Colossians 1:18

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

And He is the head of the [spiritual] body, the church. He is [its] source, the firstborn One from the dead [i.e., the first one to return to life, never to die again], so that He could rank first [in importance] over all things.

Cross References

Matthew 23:8

But you should not assume the title ‘Rabbi,’ for [only] one is your teacher [i.e., Jesus Himself] and all of you are [simply] brothers.

Matthew 28:18

Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

John 1:1

The Word [already] existed in the beginning [of time]. [Note: This is a reference to the preexistence of Jesus. See verse 14]. And the Word was with God and the Word was [what] God [was].

John 1:16

For we have all received from His full richness one favor after another.

John 1:27

He is the One who will follow my ministry; [and] I do not deserve to untie his sandal lace.”

Acts 26:23

namely, that the Christ must suffer and be the first to rise from the dead [i.e., never to die again] and then proclaim the light [of the Gospel] to the [Jewish] people and to the Gentiles.”

Romans 8:29

For [that class of] persons whom God knew beforehand He also predetermined to become conformed to the [spiritual] likeness of His Son, so that He could be the firstborn One among [His] many brothers [i.e., so He could be the preeminent example to all His followers. See Heb. 2:11].

1 Corinthians 11:3

But I want you to know that Christ is the [spiritual] head [i.e., authority] over every man; and the man is the [spiritual] head over the woman [Note: The Greek words for “woman” and “wife” are the same. “Wife” is obviously meant by the context]; and God is the head over Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:27

Now you people are the [spiritual] body of Christ and each one of you is an individual part of it.

1 Corinthians 15:25

For Christ must [continue to] rule [over His kingdom, the church] until God has put all of His enemies under Christ’s feet.

Ephesians 1:10

[He did this] to fulfill His plan at the proper time, by bringing together everything [in the universe] under Christ’s headship --- things both in heaven and on earth.

Ephesians 5:23

For the husband is the [spiritual] head over his wife, just as Christ is also the [spiritual] head over the church, since He is the Savior of the body.

Colossians 1:24

Now I rejoice in [spite of] my sufferings for your sake, and I am filling up [i.e., completing] in my physical body what was lacking in the afflictions Christ endured for His body’s sake, the church.

Colossians 2:19

He is not holding on [firmly] to the head [i.e., Christ, the head of the church], from whom the entire body, being nourished and supported by its ligaments and joints, is caused to grow in size by God.

1 John 1:1

We [apostles] proclaim to you [the truth about Jesus], who existed from the beginning [of time]. We have heard [Him] and seen [Him] with our [own] eyes. We looked at Him, and [even] touched Him with our hands. [See John 20:20]. [So, we proclaim that] He is the word of life [i.e., the life-giving Word]!

Revelation 1:18

and the Living One. I was dead, and see, I am [now] alive forever and ever! And I possess the keys of death and of the unseen place of departed spirits.

Revelation 1:5

[It is also] from Jesus Christ, who is the Faithful Witness [to the truth], the Firstborn from the dead [i.e., the first One raised never to die again], the Ruler of the kings of the world. May there be honor and power forever and ever to Christ, who loved us and released us from our sins by His blood [Note: Some manuscripts say “washed us” since the two Greek words are spelled almost alike].

Revelation 1:8

“I am the Alpha and the Omega” [Note: These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and indicate “the beginning and the end” See 21:6], says the Lord God Almighty, who is [in the present], and who was [in the past] and who will come [in the future].

Revelation 11:15

Then the seventh angel sounded its trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord [i.e., God] and of His Christ, and He will rule forever and ever.”

Revelation 21:6

Then He said to me, “These things have already happened. [Note: These words express the certainty of what has been predicted in this book, even though not all the events had actually taken place yet]. I am the Alpha and the Omega [See note at 1:8], the beginning and the end. I will give the person who is [spiritually] thirsty [a drink] from the spring of water of life without his having to pay for it.

Revelation 22:13

I am the Alpha and the Omega [See note at 1:8], the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Revelation 3:14

“Write [this] to the angel of the church at Laodicia: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the source [or, ruler] of God’s creation [See John 1:3; Heb. 1:1-2]: