In 1:19 and 20 Paul continues, “For in Him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile all things to Him, making peace through the blood of His cross—through Him, whether things on the earth or things in the heavens.” The fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Christ and to reconcile all things to Him. Elsewhere in the New Testament we see that reconciliation involves God’s chosen people, but here we see the reconciliation of all things to God. All things were created in Christ, through Christ, and unto Christ. But through man’s fall, all these things were lost. Therefore, there is the need for all things to be reconciled to God in Christ. Through Christ’s redemption, the reconciliation of all things has taken place.
Notice that verse 20 does not say “all people,” but says “all things,” referring to all things which, according to verses 16 and 17, were created in Christ and now subsist in Him. Through Christ’s redemption, all these things were reconciled to God. These things include not only human beings, but also all the creatures.
When the book of Colossians was written, the Gnostic concept of the intrinsic evil of matter had a strong influence in Colosse. According to this concept, some thought that everything related to the material world was evil. But Paul pointed out that the very things the Gnostics regarded as evil were among those created in Christ. Furthermore, they are included in the things which have been reconciled to God through the death of Christ. All things have been reconciled to God, “whether things on the earth or things in the heavens.” What an extensive Redeemer Christ is, and what an extensive reconciliation He has accomplished!
In speaking of reconciliation here, Paul’s intention is to emphasize the fact that Christ is the Redeemer not only of mankind, but of all things. Consider the picture of the ark built by Noah. The ark not only saved the eight members of Noah’s family, but also saved animals of every kind. In Acts 10 Peter’s concept of God’s salvation was narrow because of the influence of Judaism. Likewise, our concept of Christ’s work of reconciliation has been limited by the influence of traditional teachings. When I was young, I learned that Christ is our Redeemer. But one day I was troubled by these verses in Colossians which speak of the reconciliation of all things. I asked myself if this included the creatures. Yes, Christ’s extensive reconciliation includes all such things.
In 1:17 Paul says that all things subsist together in Christ. Scientists recognize the fact that there is some kind of power in the universe which holds everything together. This scientific fact fits Paul’s concept of all things subsisting in Christ. Christ is the center that holds everything together, the hub that holds all the spokes. Everything in the universe, living and non-living, subsists in Christ as this hub. If we did not have Christ as the holding center, everything in the universe would collapse. Apparently we exist on this globe, the earth, but actually we are existing in Christ. All things subsist in Him. This is a further aspect of the extensiveness of Christ.
Another aspect is found in 2:16 and 17, where Paul says that eating, drinking, feasts, new moons, and Sabbaths are “a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.” Paul’s word indicates that Christ is the reality of all positive things. He is our real food, drink, clothing, dwelling place, transportation, sun, moon, and earth. Hence, Paul’s simple word in these verses has tremendous implications. It implies the extensiveness of the all-inclusive Christ.
Then in 3:4 Paul goes on to tell us that this extensive Christ is our life. Although Christ is universally extensive, He is nonetheless our life in a specific and particular way. Praise the Lord that the extensive Christ has become our personal life! Universally, He is extensive. But in our personal experience, He is our life.
Furthermore, in 3:10 and 11 we see that in the church, the new man as God’s new creation, the extensive Christ is all and in all. He is all the members of the new man, and He is in all the members. With 3:11 as our basis, we can say that Christ is all of us. What an extensive, all-inclusive Christ is revealed in the book of Colossians!