He is alsoheadof the body,the church;and He is the beginning,the firstbornfrom the dead,sothat He Himselfwill cometo have first placein everything.
"I alsoshall makehim [My] firstborn,The highestof the kingsof the earth.
"My belovedis dazzlingand ruddy,Outstandingamongtenthousand.
Behold,My servantwill prosper,He will be highand liftedup and greatlyexalted.
"But do not be calledRabbi;for Oneis your Teacher,and you are allbrothers.
And Jesuscameup and spoketo them, saying,"Allauthorityhas been givento Me in heavenand on earth.
In the beginningwas the Word,and the Wordwas with God,and the Wordwas God.
For of His fullnesswe have allreceived,and graceupon grace.
"[It is] He who comesafterme, the thongof whosesandalI amnot worthyto untie."
that the Christwas to suffer,[and] that by reasonof [His] resurrectionfrom the deadHe wouldbe the firstto proclaimlightbothto the [Jewish] peopleand to the Gentiles."
For those whomHe foreknew,He alsopredestined[to become] conformedto the imageof His Son,sothat He would be the firstbornamongmanybrethren;
But I wantyou to understandthat Christis the headof everyman,and the manis the headof a woman,and Godis the headof Christ.
Nowyou are Christ'sbody,and individuallymembersof it.
For He mustreignuntilHe has putallHis enemiesunderHis feet.
with a viewto an administrationsuitableto the fullnessof the times,[that is], the summingup of all thingsin Christ,things in the heavensand things on the earth.In Him
For the husbandis the headof the wife,as Christalsois the headof the church,He Himself[being] the Saviorof the body.
NowI rejoicein my sufferingsfor your sake,and in my fleshI do my shareon behalfof His body,whichis the church,in fillingup whatis lackingin Christ'safflictions.
and not holding fastto the head,from whomthe entirebody,being suppliedand held togetherby the jointsand ligaments,growswith a growthwhich is from God.
Whatwas from the beginning,whatwe have heard,whatwe have seenwith our eyes,whatwe have lookedat and touchedwith our hands,concerningthe Wordof Life--
and the livingOne; and I was dead,and behold,I amaliveforevermore,and I havethe keysof deathand of Hades.
and from JesusChrist,the faithfulwitness,the firstbornof the dead,and the rulerof the kingsof the earth.To Him who lovesus and releasedus from our sinsby His blood--
"I amthe Alphaand the Omega,"saysthe LordGod,"who is and whowas and who is to come,the Almighty."
Thenthe seventhangelsounded;and there were loudvoicesin heaven,saying,"The kingdomof the worldhas become[the kingdom] of our Lordand of His Christ;and He will reignforeverand ever."
ThenHe saidto me, "It is done.I am the Alphaand the Omega,the beginningand the end.I will giveto the one who thirstsfrom the springof the waterof lifewithout cost.
"I am the Alphaand the Omega,the firstand the last,the beginningand the end."
"To the angelof the churchin Laodiceawrite:The Amen,the faithfuland true Witness,the Beginningof the creationof God,saysthis:
