Colossians 1:18-20

3. In relation to the church 1:18-20

So far everything Paul had written about Christ other New Testament writers also revealed, but what follows in Colossians 1:18 is uniquely Pauline.

In 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 and Romans 12:4-8 Paul used the human body to illustrate the unity and diversity present in the church. Here he used it to illustrate the sovereignty of Christ over Christians (cf. Ephesians 4:11-13). Our Lord supplies authority and direction for His body. [Note: See O’Brien, Colossians . . ., pp. 57-61, for a discussion of the term ekklesia ("church") in Colossians and Philemon.]