1:18), the whole forming one sentence with the words ("All things were created by Him and for Him, and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist, and He is the Head of the body, the Church") intervening as a parenthesis. Thus Paul puts first, the origination by Him of the natural creation; secondly, of the new creation. The parenthesis falls into four clauses, two and two: the former two support the first assertion, "the first-born of every creature"; the latter two prepare us for "the first-born from the dead"'; the former two correspond to the latter two in their form--"All things by Him . . . and He is," and "By Him all things . . . and He is."”