Col. 1:16-17 "Because in Him all things were created, in the heavens and
on the earth,the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships
or rulers or authorities; all things have been created hrough Him and unto
Him. And He is before all things, and all things cohere in Him."
Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Christ upholds “all things by the word of
His power.” After creating all things, Christ became the Upholder of all
things. The earth is suspended in space. There is nothing visible supporting
it. After Christ created the earth, He began to uphold it, and He upholds
it now by the word of His power.
If you ask scientists what upholds the earth, they will say only that
something upholds it. The earth is one of many planets. Astronomers tell
us that all the planets move according to their own track. If they were
to move out of orbit, there would be a global accident. Who upholds all
the planets and the whole universe? Christ upholds all things, and He upholds
them very easily. There is no need for Him to do anything─He simply speaks.
He upholds all things by the word of His power. (The Conclusion of the New
Testament, p. 278)
The book of Hebrews emphasizes the word of God. Hebrews 11:3 says that
the universe was framed by the word of God. Now we see in 1:3 that the universe
is upheld by the word of Christ's power. The divine word is powerful. Christ
is not only the Creator and the means of creation; He is also the Upholder.
He created the universe, and now He upholds the universe by His word.
Speaking of Christ, Colossians 1:17 says, "All things subsist together
in Him”" [Darby]. Subsist together in Him [or cohere] means to exist together
by Christ as the holding center, just as the spokes of a wheel are held
together by the hub at their center. For creation to subsist in Christ is
a further indication that Christ is subjectively related to creation.
It is important to differentiate between the words exist, consist, and
subsist....To exist is to be, to consist is to be composed or constituted,
and to subsist is to be held together for existence. Imagine a wheel with
its rim, spokes, and hub. All the spokes subsist together in the hub. The
only way for the spokes to subsist is to be held together at the hub in
the center of the wheel. This illustrates Christ's relationship to creation
with respect to the fact that all things subsist in Him.
All things came into being in Christ, through Christ, and unto Christ.
Nothing should be regarded as separate from Him. All things were made in
the intrinsic power of Christ's person, through Him as the active instrument,
and unto Him as the consummate goal. Furthermore, all things subsist, [cohere],
are held together, in Him as the hub. Because all things were created in
Christ, through Christ, and unto Christ and because all things subsist in
Christ, God can be expressed in creation through Christ, who is the image
of the invisible God.
In Revelation 3:14 the Lord also refers to Himself as “the beginning
of the creation of God.” This refers to the Lord as the origin or source
of God's creation, implying that the Lord is the unchanging and ever-existing
source of God's work. This indicates that the degraded recovered church
is changing by leaving the Lord as the source.
Colossians 1:16 says, "Because in Him all things were created, in the
heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible;...all things have
been created through Him and unto Him." In Him means in the power of Christ's
person. All things were created in the power of what Christ is. All creation
bears the characteristics of Christ's intrinsic power....Through Him indicates
that Christ is the active instrument through which the creation of all things
was processed. Finally, unto Him indicates that Christ is the end of all
creation. All things were created for His possession.
Further Reading: The Mystery of God and the Mystery of Christ, chs. 2-3
- 未完待续
