I wanted to visit this passage and take a close look at these verses. I have quoted from my expanded version, which gives alternate renderings and other possible word meanings.
I wanted to visit this passage and take a close look at these verses. I have quoted from my expanded version, which gives alternate renderings and other possible word meanings.
13. *Who drags us out of danger* (or: rescued us) *forth from out of the midst of the authority of the Darkness* (Darkness's jurisdiction and right; = the privilege of ignorance), *and changes [our] position* (or: transported [us], thus, giving [us] a change of standing, and transferred [us]) *into the midst of the kingdom and reign of the Son of His love* (of the Son Who has the characteristics and qualities of His love; the Son Whose origin is His love; or: the Son of the love which is Him; the Son which is His love),
14. *in Whom* (or: in union with [which Son]) *we continuously have and hold the redemption* (the release and liberation procured by payment of a ransom) *[which results in] the sending away* (the dismissal; the divorce) *of the failures* (of the errors pertaining to falling short and straying to the side of the target; of the sins; of the mistakes),
15. *[and] Who is the Image* (the Exact Formed Likeness; the Figure and Representation; visible likeness; portrait) *of the not-seen God* (or: the unable to be seen God; the invisible God), *the Firstborn of all creation*(or: of every creature; or: of every framing and founding; of every act of reducing from a state of disorder and wildness; or: pertaining to the whole creation; or: = the Inheritor of all creation Who will also assume authority over and responsibility for every creature [note: this is the duty of the firstborn]),
16. *because within Him was created* (or: in union with Him is founded and settled, is built and planted, is brought into being, is produced and established) *the whole* (or: all things) *– the things within the heavens*(or: skies), *and the things upon the earth* (or: land); *the visible things, and the unseen* (or: unable to be seen; invisible) *things: whether thrones* (seats of power) *or lordships* (ownership systems) *or governments* (rulers; leadership systems; sovereignties) *or authorities – the whole* (or: all things) *has been created and continues founded and stands framed through means of Him, and [proceeds, or was placed] into Him* (or: = He is the agent and goal of all creation).
17. *And He is before* (prior to; or: maintains precedence of) *all things, and the whole has* (or: all things have) *been placed together and now continues to jointly-stand* (stands cohesively; is made to have a co-standing) *within the midst of and in union with Him,*
18. *and so He is the Head* (or: Source) *of the body – which is the called-out community* (the ecclesia/ekklesia; the summoned congregation) *– Who is the Beginning* (or: the Ruler; the Originator), *a Firstborn forth from out of the midst of dead folks, to the end that He may be birthed* (come into existence; or: come to be) *within all things: He continuously holding first place* (or: constantly being preeminent; or: habitually being the First One; or: continuing being the First Man [note: this phrase has in Greek literature been used as a title]),
19. *because WITHIN Him all – the entire contents* (that which fills everything; all the full measure [of things]) *– delights to settle down and dwell as in a house* (or: because He approved all the fullness to permanently reside within Him)
20. *and THROUGH Him at once to transfer the whole, away from a certain state to the level of another which is quite different *(or: to change all things, bringing movement away from being down; to reconcile all things; to change everything from estrangement and alienation to friendship and harmony and move all), *INTO Him – making* (constructing; forming; creating) *peace and harmony through the blood of His cross* (execution stake)*: through Him, whether the things upon the earth* (or: land) *or the things within the heavens!*
A beginning point to be made is that He is the Actor in vs. 13: He drags (or: rescues) us; He changes our position. This is a central point of the UR position: it is God who does the work of saving. Dead folks can not do anything -- even believe. And this was our position and condition. Note: Paul's statement in Eph. 2:1:
*And you folks [who were] continuously existing being dead ones by* (or: to; with; for; in) *your stumblings aside* (offences; wrong steps) *and failures to hit the mark* (or: mistakes; errors; times of falling short; sins)...
Thus, the first action is God's. When He drags the dead person out of the lake of sin and death, He first of all breathes into him/her the breath of life, and the person becomes a truly LIVING soul/spirit. One who is "dead in or by sins” cannot have faith or believe until the Breath of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus is breathed into him. Changing the metaphor to being "born again," as in a natural birth, so in a spiritual one, a person does not give birth to themselves. The Father gives birth to us, and then we can spiritually breathe in His Spirit, and thus then having the mind of Christ, then we can trust and believe.
His next action is that of "changing [our] position (or: transferring [us]) into the kingdom and reign of the Son of His love." We do not decide to do this; He is the One who does this. It's like a mother picking up a baby who cannot yet walk, and placing it in a crib, or to her breast. Babies do nothing for themselves, except live the life that has been given to them.
It is by being placed in union with (or: within the midst of) Him that we have redemption and the sending away of sins (vs. 14). Vs. 15-16 shows Christ's relationship to the whole creation: He is the image of the not-seen God (in 1 Cor. 15 Paul terms this as "the last Adam/the Second Man"), the Firstborn of all creation. This is an all-inclusive statement. He is not just the Firstborn of His chosen people, or of the saved, or of the church. Now note in vs. 16 the inclusiveness of Christ:
"within Him was created the whole (all things)." This leaves nothing outside of Christ. This blows our minds, but it is simply what Paul stated -- but few Christians really believe this statement, so they explain it away. How can this be? Because Christ is God, the Eternal, the Creator, and in the sphere or realm of spirit/the eternal, all the ages of our time realm are contained. He is the Alpha and the Omega; the Beginning and the End. Or, as Rom. 11:36 says, "*all things are* (the whole [of creation] is) *from out of the midst of Him, through the midst of Him, and into the midst of Him*."
I have here given the force of the literal, core means of the Gr. prepositions, *ek*, *dia*, *eis*. Can you see the immensity and expansiveness of these verses? Everything and all mankind came from the midst of God, and ultimately (or, at some point) returns back into the midst of Him. This is the understanding of UR. And it is all because of the work of Christ.
Vs. 17 restates this truth by saying, "*the whole has* (or: all things have) *been placed together and now continues to jointly-stand* (stands cohesively; is made to have a co-standing) *within the midst of and in union with Him*." How magnificent the work of Christ! Note the effect of the perfect tense here.
Now note the following, in vs. 18: "*to the end that He may be birthed*(come into existence; or: come to be) *within all things*." How clear is this simple phrase, yet so full of His might and purpose. Can you see God's purpose here?
Vs. 19 is a restatement of the purpose of the ages, but the reverse of what is stated in vs. 18, above: "*because WITHIN Him all – the entire contents*(that which fills everything; all the full measure [of things]) *– delights to settle down and dwell as in a house* (or: because He approved all the fullness to permanently reside within Him)." This is very like what Jesus said in John 17:21:
*"to the end that all mankind may *(or: everyone would)* continuously exist being one, correspondingly as You, O Father *[other MSS: Father],* [are] within the midst of Me, and I [am] within the midst of You – so that they, themselves, may and would also continuously exist being within the midst of Us…”*
Then vs. 20 makes a beautiful summation of Paul's presentation here: "*and THROUGH Him at once TO TRANSFER THE WHOLE, away from a certain state to the level of another which is quite different* (or: to change all things, bringing movement away from being down; to reconcile all things; to change everything from estrangement and alienation to friendship and harmony and move all), *INTO Him*." This is the work of the cross. Anything less simply devalues that work.
Jonathan
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