Christ the Firstborn: Priority, Privilege, and Preeminence

Paul lifts the curtain on Colossians 1:15 by letting the Christ-hymn sing: the Son is the image of the invisible God and the firstborn of every creature. The title firstborn can sound tricky, so the text itself insists on Christ’s deity and preeminence, not his origin. The flow of the letter has already moved from thanksgiving to redemption in the Son, and now this hymn rises to proclaim who that Son is. The confession lands like this: Jesus is the firstborn, the preeminent one, and therefore must have supremacy, sovereignty, and priority in the life of the church.

The error says firstborn means first created. Paul refuses that reading. Ancient heresies and modern ones say the Son is a creature or a first spirit-child. The church’s faithful answer stands: begotten, not made. If all things were created by him, he is not one of the created things. The Son is truly God, truly man, the Word of the Father now in flesh appearing.

The title itself yields its meaning when Scripture interprets Scripture. The word is prototokos, not made but firstborn. The Old Testament uses firstborn in three lanes. Priority: the firstborn son is trained to lead the house, the chief of strength, the one whose loss shakes a nation. Privilege: the firstborn receives the double portion, the birthright Esau despised, the status Israel enjoyed as God’s firstborn. Preeminence: the firstborn is set higher than the kings of the earth. Read that back into Christ. The Father gives the Son first place, the inheritance of the nations, the name above every name. He is the heir of all things, and in him all things hold together.

If the firstborn has priority, the church must treat him as the fairest Lord Jesus. Supremacy belongs to his worship. Sovereignty belongs to his commands. Priority belongs to his claim on time, treasure, thought, and trust. The tests are simple and searching: what gets sacrifice, where the hours go, where the mind drifts, and to whom the heart runs when it breaks. The hymn keeps calling: is Jesus everything. The answer in Colossians is yes. Therefore, let his preeminence set the order of a life, and let a soul bow down and give that life to him.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Firstborn means priority, not origin. Firstborn in Scripture names status, not start. The Old Testament gives the firstborn leadership, double portion, and rank. Paul uses that well-worn pattern to say Christ stands first over creation, not within it as one more creature. The title crowns him, it does not cut him down. [45:56]
• 2. Begotten, not made, and eternal. Ancient and modern errors shrink the Son into a made being. Paul’s hymn says all things were made by him, which rules out his being a thing made. The church rightly confesses begotten, not made, guarding the Son’s eternal deity and the wonder of the incarnation. [33:26]
• 3. Scripture interprets Scripture on titles. Hard phrases yield when the whole Bible is allowed to speak. The language of firstborn gathers Reuben, Israel, Esau and Jacob, Psalm 2, Psalm 89, into one bright picture of Christ’s supremacy. Exegesis is worship when it lets the Bible explain its own words. [41:13]
• 4. Supremacy, sovereignty, priority in life. If Christ holds first place in reality, he must hold first place in devotion and obedience. Worship gives him his due, obedience trusts him where life makes no sense, and priority orders calendars, budgets, and thought-life around him. Preeminence is not a theory, it is a lived allegiance. [57:04]
• 5. Tests reveal what reigns in hearts. Sacrifice, time, thoughts, and crises all tell the truth about what is first. Whatever a person gladly surrenders for, schedules around, daydreams about, and runs to under pressure is the real firstborn of that life. Let those tests drive a heart back to the Lord and Christ whom God has made preeminent. [62:26]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [17:35] - Colossians study resumed
• [19:38] - Colossians 1:15-20 read aloud
• [24:40] - Firstborn of every creature explained
• [26:11] - The claim: Christ is preeminent
• [29:51] - Misreading: Jehovah’s Witnesses
• [36:47] - Misreading: Mormon teaching
• [41:13] - Scripture interprets Scripture; prototokos
• [45:56] - Priority, privilege, preeminence
• [49:44] - The heir and the double portion
• [53:52] - Higher than the kings of earth
• [57:04] - Supremacy, sovereignty, priority applied
• [58:45] - Call to trust and obey Jesus
• [62:26] - Tests that reveal real priorities
• [66:37] - Final appeal and prayer

1. What two main themes about Christ’s identity and work are emphasized in Colossians 1:15-20?
2. How does the passage clarify that Christ is not part of creation but distinct from it?
3. The sermon mentions three Old Testament categories for "firstborn" (priority, privilege, preeminence). Which of these is directly reflected in verse 18’s description of Christ as "the firstborn from the dead"?

1. Why does Paul stress that Christ created all things (including "thrones, dominions, rulers, authorities") in Colossians 1:16? What does this reveal about His authority over cultural or spiritual powers?
2. The sermon argues that "firstborn" in Scripture refers to status, not origin (e.g., Israel as God’s "firstborn" in Exodus 4:22). How does this reshape our understanding of Christ’s role in creation? [45:56]
3. How does the phrase "in him all things hold together" (v. 17) challenge modern views of self-sufficiency or independence?

1. The sermon asks, "What gets your sacrifice, time, thoughts, and crisis-response?" [01:02:26] Identify one area (e.g., time, money, relationships) where Christ is not your priority. What practical step could reorder this?
2. If Christ’s supremacy is a "lived allegiance," how would your daily decisions change if you treated Him as the ultimate authority over your work, hobbies, or conflicts?
3. The "crisis test" asks, "Who do you run to when life breaks?" [01:04:37] Share a recent struggle. How would relying on Christ’s sovereignty (rather than control or worry) reshape your response?
4. The sermon compares Christ to a king "higher than earthly rulers" (Psalm 89:27). What cultural or personal "rulers" (fear, approval, success) compete for your loyalty? How can you actively transfer that loyalty to Christ?
5. The hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" calls Him the "ruler of all nature." What habit (e.g., prayer, Scripture, worship) could help you consistently acknowledge His worthiness in ordinary moments? [56:39]