# Colossians 1.15

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-04-26 | updated: 2026-05-28 -->

**Book:** [Colossians](/codex/colossians/) · NASB95

## Verse

> He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Colossians 1:15, NASB95)

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**NASB95** ([NASB95](/codex/nasb95/))
> 13. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14. in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
>
> **15. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.**
>
> 16. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:13-17, NASB95)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** Paul the Apostle.
- **Audience:** the church at Colossae, confronting a syncretistic philosophy involving proto-Gnostic emanationism, Jewish ascetic practice, and angel-veneration (cf. Colossians 2:8, 16-23).
- **Location:** Paul writing from Roman imprisonment, c. AD 60-62.
- **Time period:** c. AD 60-62. Same letter as [Colossians 2.9](/codex/colossians-2-9/).

## Theological reading

The verse opens the **Christological hymn of Colossians 1:15-20**, one of the highest concentrations of Christology in the Pauline corpus. Two title-claims pack the verse:

1. **εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου**, "the image of the invisible God." Christ is the [G1504 - eikon](/codex/g1504-eikon/) (image) of the *aoratou theou* (invisible God). Two halves to this claim:
 - The Father is *invisible* (cf. 1 Timothy 1:17 "King eternal, immortal, invisible"; 1 Timothy 6:16 "whom no man has seen or can see"). God in His essence is not directly accessible to creature sight.
 - The Son is the *eikōn*, the visible manifestation of the otherwise-invisible Father. Christ doesn't merely *resemble* God; He *makes-visible* God by *being* God in form accessible to humanity. See [G1504 - eikon](/codex/g1504-eikon/) for the full lexical force.

2. **πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως**, "the firstborn of all creation." This phrase has been the lightning rod of one of the most ancient Christological controversies. Two readings:

 - **Arian / Watchtower:** "firstborn *of* creation" = *first created being*. Christ is the first and highest creature; creation begins with Him as part of it.
 - **Orthodox Christian:** "firstborn *over* creation" = *preeminent above* creation. *Prōtotokos* in biblical idiom regularly carries the sense of *rank / preeminence*, not *birth-order*. Cf. Psalm 89:27, God says of David, "I will make him my firstborn (*prōtotokos* LXX), the highest of the kings of the earth." David was not literally Jesse's first-born son (he was the youngest); the title *firstborn* names his royal preeminence.

The orthodox reading is decisively confirmed by:
- **Verse 16 grammatically refutes the Arian reading**: "*for by Him all things were created*", *all things*, not just everything-after-Him. If Christ were a created being, He would have created Himself, which is incoherent. The next verse explicitly excludes Christ from the category of created things.
- **Verse 17**: "He is *before* all things, and in Him all things hold together." Pre-existent and sustainer.
- **Verse 18**: "He is the *prōtotokos from the dead*", using the same word in the rank-preeminence sense (Christ wasn't the first person resurrected, Lazarus, the widow's son, etc., were earlier, but is *preeminent* in resurrection as the firstfruits).

The Pauline usage of *prōtotokos* across his letters (Romans 8:29; Hebrews 1:6; 12:23; Revelation 1:5) consistently carries the rank-preeminence sense. Lexical and contextual evidence converge.

**Patristic.** Athanasius (*Discourses Against the Arians* II.62-64, c. AD 358) gives the classic refutation of the Arian reading: a creature does not create *all things*. The structure of vv. 15-17 explicitly excludes Christ from creation by making Him its agent and sustainer. Hilary of Poitiers (*De Trinitate* VIII.50-52) and Ambrose (*On the Faith* I.14, c. AD 379) similarly reject the Arian reading on grammatical and contextual grounds. The verse becomes one of the foundation-stones of Nicene-Chalcedonian Christology.

**[Cyril of Alexandria](/codex/cyril-of-alexandria/)** (*Commentary on Colossians*; *Letter to the Monks*) develops the *eikōn* claim against Nestorianism: the *invisible* Father is made visible in the same person who is incarnate in flesh. Christ's deity (image of the invisible) and humanity (visible flesh) are united in one person.

**Watchtower / Jehovah's Witnesses.** The NWT inserts "[other]" into v. 16, "all *other* things were created in him", reading Christ as the first-created and then maker-of-the-rest. The brackets indicate translator-supplied text; the Greek has no warrant for "other." This is the most-criticized Watchtower translation choice precisely because it changes the verse's meaning to fit the Arian theological commitment.

**Reformed.** Calvin (*Colossians* commentary): "the firstborn of all creation, that is, the most excellent and the most distinguished of all creatures." The Heidelberg Catechism Q. 35-37 and the Westminster Confession 8 all cite Colossians 1:15-17 to ground the doctrine of Christ's deity and creation-mediating role.

**Modern conservative scholarship.** F. F. Bruce (*Colossians* NICNT), Doug Moo (*Colossians and Philemon* PNTC, 2008), N. T. Wright (*Colossians and Philemon*, 1986), Murray Harris (*Colossians and Philemon*, 1991), and Stephen Charnock's *The Existence and Attributes of God* (Discourse on the Eternity of God) all defend the rank-preeminence reading on lexical and contextual grounds.

## Key words

- [G1504 - eikon](/codex/g1504-eikon/), *eikōn* (image), the Christological title
- [G2316 - theos](/codex/g2316-theos/), *theos* (God), the Father, *invisible*
- *G0517 - aoratos*, *aoratos* (invisible), the Father's essence
- [G4416 - prototokos](/codex/g4416-prototokos/), *prōtotokos* (firstborn / preeminent)
- [G2937 - ktisis](/codex/g2937-ktisis/), *ktisis* (creation)

## Connection to other passages

- [Colossians 2.9](/codex/colossians-2-9/), the *theotēs* (essence of deity) claim that completes 1:15's *eikōn* claim
- [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.14](/codex/john-1-14/), the Johannine prologue parallels (Word, image, made flesh)
- [John 1.18](/codex/john-1-18/), "no one has seen God; the only begotten God has explained Him"
- Hebrews 1:3, "the radiance of His glory and the *charaktēr* of His nature"
- 2 Corinthians 4:4, "the image of God"
- [Genesis 1.27](/codex/genesis-1-27/), humans as image; Christ as *the* Image

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Anointing Implies Subordination Objection Defeater](/codex/anointing-implies-subordination-objection-defeater/)
- [Argument from the Beauty-Mathematics Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-beauty-mathematics-convergence/), via [Colossians 1.15-17](/codex/colossians-1-15-17/)
- [Argument from the Continuance of Being](/codex/argument-from-the-continuance-of-being/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Argument from the Mirror-Recognition Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-mirror-recognition-convergence/)
- [Argument from the One-and-the-Many Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-one-and-the-many-convergence/), via [Colossians 1.15-17](/codex/colossians-1-15-17/)
- [Argument from the Pre-Given Logos](/codex/argument-from-the-pre-given-logos/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Argument from the Question-Asking Asymmetry](/codex/argument-from-the-question-asking-asymmetry/)
- [Argument from the Trans-Instinctual Agency Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-trans-instinctual-agency-convergence/)
- [Did Jesus Send Muhammad Dilemma Argument](/codex/did-jesus-send-muhammad-dilemma-argument/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Divine Hiddenness Objection Defeater](/codex/divine-hiddenness-objection-defeater/)
- [Jesus Has a God Therefore Not God Objection Defeater](/codex/jesus-has-a-god-therefore-not-god-objection-defeater/)
- [Jesus Never Claimed to Be God Objection Defeater](/codex/jesus-never-claimed-to-be-god-objection-defeater/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Manuscript Variants Bible Corruption Objection Defeater](/codex/manuscript-variants-bible-corruption-objection-defeater/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Necessity of the Incarnation](/codex/necessity-of-the-incarnation/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Paul Invented Christianity Objection Defeater](/codex/paul-invented-christianity-objection-defeater/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Stealing from God Argument](/codex/stealing-from-god-argument/), via [Colossians 1.15-17](/codex/colossians-1-15-17/)
- [Trinity Invented at Nicaea Objection Defeater](/codex/trinity-invented-at-nicaea-objection-defeater/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Unitarian Oneness Binitarian Objection Defeater](/codex/unitarian-oneness-binitarian-objection-defeater/)

**Concepts:**

- [Arianism](/codex/arianism/)
- [Biblical Dignity](/codex/biblical-dignity/)
- [Christ Was Made (Misread Proof-Texts)](/codex/christ-was-made-misread-proof-texts/)
- [Christianity](/codex/christianity/)
- [Christology](/codex/christology/)
- [Christs Deity](/codex/christs-deity/)
- [Father-Son Authority Asymmetry](/codex/father-son-authority-asymmetry/), via [Colossians 1.15-17](/codex/colossians-1-15-17/)
- [Genesis Hermeneutics](/codex/genesis-hermeneutics/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Hypostatic Union](/codex/hypostatic-union/), via [Colossians 1.15-19](/codex/colossians-1-15-19/)
- [Imago Dei](/codex/genesis-1-27/)
- [Incarnation](/codex/incarnation/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Islamic Dilemma](/codex/islamic-dilemma/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Jehovahs Witnesses](/codex/jehovahs-witnesses/), via [Colossians 1.15-17](/codex/colossians-1-15-17/)
- [Kalimatullah](/codex/kalimatullah/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Lesson 4.5, Comparative Religion Engagement](/codex/lesson-4-5-comparative-religion-engagement/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Logos Christology](/codex/logos-christology/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Mormonism](/codex/mormonism/), via [Colossians 1.15-17](/codex/colossians-1-15-17/)
- [Old Testament Christology](/codex/old-testament-witness-to-the-deity-of-christ/), via [Colossians 1.15-17](/codex/colossians-1-15-17/)
- [One and the Many Problem](/codex/one-and-the-many-problem/), via [Colossians 1.15-17](/codex/colossians-1-15-17/)
- [Oneness Pentecostalism](/codex/oneness-pentecostalism/)
- [Pantheism](/codex/pantheism/), via [Colossians 1.15-17](/codex/colossians-1-15-17/)
- [Pre-Pauline Creeds](/codex/pre-pauline-creeds/), via [Colossians 1.15-17](/codex/colossians-1-15-17/), [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Tahrif](/codex/tahrif/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Trinity vs Oneness vs Modalism vs Arianism](/codex/trinity-vs-oneness-vs-modalism-vs-arianism/)
- [Young's Literal Translation](/codex/ylt/)

**People:**

- [Avery Austin (God Logic)](/codex/avery-austin-god-logic/)
- [Bart Ehrman](/codex/bart-ehrman/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Larry Hurtado](/codex/larry-hurtado/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Paul the Apostle](/codex/paul-the-apostle/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G1504 - eikon](/codex/g1504-eikon/)
- [G2936 - ktizo](/codex/g2936-ktizo/)
- [G2937 - ktisis](/codex/g2937-ktisis/)
- [G3956 - pas](/codex/g3956-pas/), via [Colossians 1.15-17](/codex/colossians-1-15-17/), [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [G4416 - prototokos](/codex/g4416-prototokos/)
- [G5287 - hypostasis](/codex/g5287-hypostasis/)
- [H0120 - adam](/codex/h0120-adam/)
- [H1060 - bechor](/codex/h1060-bechor/)
- [H6754 - tselem](/codex/h6754-tselem/)
- [H7218 - rosh](/codex/h7218-rosh/), via [Colossians 1.15-18](/codex/colossians-1-15-18/)

**Guides:**

- [02 Faith and Worldview](/codex/02-faith-and-worldview/), via [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)

**Passages:**

- [2 Corinthians 4.4](/codex/2-corinthians-4-4/)
- [Colossians 1.15-17](/codex/colossians-1-15-17/)
- [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/)
- [Colossians 1.16](/codex/colossians-1-16/)
- [Colossians 1.16-17](/codex/colossians-1-16-17/)
- [Colossians 1.17](/codex/colossians-1-17/)
- [Colossians 1.18](/codex/colossians-1-18/)
- [Genesis 1.26](/codex/genesis-1-26/)
- [Hebrews 1](/codex/hebrews-1/)
- [Hebrews 1.1-14](/codex/hebrews-1-1-14/)
- [Hebrews 1.3](/codex/hebrews-1-3/)
- [Hebrews 1.6](/codex/hebrews-1-6/)
- [Hebrews 12.22-24](/codex/hebrews-12-22-24/)
- [John 1.1-3](/codex/john-1-1-3/)
- [John 14.9](/codex/john-14-9/)
- [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/)
- [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/)
- [Psalms 89.27](/codex/psalms-89-27/)
- [Revelation 1.4-5](/codex/revelation-1-4-5/)
- [Revelation 1.5](/codex/revelation-1-5/)
- [Revelation 1.5-6](/codex/revelation-1-5-6/)
- [Romans 8](/codex/romans-8/)
- [Romans 8.29](/codex/romans-8-29/)

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_