Colossians 1:17
What does Colossians 1:17 mean?
A plain-English look at Colossians 1:17 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Colossians 1:17 means
Christ “is before all things,” affirming His preexistence and eternal priority. He does not merely precede creation in time; He transcends it in being. Moreover, “in him all things consist”—He sustains and holds together the created order. The universe’s coherence, stability, and purpose are maintained by His ongoing will. This portrays Jesus not as a distant originator but as the present upholder of everything. For the believer, this means security: the One who redeemed us also governs the fabric of reality. It also means humility: all stability we enjoy is a gift of His continual care.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949He is before all things, and in him all things have being.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and himself is before all, and the all things in him have consisted.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And he is before all: and by him all things consist.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And he is before all, and all things subsist together by him.
Context
Following the declaration of Christ as Creator and goal (verse 16), verse 17 emphasizes His eternal priority and sustaining power. This seamlessly leads to verse 18, where the focus shifts from Christ’s relation to creation to His relation to the church and new creation. The logic is clear: the One who made and sustains the old creation is also Lord of the redeemed community, ensuring His preeminence in every realm.
v.16for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;
v.17This passage
v.18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Revelation 1:17
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last,
- Hebrews 1:3
who being the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
- Micah 5:2
But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.
- John 17:5
And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
- 1 Samuel 2:8
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, And inherit the throne of glory: For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah’s, And he hath set the world upon them.
- Acts 17:28
for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
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