把本章十五到廿三節好好地看一下。它所教導的正是基督的特質及使命。十五至十八節告訴我們，耶穌是誰；十九至廿三節告訴我們，上帝藉著祂的兒子為犯罪的世人做了什麼。這九節聖經值得熟記。

        耶穌是誰？與天父上帝的關係來說，祂是「不能看見之上帝的像」（15前）；與創造的關係來說，祂是「是首生的，在一切被造的以先」（15後）。「像」與「首生的」，在保羅的時代，都有重大的意義──都是至高者的頭銜。保羅使用「首生的」一詞，和以色列人歷代所懷的「彌賽亞盼望」有關（大衛後裔中將出一位君王，可以被稱做「偉大的上帝」）；而「不能看見之上帝的像」，是指道成肉身向有限的人類啟示上帝的那位。「啟示」意為「揭開祂自己」──亙古長存的上帝，「揭開」祂自己，給有限時空中生活著的人類得以稍稍明白；而且祂用一種人能了解的方式，做這件事。

        但，在此同時，耶穌也是一切受造之物的成形的媒介和目的（16節）。甚至在萬有產生之先，祂已存在；而萬有也靠他而立（17節）。「祂是元始」（18節中）。但是祂介入人類歷史後，便成為教會的「頭」（首），也是「從死裡首先復生的」（18節前，後）。

        聖子裡居住著聖父一切的豐盛（19節），而且祂親身在十字架上流血之後，耶穌已經在有罪的人和神聖的上帝之間，成就了和平──我們已經與祂和好了（20節）。現在我們不再有罪，都成了聖潔，且「無可責備」（22節）。

        在基督裡，我們都是新造；凡信靠祂的人，絕不至失望。

        天父謝謝您，啟示您的兒子，我們的救主耶穌。知道你那麼愛我們，竟然差了祂來，真是興奮！請用聖靈保守我們，不要過於自私，甚至扣住這個好消息不傳給人！奉耶穌基督的名禱告，阿們。

English

        Take a good long look at verses 15-23. It is a lesson in Christology. Verses 15-18 tell us who Jesus is. Verses 19-23 tell us what God the Father has done for sinful mankind through God the Son. These are nine verses worth memorizing.

        Who is Jesus? Relative to God the Father, He is "the image of the invisible God" (15a); relative to creation, He is "the firstborn over all creation" (15b). Both "image" and "first-born" had great meaning in Paul's day — they both were titles of sovereignty. Paul's use of "first-born" has its roots in Israel's messianic hope (a king born of David's line who would be called, among other titles, "mighty God") and "the image of the invisible God" refers to the great Revealer of that mighty God to humankind locked in space and time. To "reveal" means "to uncover oneself" — God had to "uncover" Himself from eternity to man living in a limited universe, and He chose to do so in terms man could understand. That's why He became one of us.

        But, at the same time, Jesus is both the means and the purpose for creation (v. 16). He holds "all things" together, even while He preexists all things (v. 17) - "He is the beginning" (v. 18b). Yet, in the context of our history, He is the "head" of the Church and also the "first-born from the dead" (v. 18a,c).

        In God the Son, God the Father dwells fully (v. 19) and, through His physical blood shed on a wooden cross, Jesus has made peace between sinful man and Holy God — we've been reconciled (v. 20). Now, instead of sinful, we are "holy in His sight" and "free from accusation" (v. 22 NIV).

        In Christ, we are a new creation, and none who puts his trust in Him will be disappointed.

        Thank You Father for revealing to us Your Son and our Saviour, Jesus. It's a thrill to know that You would love us so very much as to send Him. Keep us by Your Holy Spirit from being so selfish as to keep this Good News to ourselves.