An Alphabetical Analysis
Volume 6 - Doctrinal Truth - Page 208 of 270
INDEX
is natural, but that He should redeem and reconcile is a revelation of
greater glory; and unless we have a true conception of His purposes and ways,
more harm than good may come from an attempt to unfold the apostle's
teaching.  The surest safeguard for the expositor is to observe not only the
immediate setting, but also the remote context; and here the remote context
embraces every other passage of Scripture that speaks of kindred themes.  To
explore this vast territory would be a life's work; to attempt to summarize
it on paper would demand a large volume.  We can only draw attention to the
obvious and give a few guiding principles.
While we maintain that the distinctive message of Colossians concerns
the dispensation of the Mystery, this does not preclude the use of other
Scriptures when they deal with the same or parallel lines of teaching.
While the Image of the invisible God is a title which occurs only in
Colossians, it would be unreasonable to disregard such a passage as John 1:18
in an endeavour to approach its meaning.
John 1, Colossians 1 and Hebrews 1 have several points in common which
we should know, and accordingly we direct attention to the following
parallels:
John 1
Colossians 1
Hebrews 1
The Word
The Image
The express Image
God never seen
The invisible God
The Substance
All things made by Him
All things created by Him
Ages, heaven and
earth made by Him
Preferred before John
Pre -eminent in all
Superior to angels
His fulness
All the fulness
Heir of all things
.
.
.
.
All things by Him consist
All things upheld by
Him
The Word was God
.
.
.
.
Thy throne, O God
The only begotten Son
Firstborn
Firstborn.
John in his first Epistle presents the matter in its several aspects
thus:
'We shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is'.
'As He is, so are we in this world'.
'As He is, we shall be'.
'As He walked, therefore we should walk'.
(See 1 John 3:2; 4:17; 3:2; 2:6).
Looking for that blessed hope, the Psalmist envisaged the day when this
mortal should put on immortality and bear the Image of the heavenly, saying: