Christ Is Supreme!

[A paraphrase from Colossians 1:15-29]

Christ Jesus is the perfect image of the invisible God,

He is God in flesh, the perfect representation of God.

The firstborn over all creation, being self-existent

With no beginning and no end.

For by Christ Jesus all things were created:

Things in Heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,

Whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;

All things were created by Him and for Him,

According to His own will and pleasure.

He is before all things, being self-existent

And in Him all things hold together; he sustains all things continually,

Without Christ, all creation would come to an end.

And He is the Head of His body, the Church;

Those who have been crucified with Him to this world

And no longer live but it is now Christ who lives in them.

He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead,

So that in everything He might have the supremacy.

For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,

And through Him to reconcile to Himself all things

Whether things on earth or things in Heaven,

By making peace through His blood, shed on the cross;

Nullifying the enmity that existed between God and man

After the sin of man and their fall from the grace of God.

Once we were alienated from God;

We were His enemies in our minds because of our evil behavior.

But now He has reconciled us by Christ's physical body

Through His sacrificial death on the cross of calvary,

To present us holy in His sight, having been washed in His blood;

Therefore, we are without blemish and free from accusation--

As long as we continue in our faith,

Established and firm,

Not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.

This is the gospel that we heard

And that has been proclaimed to every creature under Heaven,

And of which the apostle Paul was a servant.

Paul rejoiced in what he suffered for the saints of his day,

In effect, he filled up in his flesh

What is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions,

For the sake of His body, which is the Church.

In every generation the saints have suffered for Christ,

And we too will suffer for the sake of Christ.

Paul became a servant of the gospel by the commission God gave him,

To present to us the Word of God in its fullness--

Which is The Mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations,

But is now disclosed to us , His saints.

To the saints God has chosen to make known among the non-Jews

The glorious riches of this Mystery,

Which is Christ in us the hope of glory.

Now we, His saints, proclaim Christ,

Admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom,

So that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

To this end we labor, struggling with all the energy given us by Christ,

Which so powerfully works in us. (Colossians 1:15-29)

[Christ Jesus is LIFE itself. There is no other Eternal LIFE.

He is the only WAY to God, by His Spirit; the Spirit of God.

He is the only TRUTH, as He is the Spirit of TRUTH;

He created that which is TRUE; pure, clean and undefiled;

His Word is TRUTH,

As differentiated from all the writings and thoughts of man.]

As God has written, so shall it be! Hallelujah! Maranatha!