Kingdom. Hence God’s kingdom is in the present, no less than in heaven. See on Luke vi. 20.
Of His dear Son (rod viod tis aydrns avtod). Lit., of the Son of His love. So Rev. The Son who is the object of His love, and to whom, therefore, the kingdom is given. See Ps. ii. 7,8; Heb. i. 3-9. It is true that love is the essence of the Son as of the Father; also, that the Son’s mission is the revelation of the Father’s love; but, as Meyer correctly says, “the lan- guage refers to the ewalted Christ who rules.”
14. Redemption (arodvtpwow). See on Rom. iii. 24. Con- tinuing the image of an enslaved and ransomed people. Omit
through His blood.
Forgiveness (ddeow). See on remission, Rom. iii. 25; Sorgwen, Jas. v.15. Forgiveness defines redemption. Light- foot’s suggestion is very interesting that this precise definition may convey an allusion to the perversion of the term dzrodvTpw- ows by the Gnostics of a later age, and which was possibly foreshadowed in the teaching of the Colossian heretics. The Gnostics used it to signify the result of initiation into cer- tain mysteries. Lightfoot quotes from Irenaeus the baptismal formula of the Marcosians:* “into unity and redemption
and éfovcla appear, used codrdinately of God’s dominion. See Dan. iv. 31; vii. 14. The word never occurs in the New Testament in the sense of arbi- trary authority. It is used collectively of the empire of Satan, Eph. ii. 2; of lawful human magistracy, Rom. xiii. 1; of heavenly powers, Eph. iii. 10.
* Followers of Marcos, in the second half of the second century. A dis- ciple of Valentinus, the author of the most influential of the Gnostic systems. Marcos taught probably in Asia Minor, and perhaps in Gaul. The character- istics of his teaching were a numerical symbolism, and an elaborate ritual. He sought to attract beautiful and wealthy women by magical arts. See Schaff, ‘‘ History of the Christian Church,” ii., 480.
468 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Ca. L
(arroAvTpwow) and communion of powers.” The idea of a re- demption of the world, and (in a perverted form) of the person and work of Christ as having part in it, distinctively marked the Gnostic schools. That from which the world was redeemed, however, was not sin, in the proper sense of the term, but something inherent in the constitution of the world itself, and therefore due to its Creator.
In the following passage the person of Christ is defined as related to God and to creation; and absolute supremacy is claimed for Him. See Introduction to this volume, and com- pare Eph. i. 20-23, and Philip. ii. 6-11.
15. The image (ecxwv). See on Apoc. xiii. 14. For the Logos (Word) underlying the passage, see on John i. 1. Jmage is more than dzkeness which may be superficial and incidental. It implies a prototype, and embodies the essential verity of its prototype. Compare in the form of God, Philip. ii. 6 (note), and the effulgence of the Hather’s glory, Heb. i. 8. Also 1 John pale
Of the invisible God (rod Oeobd tov aopdrov). Lit., of the God, the visible. Thus is brought out the idea of manifesta- tion which lies in tmage. See on Apoc. xiii. 14.
The first-born of every creature (7pwtdtoKos Tacs Kti- cews). Rev., the first-born of all creation. For first-born, see on Apoce. i. 5; for creation, on 2 Cor. v.17. As ¢mage points to revelation, so first-born points to eternal preéxistence. Even the Rev. is a little ambiguous, for we must carefully avoid any suggestion that Christ was the first of created things, which is contradicted by the following words: <n Héim were all things created. The true sense is, born before the creation. Compare before all things, ver. 17. This fact of priority implies sover- eignty. He is exalted above all thrones, etc., and all things are wnto (eis) Him, as they are elsewhere declared to be unto God. Compare Ps. Ixxxix. 27; Heb. i. 2. °