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the "into" aspect of atonement, access and making nigh, the personal, experimental going
on and growing up. And into what a kingdom have we been translated! The kingdom of
the Son of His love. What a contrast to that dominion of hate with its sin and death, with
desires and thoughts swayed and energized by the prince of the authority of the air.
He "hath made us meet"; He hath delivered us; He "hath translated us". Truly a
threefold cord, not easily broken.
#8.
Creation, old and new (1: 13-23).
pp. 130 - 134
In our previous consideration of Col. 1: 13 we limited our study to the verse in
question, dealing mainly with the truth involved in the two words "delivered" and
"translated". Before we go further, we must consider the section as a whole.
Col. 1. 13-23.
A | 13, 14. Rescue. Translation. Redemption. "Through His blood."
B | 15-17. |
C | 15. | a | Image of invisible God.
b | Firstborn of every creature.
D | 16, 17. | c | CREATION. "By Him." Heaven and earth.
d | He is before all.
e | In Him all things consist.
B | 18-20. |
C | 18. | a | The Beginning. Head of the body, the church.
b | Firstborn from the dead.
D | 18-20. |
d | In all things pre-eminent.
e | In Him all the fullness dwells.
c | RECONCILIATION. Through blood of cross.
Earth and heaven.
A | 21, 22. Reconciliation. Presentation. "Through death."
While the Revised Text rightly omits the words, "through His blood", in verse 14,
they are nevertheless implied, as a reference to Eph. 1: 7 will show. This implication is
balanced by the sequel in verse 22--"In the body of His flesh through death"; and we
have therefore given it a place in the structure.
The structure shows that two creations are before us: first, the material creation in
which Christ is pre-eminent as the Image of the Invisible God, and then the new spiritual
creation in which Christ is pre-eminent as the Head of the body, and the One in Whom all
the fullness dwells. This new and spiritual creation is considered more fully in the
corresponding section in Col. 3: 5-15. Let us observe the relationship between these
two parts.