Monday, September 13, 2021

Margaret Y. MacDonald on Colossians 1:16

  

all things have been created through him and for him: Verse 16 contains one of several examples in the hymn of chiasmus, the A-B-B-A pattern found frequently in the NT (“were created all things . . . all things have been created”). The change of verb tense from the aorist to the perfect form indicates creation’s ongoing existence. In other words, not only were all things created but they also remain in their created existence through for Christ and for Christ. The passive voice that runs through the verse indicates that God is the creator. God creates, but Christ is the agent of creation: “through him.” “For him” (en auton) may refer to Christ’s glorification, but it most likely describes Christ as the final goal: all things are created toward him. (Margaret Y. MacDonald, Colossians and Ephesians [Sacra Pagina 17; Collegeville, Minn.:The  Liturgical Press, 2000], 60)