For the next 21 days, let's commit to feeding yourself spiritually by reading and reflecting on a passage of Scripture each day using the S.O.A.P. method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer). Keep a brief daily note of what you learn and how you might apply it, and at the end of the 21 days, share your biggest takeaway with someone else.
The Cosmic Christ
This passage is often called the “Christ Hymn” — a poetic confession of Jesus’ preeminence in creation, redemption, and reconciliation. Christ is the image of the invisible God, the one in whom all things hold together, the one through whom God is reconciling all things in heaven and on earth. It proclaims not just personal salvation but the cosmic scope of Christ’s work.
Colossians 1.15-20 (ESV)
Greek Word Study
- xεἰκών (eikōn) – “image” (v. 15). Visible representation; echoes Genesis 1: humanity made in God’s image, now perfected in Christ.
- πρωτότοκος (prōtotokos) – “firstborn” (v. 15, 18). Can mean rank or priority, not merely temporal order. Christ is source and ruler, not creature.
- πλήρωμα (plērōma) – “fullness” (v. 19). Totality of divine presence; nothing of God is absent from Christ.
- ἀποκαταλλάξαι (apokatallaxai) – “to reconcile” (v. 20). To restore peace, bring harmony; scope is cosmic, not limited.
- εἰρήνη (eirēnē) – “peace” (v. 20). Wholeness, harmony, flourishing - not just absence of conflict.
Colossians (whether written by Paul or a disciple c. 60–80 CE) addresses a community of Christ-followers perplexed and/or tempted by syncretistic teachings, the blending of Jewish law with Jesus' teachings, admixtures of Hellenised Greek v. Hellenised Hebraic philosophy, and gnostic mystical speculation. The hymn anchors the community in the supremacy of Christ: not angels or rulers, but Christ as cosmic center. In an age of imperial cults, the hymn declares: Rome is not the glue of the cosmos — Christ is.
Observation through Three Lenses
1. Traditional (Catholic / Orthodox / Protestant Mainstream)
Tradition interprets this hymn as a dogmatic cornerstone: Christ is fully God and fully human, the eternal Logos through whom creation came to be. The “fullness of God” dwelling in Christ secures the doctrine of the Incarnation. Sacramentally, Christ as “head of the body” means the Church participates in Christ's life through baptism and Eucharist. Reconciliation “through the blood of the cross” emphasizes both sacrificial atonement and liturgical remembrance. In Traditionalism, this often has been replaced by rigid dogma, defining past and present orthodoxy, and drawing boundary lines between perceived “true faith” and heresy.
2. Evangelical (Conservative Protestant)
Evangelicals stress the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. Christ is above all powers, rulers, and authorities - the exclusive, but not excluding, Lord. The hymn validates the Evangelical emphasis on the cross of Christ's reconciliation happens “by the blood,” which is often read as penal substitution, satisfying divine justice. Personal salvation depends on confessing Christ’s lordship; other spiritualities or religions are seen as false authorities. This produces urgency in evangelism, but also exclusivism: Christ reconciles all things - but only those who consciously accept his saving blood benefit.
3. Process Theological (Relational, Whiteheadian)
Process theology reads this hymn as the proclamation of the Cosmic Christ - the one in whom creation coheres, not through domination or satisfaction of wrath, but through relational love. Describing Christ's work on the Cross as cosmic gives to it the scale of reconciliation to which his atoning work had affected: “All things hold together” describes God’s continuous lure of love in Christ - which is the very principle of relational unity spoke to at the heart of the cosmos. The “fullness” of God in Christ is God’s persuasive presence embodied in history. Reconciliation is not juridical payment but cosmic healing: all creation, human and non-human, are drawn into divine relational harmony through Christ’s self-giving love. This is as much a position truth as it is an actual truth.
No mere "magical formulas or words of assent" may make Christ's Atoning Work any more or less true. Where Tradition solidifies doctrine and Evangelicalism emphasizes exclusivity, Process reframes this hymn as a vision of universal, relational reconciliation - God’s ongoing work to make peace through love, not violence. It might be better said that "divine salvation" isn't just a momentary prayer of repentance and confession in Christ but a lifetime prayer of reconciliation in personal acts of contrition, humility, love and service. That the evangelical doctrine of salvation is short-sighted confusing an act of acceptance with the commitment of a lifetime of service in Christ's love to one another.
Application through Three Lenses
1. Traditional
Do I see Christ as the visible image of the invisible God, in whom I participate through the sacramental life of the Church? This passage calls me to live faithfully in union with Christ and his body of fellow co-commitants to Christ's name.
2. Evangelical
Do I confess Christ’s supremacy over all powers and authorities, trusting his blood for my salvation? This passage challenges me to live assuredly, proclaiming Christ as Lord of all in acts, word, and deed.
3. Process Theological
Do I recognize Christ as the cosmic reconciler, drawing all creation into harmony? This passage heals by expanding salvation beyond fear and exclusion, inviting me to join God’s work of peacemaking, healing, and co-creative renewal.
Prayer
No comments:
Post a Comment