Lexical Summary próteuó: To have the first place, to be preeminent Original Word: πρωτεύω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance have preeminence. From protos; to be first (in rank or influence) -- have the preeminence. see GREEK protos NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom prótos Definition to have the first place NASB Translation have first place (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4409: πρωτεύωπρωτεύω; (πρῶτος); to be first, hold the first place, (A. V. have the pre-eminence): Colossians 1:18. (From Xenophon, and Plato down.) Topical Lexicon Canonical Appearance and Immediate Context Strong’s Greek 4409 occurs once in the New Testament at Colossians 1:18, describing the Son as “first in all things”. Within Paul’s climactic hymn, the verb crowns the sweeping description of Christ’s cosmic lordship—creation (Colossians 1:16), cohesion (1:17), resurrection (1:18a), and reconciliation (1:20)—with the decisive assertion that He alone holds unrivaled priority. Christ’s Supremacy in Creation and Redemption The single use of the term anchors the doctrine that Jesus Christ is not merely chronologically first but ontologically supreme. Paul states that “in Him all things were created” and that “in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17). By adding that He is “the head of the body, the church,” and “firstborn from among the dead,” the apostle unites creation and redemption under one sovereign Christ who must therefore have the ultimate “first place.” The term thus seals an unbreakable link between Christ’s past creative activity, present sustaining power, and future consummation. Theological Emphasis on Preeminence Throughout Scripture God demands undivided allegiance (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 6:5). The Colossians hymn locates that allegiance squarely in the incarnate Son. By assigning preeminence to Christ, Paul defends the sufficiency of Christ against every rival philosophy (Colossians 2:8-10). The term therefore guards the exclusivity of the gospel: no addition, no subordination, no alternative mediators. Old Testament Foreshadowing The concept of preeminence resonates with Old Testament motifs of the firstborn (Genesis 49:3-4; Psalm 89:27). Whereas Jacob’s eldest son forfeited “preeminence,” Christ secures it forever. The Davidic promise of a ruler made “the highest of the kings of the earth” finds its realization in the One who now “has the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9) and who “must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25). Historical Reception and Creedal Formulations Early church fathers drew from Colossians 1:15-20 to defend orthodox Christology against Arian claims. The Nicene Creed’s affirmation of Christ as “God from God, Light from Light” echoes the hymn’s insistence that He eternally outranks all creation. Medieval theologians employed the passage to expound the “primacy of Christ,” while the Reformers appealed to it to re-center Christian faith on Christ alone. Practical Implications for Worship and Discipleship 1. Worship: Congregations gather because Christ “takes first place.” Liturgies, preaching, and sacraments orient the church around His supremacy. Pastoral and Missional Applications Pastors confront syncretism and legalism by echoing Paul’s refrain: Christ alone suffices. In counseling, believers wrestling with identity discover that significance flows from union with the One who is first. In evangelism, missionaries present Christ not as a tribal deity but as the sovereign Lord of all peoples, inviting every culture to yield to His preeminence. Eschatological Fulfillment Revelation portrays the consummation of the Colossians vision: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). The verb’s lone New Testament appearance thus anticipates a future where Christ’s present supremacy is universally acknowledged (Philippians 2:10-11), closing the biblical narrative with the same note of divine priority that opened it: “In the beginning, God” (Genesis 1:1). Summary Strong’s Greek 4409, though used only once, functions as a theological linchpin. It proclaims Christ’s unrivaled supremacy over creation, redemption, the church, and the ages to come, calling every generation to yield wholehearted allegiance to the One who is, and ever will be, “first in all things.” Forms and Transliterations επρωτοβάθρει προτογεννήμασι πρωτεύειν πρωτευων πρωτεύων πρωτοβολήσει πρωτογενές πρωτογεννήματα πρωτογεννημάτων πρωτόγονα proteuon proteúon prōteuōn prōteúōnLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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