But if there is anything repugnant to New Testament Christianity, it would be the idea that

the universe operates independently from the will of God and from the power of Christ.

He's the origin of your existence.

He's the destiny of your existence.

The doctrine of providence is not isolated from Christology, but is focused in the person

and work of Christ.

One of the basic themes of the epistle to the Colossians is the cosmic dimension of Christ.

Less than a Christian should think that Jesus Christ is only involved with a parochial concern,

namely the church.

That's not the portrait that we have of him in the New Testament, but rather he is portrayed

as the king of the universe, a king with cosmic scope, cosmic authority, and cosmic majesty.

And here we're told that in him all things were created.

Both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions,

rulers or authorities, all things have been created.

Now the author changes his adjective, have been created through him.

First he said that things were created in him.

Now he says that all things were created through him and for him.

So the universe is said to be created by Christ, through Christ, in Christ, and for Christ.

He is not only the author of creation, biblically, but there is a sense in which Christ becomes

the goal of creation.

Notice how he speaks of himself descriptively in his revelation to John on the olive patmos

where he identifies himself as the one who is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and

...