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How should we understand the words, “in him all things were created” in Col 1.16? Although commonly taken to mean Christ created the universe, this view has contextual, structural, and exegetical problems. In what follows I’ll name six problems with old-creation readings before laying out why a new creation approach makes sense. I presented this talk at the 2025 Unitarian Christian Alliance (UCA) conference in Uxbridge, England. Scroll down to see the full-length paper. For those listening to the audio, here’s a quick reference to Colossians 1.15-20 Strophe 1 (Col 1.15-18a) 15a      who is (the) image of the invisible God, 15b      firstborn of all creation 16a      for in him were created all things 16b                  in the heavens and upon the earth, 16c                  the visible and the invisible, 16d                  whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities 16e      all things have been created through him and for him 17a      and he is before all things 17b      and all things hold together in him 18a      and he is the head of the body of the Church,[12] Strophe 2 (Col 1.18b-20) 18b      who is (the) beginning, 18c      firstborn from the dead, 18d                  in order that he may be first in all things, 19        for in him was pleased all the fulness to dwell 20a      and through him to reconcile all things in him, 20b      making peace through the blood of his cross 20c                  whether the things upon the earth 20d                  or the things in the heavens Here’s Randy Leedy’s New Testament Diagram Here are the slides in the original PowerPoint format Download [13.82 MB] Here are the slides converted to PDF Loading... Taking too long? Reload document | Open in new tab Download [3.16 MB] To read the paper, simply scroll down or read it on Academia.edu.   Listen on Spotify   Listen on Apple Podcasts —— Links —— Check out these other papers by Sean Finnegan Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Finnegan on X @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play it out on the air Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here Get Finnegan’s book, Kingdom Journey to learn about God’s kingdom coming on earth as well as the story of how Christianity lost this pearl of great price. Get the transcript of this episode Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Below is the paper presented on July 25, 2025 in Uxbridge, England at the 2nd annual UCA UK Conference. Access this paper on Academia.edu to get the pdf. Full text is below, including bibliography and end notes. Colossians 1.16: Old Creation or New Creation? by Sean P. Finnegan Abstract  How should we understand the words, “in him all things were created” in Col 1.16? Although commonly taken to mean Christ created the universe, this view has contextual, structural, and exegetical problems. In what follows, I will explain the difficulties with the various old creation readings of Col 1.16 along with five reasons for a new creation approach. Then I'll provide a new creation reading of Col 1.16 before summarizing my findings in the conclusion. Introduction  Colossians 1.15-20 is a fascinating text of great importance for Christology. Commonly understood to be a hymn, it is fascinating in its cosmic scope and elevated Christology. Although many commentators interpret Paul[1] to say that Christ created the universe in his pre-existent state in Col 1.16, not all scholars see it that way. For example, Edward Schillebeeckx writes, “There is no mention in this text of pre-existence in the Trinitarian sense.”[2] Rather he sees “an eschatological pre-existence, characteristic of wisdom and apocalyptic.”[3] G. B. Caird agreed that Paul's focus in Col. 1.15-20 was not pre-existence (contra Lightfoot), rather, “The main thread of Paul's thought, then, is the manhood of Christ.”[4] In other words, “All that has been said in vv. 15-18 can be said of the historical Jesus.”[5] James Dunn also denied that Paul saw Christ as God's agent in creation in Col 1.15-20, claiming that such an interpretation was “to read imaginative metaphor in a pedantically literal way.”[6] James McGrath argued that “Jesus is the one through whom God's new creation takes place.” [7] Andrew Perriman likewise noted, “There is no reference to the creation of heaven and earth, light and darkness, sea and dry land, lights in the heavens, vegetation, or living creatures,”[8] also preferring a new creation approach.[9] To understand why such a broad range of scholars diverge from the old creation interpretation of Col 1.16, we will examine several contextual, structural, and exegetical problems. While explaining these, I'll also put forward four reasons to interpret Col 1.16 as new creation. Then I'll provide a fifth before giving a new creation reading of Col 1.15-20. But before going any further, let's familiarize ourselves with the text and structure. The Form of Col 1.15-20  To get our bearings, let me begin by providing a translation,[10] carefully structured to show the two strophes.[11] Strophe 1 (Col 1.15-18a) 15a      who is (the) image of the invisible God, 15b      firstborn of all creation 16a      for in him were created all things 16b                  in the heavens and upon the earth, 16c                  the visible and the invisible, 16d                  whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities 16e      all things have been created through him and for him 17a      and he is before all things 17b      and all things hold together in him 18a      and he is the head of the body of the Church,[12] Strophe 2 (Col 1.18b-20) 18b      who is (the) beginning, 18c      firstborn from the dead, 18d                  in order that he may be first in all things, 19        for in him was pleased all the fulness to dwell 20a      and through him to reconcile all things in him, 20b      making peace through the blood of his cross 20c                  whether the things upon the earth 20d                  or the things in the heavens Here I've followed the two-strophe structure (1.15-18a and 18b-20) noted more than a century ago by the classical philologist Eduard Norden[13] and repeated by James Robinson,[14] Edward Lohse,[15] Edward Schweizer,[16] James Dunn,[17] Ben Witherington III,[18] and William Lane[19] among others. By lining up the parallel lines of the two strophes, we can clearly see the poetic form. Strophe 1 15a who is (the) image… 15b firstborn of all creation 16a for in him were created all things… 16e  all things have been created through him… Strophe 2 18b who is (the) beginning, 18c firstborn from the dead … 19 for in him was pleased all… 20a and through him to reconcile all things in him… Such striking repeated language between the two strophes means that we should be careful to maintain the parallels between them and not take a grammatical or exegetical position on a word or phrase that would disconnect it from the parallel line in the other strophe. Some scholars, including F. F. Bruce,[20] Michael Bird,[21] David Pao,[22] among others proposed vv. 17-18a as an independent transitional link between the two strophes. Lohse explained the motivation for this unlikely innovation as follows. Above all, it is curious that at the end of the first, cosmologically oriented strophe, Christ is suddenly referred to as the “head of the body, the church” (1:18a κεφαλή τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας). Considering its content, this statement would have to be connected with the second strophe which is characterized by soteriological statements. The structure of the hymn, however, places it in the first strophe.[23] For interpreters who prefer to think of the first strophe as cosmogony and the second as soteriology, a line about Christ's headship over the church doesn't fit very well. They restructure the form based on their interpretation of the content. Such a policy reverses the order of operations. One should determine the form and then interpret the content in light of structure. Lohse was right to reject the addition of a new transitional bridge between the two strophes. He called it “out of the question” since vv. 17-18a underscore “all things” and “serve as a summary that brings the first strophe to a conclusion.”[24] Now that we've oriented ourselves to some degree, let's consider old creation readings of Col 1.16 and the problems that arise when reading it that way. Old Creation Readings  Within the old creation paradigm for Col 1.16 we can discern three groups: those who see (A) Christ as the agent by whom God created, (B) Wisdom as the agent, and (C) Christ as the purpose of creation. Although space won't allow me to interact with each of these in detail, I will offer a brief critique of these three approaches. As a reminder, here is our text in both Greek and English. Colossians 1.16 16a      ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα 16b                  ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, 16c                  τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα, 16d                  εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι· 16e      τὰ πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται· 16a      for in him were created all things 16b                  in the heavens and upon the earth, 16c                  the visible and the invisible, 16d                  whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities 16e      all things have been created through him and for him 1. Christ as the Agent of Creation Scot McKnight is representative in his claim that “The emphasis of the first stanza is Christ as the agent of creation … and the second is Christ as the agent of redemption.”[25] This view sees the phrase “in him were created all things” as Christ creating the universe in the beginning. However, this position has six problems with it. Firstly, the context of the poem—both before (vv. 13-14) and after (vv. 21-22)—is clearly soteriological not cosmogonical.[26] By inserting vv. 15-20 into the text after vv. 13-14, Paul connected the two together.[27] V. 15 begins with ὅς ἐστιν (who is), which makes it grammatically dependent on vv. 13-14. “It is widely accepted,” wrote Dunn, “that this passage is a pre-Pauline hymn interpolated and interpreted to greater or less extent by Paul.”[28] By placing the poem into a redemptive frame, Paul indicated how he interpreted it. The fact that God “rescued us from the authority of darkness and transferred (us) into the kingdom of his beloved son” is the controlling context (v. 13).[29] As I will show below, I believe vv. 15-20 are ecclesiology not protology, since ecclesiology naturally flows from soteriology. Rather than remaining in the old domain of darkness, vulnerable to malevolent spiritual powers of this age, Colossian Christians are transferred into the new domain of Christ. The context makes it more natural to interpret the creation language of vv. 15-16 in light of Christ's redemptive work—as references to new creation rather than old creation. Doing so retains the contextual frame rather than jumping back to the beginning of time. A second problem arises when we consider the phrase “image of the invisible God” in v. 15. Although some see a Stoic or Wisdom reference here, I agree with F. F. Bruce who said, “No reader conversant with the OT scriptures, on reading these words of Paul, could fail to be reminded of the statement in Gen. 1:26f., that man was created by God ‘in his own image.'”[30] Immediately after making humanity in his own image, God blessed us with dominion over the earth. Philo also connected humanity's image of God with “the rulership over the earthly realms.”[31] But if the Christ of v. 15 is the pre-existent son prior to his incarnation, as the old creation model posits, “How can he be the ‘image of God,'” asked Eduard Schweizer, since “the one who is thus described here is not the earthly Jesus?”[32] It is precisely by virtue of his humanity that Jesus is the image of God not his pre-existence.[33] Thus, image-of-God language points us to the creation of a new humanity. A third problem is that “firstborn of all creation” prima facia implies that Christ is a member of creation (a partitive genitive). This is how Paul thought about Christ as firstborn in Rom 8.29 when he called Christ “firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Clearly he saw Christ as a member of the “ἀδελφοῖς” (brothers and sisters). Furthermore, “πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως” (firstborn of all creation) in v. 15 parallels “πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν” (firstborn from the dead) v. 18. Although the former (v. 15) can be taken as a genitive of subordination (firstborn over creation) or as a partitive genitive (firstborn of creation), the latter (v. 18) is unambiguously partitive. Because v. 18 includes the word ἐκ (from/out of), instead of a multivalent genitive, it must mean that Jesus was himself a member of the dead prior to his resurrection. Likewise, he was the firstborn member of creation. To take v. 15 as a genitive of subordination and v. 18 in a partitive sense allows theology to drive exegesis over against the clear structural link between v. 15b and v. 18c. In fact, as the BDAG noted, Christ is “the firstborn of a new humanity.”[34] He is chronologically born first and, by virtue of that, also preeminent.[35] Fourthly, the phrase, “ἐν αὐτῷ” (in him), implies soteriology not protology as it does throughout the Pauline corpus. The prepositional phrases “in Christ,” “in the Lord,” “in him,” and others that are similar occur more than a hundred times in Paul's epistles. McKnight elucidated the sense nicely: “This expression, then, is the inaugurated eschatological reality into which the Christian has been placed, and it also evokes the new-creation realities that a person discovers.”[36] Creation in Christ is not likely to refer to Genesis creation. In fact, apart from Col 1.16, there is no text within Paul or the rest of the Bible that speaks of the origin of the universe as something created “in Christ.”[37] Sadly translators routinely obscure this fact by translating “ἐν αὐτῷ” as “by him.”[38] Amazingly, the NASB and ESV render “ἐν αὐτῷ” as “in him” in every other usage apart from Col 1.16![39] For the sake of consistency, it makes better sense to render “ἐν αὐτῷ” as “in him” and let the reader decide how to interpret it. Fifthly, the line, “and he is the head of the body, the Church” (v. 18a) clearly roots the first strophe in redemptive history not creation. Our English translations follow Robert Estienne's verse divisions, which confusingly combine the last line of the first strophe (v. 18a) and the first line of the second (v. 18b), obscuring the native poetic structure. As I made the case above, the structure of the text breaks into two strophes with v. 18a included in the first one. As I mentioned earlier, vv. 15-20 are a pre-existing poem that Paul has modified and incorporated into the text of Colossians. Ralph Martin pointed out that the poem contains “no less than five hapax legomena” and “about ten non-Pauline expressions.”[40] Additionally, there appear to be awkward additions that disrupt the symmetry. These additions are the most explicitly Christian material. It is likely that the original said, “and he is the head of the body” to which Paul appended “the church.” Edward Schillebeeckx commented on this. In Hellenistic terms this must primarily mean that he gives life and existence to the cosmos. Here, however, Colossians drastically corrects the ideas … The correction made by Colossians is to understand ‘body' as a reference to the church, and not the cosmos. This alters the whole perspective of the cultural and religious setting … The cosmic background is reinterpreted in terms of salvation history and ecclesiology. In fact Christ is already exercising his lordship over the world now … however, he is doing this only as the head of the church, his body, to which he gives life and strength. Thus Colossians claims that the church alone, rather than the cosmos, is the body of Christ.[41] If this is true, it shows Paul's careful concern to disallow a strictly old creation or protological reading of the first strophe. For by inserting “of the church,” he has limited the context of the first strophe to the Christ event. “The addition of ‘the church,'” wrote Dunn, “indicates that for Paul at any rate the two strophes were not dealing with two clearly distinct subjects (cosmology and soteriology).”[42] Karl-Joseph Kuschel wrote, “The answer would seem to be he wanted to ‘disturb' a possible cosmological-protological fancy in the confession of Christ … to prevent Christ from becoming a purely mythical heavenly being.”[43] Thus Paul's addition shows us he interpreted the creation of v16 as new creation. Lastly, theological concerns arise when taking Col 1.16 as old creation. The most obvious is that given the partitive genitive of v. 15, we are left affirming the so-called Arian position that God created Christ as the firstborn who, in turn, created everything else. Another thorn in the side of this view is God's insistence elsewhere to be the solo creator (Isa 44.24; cf. 45.18). On the strength of this fact, modalism comes forward to save the day while leaving new problems in its wake. However, recognizing Col 1.15-20 as new creation avoids such theological conundrums. 2. Wisdom as the Agent of Creation Dustin Smith noted, “The christological hymn contains no less than nine characteristics of the wisdom of God (e.g., “image,” “firstborn,” agent of creation, preceding all things, holding all things together) that are reapplied to the figure of Jesus.”[44] Some suggest that Col 1.15-20 is actually a hymn to Wisdom that Paul Christianized.[45] The idea is that God created the universe through his divine Wisdom, which is now embodied or incarnate in Christ. Dunn explained it as follows. If then Christ is what God's power/wisdom came to be recognized as, of Christ it can be said what was said first of wisdom—that ‘in him (the divine wisdom now embodied in Christ) were created all things.' In other words the language may be used here to indicate the continuity between God's creative power and Christ without the implication being intended that Christ himself was active in creation.[46] Before pointing out some problems, I must admit much of this perspective is quite noncontroversial. That Jewish literature identified Wisdom as God's creative agent, that there are linguistic parallels between Col 1.15-20 and Wisdom, and that the historical Jesus uniquely embodied Wisdom to an unprecedented degree are not up for debate. Did Paul expect his readers to pick up on the linguistic parallels? Afterall, he could have just said “in her were created all things” in v. 16, clearly making the connection with the grammatically feminine σοφία (Wisdom). Better yet, he could have said, “in Wisdom were created all things.” Even if the poem was originally to Wisdom, Paul has thoroughly Christianized it, applying to Christ what had been said of Wisdom. However, the most significant defeater for this view is that applying Wisdom vocabulary to Christ only works one way. Wisdom has found her home in Christ. This doesn't mean we can attribute to Christ what Wisdom did before she indwelt him any more than we can attribute to the living descendants of Nazis the horrific deeds of their ancestors. Perriman's critique is correct: “The point is not that the act of creation was Christlike, rather the reverse: recent events have been creation-like. The death and resurrection of Jesus are represented as the profoundly creative event in which the wisdom of God is again dynamically engaged, by which a new world order has come about.”[47] Once again a new creation approach makes better sense of the text. 3. Christ as the Purpose of Creation Another approach is to take ἐν αὐτῷ (in him) in a telic sense. Martha King, a linguist with SIL, said the phrase can mean “in association with Christ everything was created” or “in connection with Christ all things were created.”[48] Lexicographer, Joseph Thayer, sharpened the sense with the translation, “[I]n him resides the cause why all things were originally created.”[49] William MacDonald's translation brought this out even more with the phrase, “because for him everything … was created.”[50] The idea is that God's act of creation in the beginning was with Christ in view. As Eric Chang noted, “Christ is the reason God created all things.”[51] G. B. Caird said, “He is the embodiment of that purpose of God which underlies the whole creation.”[52] The idea is one of predestination not agency.[53] Christ was the goal for which God created all things. A weakness of this view is that purpose is better expressed using εἰς or δία with an accusative than ἐν. Secondly, the parallel line in the second strophe (v. 19) employs “ἐν αὐτῷ” in a clearly locative sense: “in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell.” So even though “ἐν αὐτῷ” could imply purpose, in this context it much more likely refers to location. Lastly, Paul mentioned the sense of purpose at the end of v. 16 with “εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται” (for him has been created), so it would be repetitive to take “ἐν αὐτῷ” that way as well. To sum up, the three positions that see Col 1.16 as a reference to old creation all have significant problems. With these in mind, let us turn our attention to consider a fourth possibility: that Paul has in mind new creation. Reasons for a New Creation Reading I've already provided four reasons why Col 1.15-20 refers to new creation: (1) calling Christ the image of God points to the new humanity begun in Christ as the last Adam;[54] (2) since the firstborn of the old creation was Adam (or, perhaps, Seth), Jesus must be the firstborn of the new creation; (3) saying Jesus is the head of the church, limits the focus for the first strophe to the time following the Christ event; (4) the context of the poem, both before (vv. 13-14) and after (vv. 21-22) is soteriological, making an old creation paradigm awkward, while a new creation view fits perfectly. The Catholic priest and professor, Franz Zeilinger, summarized the situation nicely: “Christ is (through his resurrection from the realm of death) Lord over the possession granted to him, of which he is the ἀρχή (beginning) and archetype, … and head and beginning of the eschatological new creation!”[55] Additionally, a new creation paradigm fits best with Paul's elaboration of what visible and invisible things in heaven and on earth he has in mind. Once again, here's our text. 16a      for in him were created all things 16b                  in the heavens and upon the earth, 16c                  the visible and the invisible, 16d                  whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities 16e      all things have been created through him and for him By specifying thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities, we discern Paul's train of thought. Form critics are quick to point out that v. 16d is Paul's addition to the poem. Without it, the reader may have thought of sky, land, and animals—old creation. However, with v. 16d present, we direct our attention to political realities not God's creative power or engineering genius. Martha King noted the two possible meanings for εἴτε: (1) specifying the “invisible things” or (2) giving examples of “all things.” Taking the second view, we read “in him were created all things, including thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities.”[56] Randy Leedy also presented this position in his sentence diagrams, identifying v. 16d as equivalent to v. 16c and v. 16b, all of which modify τὰ πάντα (all things) at the end of v. 16a. (See Appendix for Leedy's diagram.) Perriman pressed home the point when he wrote: The fact is that any interpretation that takes verse 16 to be a reference to the original creation has to account for the narrow range of created things explicitly listed. … The Colossians verse mentions only the creation of political entities—thrones, lordships, rulers and authorities, visible and invisible—either in the already existing heaven or on the already existing and, presumably, populated earth. What this speaks of is a new governmental order consisting of both invisible-heavenly and visibly-earthly entities.”[57] Understanding v. 16d as equivalent to “all things” in v. 16a nicely coheres with a new-creation paradigm. However, taken the other way—as an elaboration of only the invisible created realities—v. 16d introduces an asymmetrical and clumsy appendix. A New Creation Reading of Col 1.16 Now that we've considered some problems with old creation views and some reasons to read Col 1.16 from a new creation perspective, let's consider how a new creation reading works. New creation is all about the new breaking into the old, the future into the present. G. F. Wessels said, “Paul made clear that there is a present realized aspect of salvation, as well as a future, still outstanding aspect, which will only be realized at the eschaton.”[58] New creation, likewise, has future and present realities. Exiting Old Creation Before becoming part of the new creation, one must exit the old creation. “Our old humanity was co-crucified“ (Rom 6.6). “With Christ you died to the elemental principles of the world” (Col 2.20). “As many as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into his death” (Rom 6.3). We were “co-buried with him through baptism into the death … having been united with the likeness of his death” (Rom 6.4-5). Our death with him through baptism kills our allegiance and submission to the old powers and the old way of life “in which you formerly walked according to the zeitgeist of this world, according to the rule of the authority of the air, the spirit which now works in the children of disobedience” (Eph 2.2). Entering New Creation As death is the only way out of the old creation, so resurrection is the only way into the new creation. “You have been co-raised with Christ” (Col 3.1). God “co-made-alive us together with him” (Col 2.13).[59] By virtue of our union with Christ, we ourselves are already “co-raised and co-seated us in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2.6). The result of this is that “we also may walk in newness of life” (Rom 6.4). For those who are “in Christ, (there is) a new creation; the old has passed away, behold (the) new has come into existence” (2 Cor 5.17). “They have been ‘transported,'” wrote Schillebeeckx, “they already dwell above in Christ's heavenly sphere of influence (Col 1.13)—the soma Christou … that is the church!”[60] Community For the people of God, “neither circumcision is anything nor uncircumcision but a new creation” is what matters (Gal 6.15). Those who “are clothed with the new” are “being renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created, where there is no Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, (or) free, but Christ (is) all and in all” (Col 3.10-11). Through Christ God has nullified the law “in order that he might create the two into one new humanity in him” (Eph 2.14-15). Thus, within new creation, ethnic identity still exists, but it is relativized, our identity in Christ taking priority ahead of other affiliations and duties. Lifestyle When the lost become saved through faith, they become his creation (ποίημα), “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph 2.10). This means we are to “lay aside the former way of life, the old humanity corrupted according to deceitful desires” and instead be clothed with “the new humanity created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph 4.22-24). Rather than lying to one another, we must “strip off the old humanity with its way of acting” and “be clothed with the new (humanity), renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it” (Col 3.9-10). “The ones who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts” and instead “walk by the spirit” (Gal 5.24-25). Ultimately, All Creation Although new creation is currently limited to those who voluntarily recognize Jesus as Lord, all “creation is waiting with eager expectation for the unveiling of the children of God” (Rom 8.19). Because of the Christ event, the created order eagerly awaits the day when it will escape “the enslavement of corruption” and gain “the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (v. 21). Like a bone out of joint, creation does not function properly. Once Christ sets it right, it will return to its proper order and operation under humanity's wise and capable rulership in the eschaton. Eschatology God predetermined that those who believe will be “conformed to the image of his son, that he be firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Rom 8.29). Thus, the resurrected Christ is the prototype, “the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15.20). Whereas “in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (v. 22). We await Christ's return to “transform the body of our humble station (that it be) shaped to his glorious body according to the energy which makes him able to also to subject all things to himself.” (Phil 3.21). This is the end goal of new creation: resurrected subjects of God's kingdom joyfully living in a renewed world without mourning, crying, and pain forevermore (Isa 65.17-25; Rev 21-22). The Powers Taking Col 1.16 as a new creation text adds key information about the present governing powers to this richly textured picture. In Christ God created thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities. He made these through Christ and for Christ with the result that Christ himself is before all things, and in Christ all things hold together (Col 1.17). He is the head of the body, the Church (Col 1.18). We find very similar language repeated in Ephesians in the context of Christ's exaltation.[61] Ephesians 1.20-23 20 Which [power] he energized in Christ having raised him from the dead and seated (him) on his right (hand) in the heavenlies 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name named, not only in this age but also in the one to come; 22 and he subjected all things under his feet and gave him (as) head over all things in the Church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in all. The parallels are striking. Both speak of Christ's resurrection, Christ's exalted position of authority over all the powers, Christ's role as head of the church, and both mention the fullness. It's easy to miss the connection between these two passages since most think of Eph 1.20-22 as ascension theology and Col 1.15-20 as creation theology. But, if we adjust our thinking to regard Col 1.16 as new creation, we see how the two fit together. In Ephesians we see Christ's ascension to God's right hand as the reason for a cosmic reordering of authorities with the result that all rule, authority, power, and dominion are subjected to him. (Though we may be accustomed to reading these powers in Eph 1.21 as only malevolent owing to Eph 2.2 and 6.12, the list here must be mixed, since only benevolent powers will survive the final judgement and continue into the age to come.) Instead of exaltation, in Colossians Paul employed the language of creation to describe Christ's relation to the powers. Perhaps lesser terms like reassign, reorder, or establish were just too small to adequately express the magnitude of how the Christ event has changed the world—both in heaven and on earth. The only term big enough to convey the new situation was “creation”—the very same word he routinely used elsewhere with the meaning of new creation.[62] We can gain more insight by considering what the powers of Eph 1.21 and Col 1.16 mean. McKnight saw them “as earthly, systemic manifestations of (perhaps fallen) angelic powers—hence, the systemic worldly, sociopolitical manifestations of cosmic/angelic rebellion against God.”[63] I partially agree with McKnight here. He's right to see the powers as both heavenly and earthly, or better, as the heavenly component of the earthly sociopolitical realities, but he has not made room for the new authority structures created in Christ. John Schoenheit helpfully explained it this way: Not only did Jesus create his Church out of Jew and Gentile, he had to create the structure and positions that would allow it to function, both in the spiritual world (positions for the angels that would minister to the Church—see Rev. 1:1, “his angel”) and in the physical world (positions and ministries here on earth—see Rom. 12:4-8; Eph. 4:7-11).[64] We must never forget that Paul has an apocalyptic worldview—a perspective that seeks to unveil the heavenly reality behind the earthly. He believed in powers of darkness and powers of light. In Christ were created thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities (Col 1.16). He is “the head of all rule and authority” (Col 2.10). These new creation realities make progress against the old powers that still hold sway in the world outside the Church. Although the old powers are still at work, those who are in Christ enjoy his protection. With respect to the Church, he has already “disarmed the rulers and authorities” (Col 2.15). We can don “the armor of God that we be able to stand against the methods of the devil” (Eph 6.11) and “subduing everything, to stand” (v. 13). We find glimpses of this heavenly reality scattered in other places in the Bible. Peter mentioned how Christ “is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and power having been subjected to him” (1 Pet 3.22). In John's Revelation, he addressed each of the seven letters to the angels of their respective churches.[65] Although it's hard for us to get details on precisely what happened at Christ's ascension, something major occurred, not just on earth, but also in the spiritual realm. Jesus's last recorded words in Matthew are: “all authority in heaven and upon earth was given to me” (Mat 28.18-20). Presumably such a statement implies that prior to his resurrection Jesus did not have all authority in heaven and earth. It didn't exist until it was created. Similarly, because of his death, resurrection, and ascension, Christ has “become so much better than the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to them” (Heb 1.4). Once again, the text implies that Christ was not already superior to the angels, but “after making purification of the sins, he sat on the right hand of the majesty on high” at which time he became preeminent (Heb 1.3). Perhaps this also explains something about why Christ “proclaimed to the spirits in prison” (1 Pet 3.19). Another possibility is that Christ's ascension (Rev 12.5) triggered a war in heaven (v. 7) with the result that the dragon and his angels suffered defeat (v. 8) and were thrown out of heaven down to the earth (v. 9). Sadly, for most of the history of the church we have missed this Jewish apocalyptic approach that was obvious to Paul, limiting salvation to individual sins and improved morality.[66] Only in the twentieth century did interpreters begin to see the cosmic aspect of new creation. Margaret Thrall wrote the following. The Christ-event is the turning-point of the whole world … This Christ ‘in whom' the believer lives is the last Adam, the inaugurator of the new eschatological humanity. … Paul is saying that if anyone exists ‘in Christ', that person is a newly-created being. … In principle, through the Christ-event and in the person of Christ, the new world and the new age are already objective realities.[67] New creation is, in the words of J. Louis Martyn “categorically cosmic and emphatically apocalyptic.”[68] In fact, “The advent of the Son and of his Spirit is thus the cosmic apocalyptic event.”[69] In Christ is the beginning of a whole new creation, an intersecting community of angelic and human beings spanning heaven and earth. The interlocking of earthly (visible) and heavenly (invisible) authority structures points to Paul's apocalyptic holism. The Church was not on her own to face the ravages of Rome's mad love affair with violence and power. In Christ, people were no longer susceptible to the whims of the gods that have wreaked so much havoc from time immemorial.[70] No, the Church is Christ's body under his direct supervision and protection. As a result, the Church is the eschatological cosmic community. It is not merely a social club; it has prophetic and cosmic dimensions. Prophetically, the Church points to the eschaton when all of humanity will behave then how the Church already strives to live now—by the spirit instead of the flesh (Gal 5.16-25). Cosmically, the Church is not confined to the earth. There is a heavenly dimension with authority structures instantiated under Christ to partner with the earthly assemblies. God's “plan for the fulness of the times” is “to head up all thing in the Christ, the things upon the heavens and the things upon the earth in him” (Eph 1.10). Although this is his eschatological vision, Zeilinger pointed out that it is already happening. [T]he eschatological world given in Christ is realized within the still-existing earthly creation through the inclusion of the human being in Christ, the exalted one, by means of the proclamation of salvation and baptism. The eschaton spreads throughout the world in the kerygma and becomes reality, in that the human being, through baptism, becomes part of Christ—that is, in unity with him, dies to the claim of the στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου (2.20) and is raised with him to receive his eschatological life. The people thus incorporated into the exalted Christ thereby form, in him and with him, the new creation of the eschaton within the old! The body of Christ is thus recognizable as the expanding Church. In it, heavenly and earthly space form, in a certain sense, a unity.[71] The Church is a counter society, and embassy of the future kingdom shining the light of the age to come into the present in the power of the spirit with the protection of Christ and his heavenly powers over against the powers of darkness, who/which are still quite active—especially in the political realities of our present evil age (Gal 1.4). We bend the knee to the cosmic Christ now in anticipation of the day when “every knee may bend: heavenly and earthly and subterranean” (Phil 2.10) and “every tongue may confess that Jesus Christ (is) Lord” (v. 11). Christ's destiny is to fulfil the original Adamic mandate to multiply, fill, and have dominion over the earth (Gen 1.28). He has already received all authority in heaven and earth (Mat 28.18). God has given him “dominion over the works of your hands and put all things under his feet” as the quintessential man (Ps 8.6). Even so, “Now we do not yet see all things subjected to him” (Heb 2.8), but when he comes “he will reign into the ages of the ages” (Rev 11.15). Until then, he calls the Church to recognize his preeminence and give him total allegiance both in word and deed. Conclusion We began by establishing that the structure of the poetic unit in Col 1.15-20 breaks into two strophes (15-18a and 18b-20). We noted that Paul likely incorporated pre-existing material into Colossians, editing it as he saw fit. Then we considered the problems with the three old creation readings: (A) Christ as the agent of creation, (B) Wisdom as the agent of creation, and (C) Christ as the purpose of creation. In the course of critiquing (A), which is by far most popular, we observed several reasons to think Col 1.16 pertained to new creation, including (1) the image of God language in v. 15a, (2) the firstborn of all creation language in v. 15b, (3) the head of the Church language in v. 18a, and (4) the soteriological context (frame) of the poem (vv. 13-14, 21-22). To this I added a fifth syntactical reason that 16d as an elaboration of “τἀ πάντα” (all things) of 16a. Next, we explored the idea of new creation, especially within Paul's epistles, to find a deep and richly textured paradigm for interpreting God's redemptive and expanding sphere of influence (in Christ) breaking into the hostile world. We saw that new Christians die and rise with Christ, ending their association with the old and beginning again as a part of the new—a community where old racial, legal, and status divisions no longer matter, where members put off the old way of living and instead become clothed with the new humanity, where people look forward to and live in light of the ultimate transformation to be brought about at the coming of Christ. Rather than limiting new creation to the salvation of individuals, or even the sanctifying experience of the community, we saw that it also includes spiritual powers both “in the heavens and upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities” (Col 1.16). Reading Col 1.15-20 along with Eph 1.20-23 we connected God's creation of the powers in Christ with his exaltation of Christ to his right hand “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Eph 1.21). The point from both texts is clear: as “the head of the body, the Church” (Col 1.18; Eph 1.22), Christ is “before all things” (Col 1.17), “first in all things” (Col 1.18), and “far above all” (Eph 1.21), since God has “subjected all things under his feet” (Eph 1.22). Christ is preeminent as the firstborn of all new creation, “the new Adam … the starting point where new creation took place.”[72] Although the old powers still hold sway in the world, those in the interlocked heaven-and-earth new creation domain where Christ is the head, enjoy his protection if they remain “in the faith established and steadfast and not shifting away from the hope of the gospel” (Col 1.23). This interpretation has several significant advantages. It fits into Paul's apocalyptic way of thinking about Christ's advent and exaltation. It also holds together the first strophe of the poem as a unit. Additionally, it makes better sense of the context. (The ecclesiology of Col 1.15-18a follows logically from the soteriological context of vv. 13-14.) Lastly, it is compatible with a wide range of Christological options. Appendix Here is Col 1.16 from Leedy's sentence diagrams.[73] Of note is how he equates the τὰ πάντα of 16a with 16c and 16d rather than seeing 16d as an elaboration of τά ὁρατά. Bibliography Bauer, Walter, Frederick William  Danker, William F. Arndt, F. Gingrich, Kurt Aland, Barbara Aland, and Viktor Reichmann. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000. Bird, Michael F. Colossians and Philemon. A New Covenant Commentary. Cambridge, England: The Lutterworth Press, 2009. Brown, Anna Shoffner. “Nothing ‘Mere’ About a Man in the Image of God.” Paper presented at the Unitarian Christian Alliance, Springfield, OH, Oct 14, 2022. Bruce, E. K. Simpson and F. F. The Epistles to the Ephesians and the Colossians. The New International Commentary on the New Testament, edited by Ned B. Stonehouse. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1957. Buzzard, Anthony F. Jesus Was Not a Trinitarian. Morrow, GA: Restoration Fellowship, 2007. Caird, G. B. New Testament Theology. Edited by L. D. Hurst. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 2002. Caird, G. B. Paul’s Letters from Prison. New Clarendon Bible, edited by H. F. D. Sparks. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1976. Carden, Robert. One God: The Unfinished Reformation. Revised ed. Naperville, IL: Grace Christian Press, 2016. Chang, Eric H. H. The Only Perfect Man. Edited by Bentley C. F. Chang. 2nd ed. Montreal, QC: Christian Disciples Church Publishers, 2017. Deuble, Jeff. Christ before Creeds. Latham, NY: Living Hope International Ministries, 2021. Dunn, James D. G. Christology in the Making. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996. Dunn, James D. G. The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon. New International Greek Testament Commentary, edited by Gasque Marshall, Hagner. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996. Heiser, Michael S. The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019. King, Martha. An Exegetical Summary of Colossians. Dallas, TX: SIL International, 1992. Kuschel, Karl-Joseph. Born before All Time? Translated by John Bowden. New York, NY: Crossroad, 1992. Originally published as Beforen vor aller Zeit? Lane, William L. The New Testament Page by Page. Open Your Bible Commentary, edited by Martin Manser. Bath, UK: Creative 4 International, 2013. Leedy, Randy A. The Greek New Testament Sentence Diagrams. Norfolk, VA: Bible Works, 2006. Lohse, Edward. Colossians and Philemon. Hermeneia. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1971. MacDonald, William Graham. The Idiomatic Translation of the New Testament. Norfolk, VA: Bibleworks, 2012. Mark H. Graeser, John A. Lynn, John W. Schoenheit. One God & One Lord. 4th ed. Martinsville, IN: Spirit & Truth Fellowship International, 2010. Martin, Ralph. “An Early Christian Hymn (Col. 1:15-20).” The Evangelical Quarterly 36, no. 4 (1964): 195–205. Martyn, J. Louis. Theological Issues in the Letters of Paul. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1997. McGrath, James F. The Only True God: Early Christian Monotheism in Its Jewish Context. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2009. McKnight, Scot. The Letter to the Colossians. New International Commentary on the New Testament, edited by Joel B. Green. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2018. Norden, Eduard. Agnostos Theos: Untersuchungen Zur Formengeschichte Religiöser Rede. 4th ed. Stuttgart, Germany: B. G. Teubner, 1956. Originally published as 1913. Pao, David. Colossians and Philemon. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary of the New Testament, edited by Clinton E. Arnold. Grand Rapid, MI: Zondervan, 2012. Perriman, Andrew. In the Form of a God. Studies in Early Christology, edited by David Capes Michael Bird, and Scott Harrower. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2022. Philo. The Works of Philo. The Norwegian Philo Concordance Project. Edited by Kåre Fuglseth Peder Borgen, Roald Skarsten. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2005. Robinson, James M. “A Formal Analysis of Colossians 1:15-20.” Journal of Biblical Literature 76, no. 4 (1957): 270–87. Schillebeeckx, Eduard. Christ: The Experience of Jesus as Lord. Translated by John Bowden. New York, NY: The Seabury Press, 1977. Schoberg, Gerry. Perspectives of Jesus in the Writings of Paul. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2013. Schweizer, Eduard. The Letter to the Colossians. Translated by Andrew Chester. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House, 1982. Smith, Dustin R. Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2024. Snedeker, Donald R. Our Heavenly Father Has No Equals. Bethesda, MD: International Scholars Publications, 1998. Thayer, Joseph Henry. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996. Thrall, Margaret. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Vol. 1. The International Critical Commentary, edited by C. E. B. Cranfield J. A. Emerton, G. N. Stanton. Edinburgh, Scotland: T&T Clark, 1994. Wachtel, William M. “Colossians 1:15-20–Preexistence or Preeminence?” Paper presented at the 14th Theological Conference, McDonough, GA, 2005. Wessels, G. F. “The Eschatology of Colossians and Ephesians.” Neotestamentica 21, no. 2 (1987): 183–202. Witherington III, Ben The Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary of the Captivity Epistles. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007. Yates, Roy. The Epistle to the Colossians. London: Epworth Press, 1993. Zeilinger, Franz. Der Erstgeborene Der Schöpfung. Wien, Österreich: Herder, 1974. Footnotes [1] Since the nineteenth century biblical scholars have been divided over whether Paul wrote Colossians. One of the major reasons for thinking Paul didn't write Colossians is his exalted Christology—the very conclusion this paper seeks to undermine. A second major factor to argue against Pauline authorship is the difference in vocabulary, but this is explainable if Paul used a different amanuensis. The theologically more cosmic emphasis (also evident in Ephesians) is likely due to Paul's time in prison to reflect and expand his understanding of the Christ event. Lastly, the proto-Gnostic hints in Colossians do not require dating the epistle outside of Paul's time. Although Gnosticism flourished at the beginning of the second century, it was likely already beginning to incubate in Paul's time. [2] Eduard Schillebeeckx, Christ: The Experience of Jesus as Lord, trans. John Bowden (New York, NY: The Seabury Press, 1977), 185. [3] Schillebeeckx, 185. [4] G. B. Caird, Paul’s Letters from Prison, New Clarendon Bible, ed. H. F. D. Sparks (Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1976), 177. [5] Caird, 181. [6] James D. G. Dunn, The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon, New International Greek Testament Commentary, ed. Gasque Marshall, Hagner (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996), 91. “[W]hat at first reads as a straightforward assertion of Christ's pre-existenct activity in creation becomes on closer analysis an assertion which is rather more profound—not of Christ as such present with God in the beginning, nor of Christ as identified with a pre-existent hypostasis or divine being (Wisdom) beside God, but of Christ as embodying and expressing (and defining) that power of God which is the manifestation of God in and to his creation.” (Italics in original.) James D. G. Dunn, Christology in the Making, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996), 194. [7] James F. McGrath, The Only True God: Early Christian Monotheism in Its Jewish Context (Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2009), 46. [8] Andrew Perriman, In the Form of a God, Studies in Early Christology, ed. David Capes Michael Bird, and Scott Harrower (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2022), 200. [9] In addition, biblical unitarians routinely interpret Col 1.16 as new creation. See Anthony F. Buzzard, Jesus Was Not a Trinitarian (Morrow, GA: Restoration Fellowship, 2007), 189–90, Robert Carden, One God: The Unfinished Reformation, Revised ed. (Naperville, IL: Grace Christian Press, 2016), 197–200, Eric H. H. Chang, The Only Perfect Man, ed. Bentley C. F. Chang, 2nd ed. (Montreal, QC: Christian Disciples Church Publishers, 2017), 151–52, Jeff Deuble, Christ before Creeds (Latham, NY: Living Hope International Ministries, 2021), 163–66, John A. Lynn Mark H. Graeser, John W. Schoenheit, One God & One Lord, 4th ed. (Martinsville, IN: Spirit & Truth Fellowship International, 2010), 493–94, Donald R. Snedeker, Our Heavenly Father Has No Equals (Bethesda, MD: International Scholars Publications, 1998), 291–92, William M. Wachtel, “Colossians 1:15-20–Preexistence or Preeminence?” (paper presented at the 14th Theological Conference, McDonough, GA, 2005), 4. [10] All translations are my own. [11] Stophes are structural divisions drawn from Greek odes akin to stanzas in poetry or verses in music. [12] Throughout I will capitalize Church since that reflects the idea of all Christians collectively not just those in a particular local assembly. [13] Eduard Norden, Agnostos Theos: Untersuchungen Zur Formengeschichte Religiöser Rede, 4th ed. (Stuttgart, Germany: B. G. Teubner, 1956), 250–54. [14] James M. Robinson, “A Formal Analysis of Colossians 1:15-20,” Journal of Biblical Literature 76, no. 4 (1957): 272–73. [15] Edward Lohse, Colossians and Philemon, Hermeneia (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1971), 44. [16] Eduard Schweizer, The Letter to the Colossians, trans. Andrew Chester (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House, 1982), 57. [17] Dunn, The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon, 84. [18] Ben  Witherington III, The Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary of the Captivity Epistles (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007), 129. [19] William L. Lane, The New Testament Page by Page, Open Your Bible Commentary, ed. Martin Manser (Bath, UK: Creative 4 International, 2013), 765. [20] E. K. Simpson and F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to the Ephesians and the Colossians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, ed. Ned B. Stonehouse (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1957), 65. [21] Michael F. Bird, Colossians and Philemon, A New Covenant Commentary (Cambridge, England: The Lutterworth Press, 2009), 50. [22] David Pao, Colossians and Philemon, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary of the New Testament, ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapid, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 87. [23] Lohse, 42. [24] Lohse, 43–44. [25] Scot McKnight, The Letter to the Colossians, New International Commentary on the New Testament, ed. Joel B. Green (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2018), 144. [26] Col 1.13-14: “who rescued us from the authority of darkness and transferred (us) into the kingdom of his beloved son in whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of the sins.” Col 1.21-22: “And you being formerly alienated and hostile in thought in the evil deeds, but now he reconciled (you) in his body of the flesh through the death to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him.” [27] In fact, we can easily skip from vv. 13-14 to vv. 21-22. [28] Dunn, Christology in the Making, 187–88. [29] Sadly, most translations erroneously insert a paragraph between vv. 14 and 15. This produces the visual effect that v. 15 is a new thought unit. [30] Bruce, 193. [31] Moses 2.65: “τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τῶν περιγείων” in Philo, The Works of Philo, The Norwegian Philo Concordance Project (Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2005). See also Sirach 17.3. [32] Schweizer, 64. [33] For a helpful treatment of how the image of God relates to Christology, see Anna Shoffner Brown, “Nothing ‘Mere’ About a Man in the Image of God” (paper presented at the Unitarian Christian Alliance, Springfield, OH, Oct 14, 2022). [34] Walter Bauer et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000), s.v. “πρωτότοκος,” 2.a. [35] Franz Zeilnger wrote, “Christ is temporally the first of a series that essentially proceeds from him, and at the same time its lord and head.” Franz Zeilinger, Der Erstgeborene Der Schöpfung (Wien, Österreich: Herder, 1974), 182. Original: “als “Wurzel” ist Christus zeitlich der erste einer Reihe, die wesentlich aus ihm hervorgeht, und zugleich ihr Herr und Haupt.” [36] McKnight, 85–86. [37] The closest parallels are 1 Cor 8.6; Heb 1.2; and John 1.3, which employ the preposition δια (through). Upon close examination these three don't teach Christ created the universe either. [38] ESV, CSB, NASB, etc. Notably the NET diverges from the other evangelical translations. Roman Catholic, mainline, and unitarian translations all tend to straightforwardly render “ἐν αὐτῷ” as “in him” in Col 1.16; cf. NABRE, NRSVUE, OGFOMMT, etc. [39] Chang, 150. [40] Ralph Martin, “An Early Christian Hymn (Col. 1:15-20),” The Evangelical Quarterly 36, no. 4 (1964): 198. [41] Schillebeeckx, 186. [42] Dunn, Christology in the Making, 191. [43] Karl-Joseph Kuschel, Born before All Time?, trans. John Bowden (New York, NY: Crossroad, 1992), 336. [44] Dustin R. Smith, Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2024), 5–6. For more on wisdom Christology in Col 1.16 see Dunn, The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon, 89, Roy Yates, The Epistle to the Colossians (London: Epworth Press, 1993), 18–19, 23, G. B. Caird, New Testament Theology, ed. L. D. Hurst (Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 2002), 46, McGrath, 44, 46. [45] See Dunn, The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon, 89. See also Yates, 18–19, 23. [46] Dunn, Christology in the Making, 190. [47] Perriman, 199. [48] Martha King, An Exegetical Summary of Colossians (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 1992), 53. [49] Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), s.v. “ἐν,” 1722. He recognized the cause was both instrumental and final. [50] William Graham MacDonald, The Idiomatic Translation of the New Testament (Norfolk, VA: Bibleworks, 2012). [51] Chang, 147. Similarly James McGrath wrote, “[I]f all things were intended by God to find their fulfillment in Christ, then they must have been created “in him” in the very beginning in some undefined sense, since it was axiomatic that the eschatological climax of history would be a restoration of its perfect, original state.” McGrath, 46. [52] Caird, Paul’s Letters from Prison, 172. [53] “God so designed the universe that it was to achieve its proper meaning and unity only under the authority of man (Gen. 128; Ps. 86). But this purpose was not to be implemented at once; it was ‘to be put into effect when the time was ripe' (Eph. 110), when Christ had lived a human life as God intended it, and had become God's image in a measure which was never true of Adam. Only in unity with ‘the proper man' could the universe be brought to its destined coherence. For one who believes in predestination it is but a small step from this to saying that the universe was created in him.” Caird, Paul’s Letters from Prison, 178. [54] See also Paul's Adam Christology in Rom 5.12-21; 1 Cor 15.21-22, 45-49. [55] “Christus ist (durch seine Auferstehung aus dem Todesbereich) Herr über den ihm verliehenen Besitz, dessen ἀρχή und Urbild er ist, … und Haupt und Anfang der eschatologischen Neuschöpfung!” Zeilinger, 188. [56] King, 54. [57] Perriman, 200. [58] G. F. Wessels, “The Eschatology of Colossians and Ephesians,” Neotestamentica 21, no. 2 (1987): 187. [59] I realize my translation is awkward, but I prioritized closely mirroring the Greek over presenting smooth English. The original reads, “συνεζωοποίησεν ὑμᾶς σὺν αὐτῷ.” [60] Schillebeeckx, 187. [61] Scholars who make this connection include Caird, New Testament Theology, 216, Caird, Paul’s Letters from Prison, 177, McGrath, 44, Perriman, 201. [62] In fact, only two of the texts I cited above explicitly say “new creation” (2 Cor 5.17 and Gal 6.15). In all the others, Paul blithely employed creation language, expecting his readers to understand that he was not talking about the creation of the universe, but the creation of the new humanity in Christ—the Church. [63] McKnight, 152. [64] Mark H. Graeser, 493. [65] Rev 2.1, 8, 12, 18; 3.1, 7, 14. [66] See Gerry Schoberg, Perspectives of Jesus in the Writings of Paul (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2013), 280–81, 83. [67] Margaret Thrall, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, vol. 1, The International Critical Commentary, ed. C. E. B. Cranfield J. A. Emerton, G. N. Stanton (Edinburgh, Scotland: T&T Clark, 1994), 423, 26–28. [68] J. Louis Martyn, Theological Issues in the Letters of Paul (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1997), 122. [69] Martyn, 121. [70] Whether the old gods actually existed or not is a topic beyond the scope of this paper. Interested readers should consult Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019). [71] “[D]ie in Christus gegebene echatologische Welt verwirkliche sich innerhalb der weiterhin existenten irdischen Schöpfung durch die Einbeziehung des Menschen in Christus, den Erhöhten, mittles Heilsverkündigung und Taufe. Das Eschaton setzt sic him Kerygma wetweit durch und wird Wirklichkeit, indem der Mensch durch die Taufe Christi Teil wird, d. h. in Einheit mit ihm dem Anspruch der στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου stirbt (2, 20) und mit ihm auferweckt sein eschatologisches Leben erhält. Die so dem erhöhten Christus eingegliederten Menschen bilden somit in ihm und mit ihm die neue Schöpfung der Eschata innerhalb der alten! Der Christusleib ist somit als sich weitende Kirche erkennbar. In ihr bildet himmlischer und irdischer Raum gewissermaßen eine Einheit.” Zeilinger, 179. [72] “Der neue Adam … Ausgangsort, in dem sich Neuschöpfung ereignete,” Zeilinger, 199. [73] Randy A. Leedy, The Greek New Testament Sentence Diagrams (Norfolk, VA: Bible Works, 2006). This is now available in Logos Bible Software.

Johnny Barnes is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary but he had his degree revoked after he revealed that he didn't believe in the Trinity and the Seminary's statement of faith. He tells his story, his work on translating the bible for Spirit and Truth Ministries, and his work on the Biblical Unitarian youtube channel. (  @biblicalunitarian  ) We mention Sean Finnegan ( @restitutio8765 ) , Chris Date ( @rethinkinghell ), Bill Schlegel, John Schoenheit, Jerry Weirwille, and more. Biblical Unitarian Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@biblicalunitarian Sean's Isaiah 9:6 Presentation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtJxn39zPVM

Venture into the translating world of a small team, a big vision, and a refreshing lack of Trinitarian bias. RESOURCES Trinities 356 - Seminary student takes Trinity class, becomes unitarian - Part 1 Trinities 357 – Seminary student takes Trinity class, becomes unitarian – Part 2  Romans 8:28 - "...in all things God works for the good..." Spirit & Truth Fellowship International American Standard Version of 1901 Matthew 5:41 - Go the extra mile Christianity Today article about translations: When A Word Is Worth A Thousand Complaints (and When It Isn't) Dec. 21, 2020 REV website: https://www.revisedenglishversion.com/ Spirit & Truth (https://spiritandtruthonline.org/) New English Translation (has translation notes) Regional UCA Conference post Call for UCA Conference papers Matt. 5:44 - Love your enemies  Tidings magazine, January 2020. "Conscientious Objection in North America" p.32 (p.40 mentions Arthur Hill)  EPISODE INDEX 00:02:33 Interview 00:03:14 How Johnny Connected With S&T 00:05:25 John Schoenheit's Early Story 00:06:07 Teenager Classes 00:06:50 Another Translation 00:07:56 Time Investment 00:08:31 The Version To Start With 00:09:36 Christian Educational Services 00:10:26 Targeting Passages 00:11:09 Why Is A Good Translation Important 00:13:09 Literal Vs. Paraphrase 00:14:09 Tie Up Your Literal Translations 00:15:48 Going The Extra Mile 00:17:14 A Day In The Life... 00:20:20 Team Time Dynamics 00:20:58 John Might Get Out Voted 00:22:43 Lest Ye Choose Woe 00:23:32 Time Spent On A Phrase 00:24:18 The Value Of Coral 00:25:51 Painful Decisions 00:27:37 REV Commentary, Structure 00:28:44 Understanding Isn't Overabundant 00:29:33 External Pressures? 00:30:27 Run It Past Marketing 00:32:43 Crowdsourcing Peer Review 00:34:11 Will It Ever Be Done? 00:36:27 Accessing The REV 00:38:05 A Previous Printing 00:38:33 Not Naming The Translators 00:39:52 Commentary and Translation Notes 00:41:59 Getting A Hard Copy “Poof” 00:43:57 Regional UCA Conferences! 00:45:26 Contacting The New Members 00:46:10 Mailbag, Cindy G 00:46:44 Kerry's Note 00:47:37 Tim's Note, Christadelphians 00:49:47 Modern Unitarian History Idea 00:50:43 Call For Papers 00:51:13 Note From Cris 00:51:52 Objective Translation List FEEDBACK Join in the Mailbag fun or make a digitized replica of your voice, including your first name and your state or country. Email podcast@unitarianchristianalliance.org Click here to RECORD A MESSAGE Or call: 615-581-1158 LISTENING TIPS Pauses and pacing are hand crafted, artisan efforts. If your podcast app lets you remove silences, please don't. You will enjoy this better with the silences left in. ENGAGE The UCA Podcast email list! Large and enjoyable episode art, additional thoughts from the host, and notifications when there are delays. The UCA events listing. Keep up on what's coming up. Podcast twitter @UCApodcast - Episode announcements Official UCA twitter account @UnitarianChrist  Podcast Webpage: https://podcast.unitarianchristianalliance.org  

In our last episode, I recommended some mainstream Christian Bible translations, but I would remiss if I didn’t also review some important unitarian Bible translations.  Although often overlooked, these versions are important because they have the opposite bias when it comes to passages commonly offered as proof texts for the Trinity.  Also, I asked Dr. Read more about 354 Unitarian Bible Translations 1 (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Teacher: John Schoenheit The birth of Christ is a very important subject, and the traditional Christmas story surrounding it not only contains a large amount of error, but it also presents a cold, hard, and lonely picture about the circumstances of Jesus' arrival. In reality, his birth was an account of love, warmth, giving and sharing, and obeying God. In this teaching on The Real Christmas Story, John Schoenheit explores this familiar record in a deeper, more accurate light—understanding the customs, time and place, and the not-often-known details that truly make the birth of Christ such an inspiring and wonderful account. We pray this teaching will bless and inspire you and offer new insight into the birth of our Savior and the details surrounding the beginning of his life. Find us online at: – http://STFonline.org – http://TruthOrTradition.com – Download our free ministry app – http://www.stfonline.org/app – Listen to our free audio seminars – http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars – Listen to our free Audiobooks – http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks – Revised English Version® & Commentary – http://www.stfonline.org/rev .pf-button.pf-button-excerpt { display: none; } The post The Real Christmas Story first appeared on Spirit & Truth.

Teacher: John Schoenheit The birth of Christ is a very important subject, and the traditional Christmas story surrounding it not only contains a large amount of error, but it also presents a cold, hard, and lonely picture about the circumstances of Jesus’ arrival. In reality, his birth was an account of love, warmth, giving and sharing, and obeying God. In this teaching on The Real Christmas Story, John Schoenheit explores this familiar record in a deeper, more accurate light—understanding the customs, time and place, and the not-often-known details that truly make the birth of Christ such an inspiring and wonderful account. We pray this teaching will bless and inspire you and offer new insight into the birth of our Savior and the details surrounding the beginning of his life. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this teaching from 2010, John Schoenheit teaches on reading and learning the Bible. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this video from 2014, John Schoenheit looks at the Biblical phrases "The Last Trump" and "The Last Trumpet" and explains what they mean. For more on this subject: http://TruthOrTradition.com/Rapture Find us online at: - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Revised English Version® of the Bible http://www.revisedenglishversion.com

In this 2012 teaching, John Schoenheit shares on "The 'Wall Peg' of Love." Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

Teacher: John Schoenheit There is a belief within Christian denominations that we don’t deserve and should not pursue happiness in this life, or that the Bible says we aren’t supposed to enjoy ourselves—life should only be taken seriously and sober-mindedly at all times. But is that really God’s intention for us? In this teaching on It's Okay To Enjoy Your Life, John Schoenheit explores a godly and biblical perspective on happiness in this life—how God relates to it, what He wants us to experience in this life, and how He designed us both to labor and to feel joy and rejoice as His children dancing before Him. We pray this teaching will inspire deep joy and happiness in your life and in your walk with our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this teaching from 2012, John Schoenheit presents an analogy of how being a Christian can be similar to being a pumpkin. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

Teacher: John Schoenheit There is a belief within Christian denominations that we don't deserve and should not pursue happiness in this life, or that the Bible says we aren't supposed to enjoy ourselves—life should only be taken seriously and sober-mindedly at all times. But is that really God's intention for us? In this teaching on It's Okay To Enjoy Your Life, John Schoenheit explores a godly and biblical perspective on happiness in this life—how God relates to it, what He wants us to experience in this life, and how He designed us both to labor and to feel joy and rejoice as His children dancing before Him. We pray this teaching will inspire deep joy and happiness in your life and in your walk with our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Find us online at: – http://STFonline.org – http://TruthOrTradition.com – Download our free ministry app – http://www.stfonline.org/app – Listen to our free audio seminars – http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars – Listen to our free Audiobooks – http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks – Revised English Version® & Commentary – http://www.stfonline.org/rev .pf-button.pf-button-excerpt { display: none; } The post It's Okay To Enjoy Your Life first appeared on Spirit & Truth.

In this teaching, John Schoenheit talks about the account of the serpent appearing to Eve in the Garden of Eden. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this teaching, John Schoenheit talks about how the Bible tells us to make ourselves holy before God. Find us online at:- http://STFonline.org- http://TruthOrTradition.com- Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app- Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars- Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks- Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this teaching, John Schoenheit talks about how God wants us to be joyful about life. Find us online at:- http://STFonline.org- http://TruthOrTradition.com- Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app- Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars- Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks- Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

Are you frustrated? Do you feel somewhat purposeless? Don’t overlook the opportunities in front of you! In this teaching from earlier this year, John Schoenheit shares on how we all have many opportunities to serve God. Find us online at:- http://STFonline.org- http://TruthOrTradition.com- Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app- Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars- Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks- Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

1 John 4:19 teaches us that God loved us first. And in this video from last year, John Schoenheit expounds on this verse and explains how we don't have to constantly earn God's love through our actions. Find us online at:- http://STFonline.org- http://TruthOrTradition.com- Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app- Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars- Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks- Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

We've all heard the saying "what goes around comes around" but what does the Bible have to say about karma? In this teaching, John Schoenheit looks at some verses that have to do with the common idea of karma. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this teaching from last year, John Schoenheit of Spirit and Truth Fellowship International talks about how we need wisdom and self-control in our lives. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this teaching from last year, John Schoenheit talks about who the Bible says we are. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

Teacher: John Schoenheit “Hear O Israel, Yahweh is our God, Yahweh alone!” – is not just a declaration to Israel; it is a statement about relationship. It tells us something about God that helps us define our relationship with Him.In this teaching on The Shema: the Heartbeat of Israel, John Schoenheit shares three aspects of the Shema: what it is not saying, what it is saying, and how it applies to our lives. To understand the implications and impact of the Shema on both Jewish and Christian history, this teaching explores its meaning through the Biblical Unitarian perspective, highlighting what it reveals about our God and our relationship with Him. We hope this teaching will help illuminate the deeper, profound meaning of this passage in Deuteronomy and will strengthen your relationship with Yahweh as you seek to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Find us online at:- http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev 

Teacher: John Schoenheit “Hear O Israel, Yahweh is our God, Yahweh alone!” – is not just a declaration to Israel; it is a statement about relationship. It tells us something about God that helps us define our relationship with Him.In this teaching on The Shema: the Heartbeat of Israel, John Schoenheit shares three aspects of the Shema: what it is not saying, what it is saying, and how it applies to our lives. To understand the implications and impact of the Shema on both Jewish and Christian history, this teaching explores its meaning through the Biblical Unitarian perspective, highlighting what it reveals about our God and our relationship with Him. We hope this teaching will help illuminate the deeper, profound meaning of this passage in Deuteronomy and will strengthen your relationship with Yahweh as you seek to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Find us online at: – http://STFonline.org  – http://TruthOrTradition.com  – Download our free ministry app – http://www.stfonline.org/app  – Listen to our free audio seminars – http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars  – Listen to our free Audiobooks – http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks  – Revised English Version® & Commentary – http://www.stfonline.org/rev  .pf-button.pf-button-excerpt { display: none; } The post The Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4 first appeared on Spirit & Truth.

In this teaching from last year, John Schoenheit talks about finding your ministry in the body of Christ.   Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

For some Jesus going to Capernaum was an odd choice for his ministry. In this 2014 video, John Schoenheit explains the importance of Capernaum and how it related to other local cities. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this video from last year, John Schoenheit shares on Ezekiel 11. Want to help support Spirit and Truth Fellowship International? You can donate or become a partner here: http://STFonline.org/donate Find us online at:- http://STFonline.org- http://TruthOrTradition.com- Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app- Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars- Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks- Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

Do you think of yourself as a friend of Jesus? In this teaching, John Schoenheit talks about what being a friend to Jesus looks like. If you enjoyed this teaching and would like to help support future teachings and resources like it, consider donating at http://STFonline.org/donate Find us online at:- http://STFonline.org- http://TruthOrTradition.com- Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app- Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars- Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks- Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this 2013 teaching, John Schoenheit talks about how we should ask for things from God. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this 2015 teaching, John Schoenheit talks about what Jesus said, about being prepared for the times ahead. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

Teacher: John Schoenheit Zechariah 14:6-7 speak of a “unique” day known only to Yahweh. Our God has quite a challenge to take on: restore our fallen world, with its many flaws, to the state of “Paradise” as it was in the Garden of Eden. But God is up to the challenge and it will only take Him one “unique” day to do it. In this three-part teaching, John Schoenheit explores that day: first the reasons why this sort of material is often scattered throughout many books of the Bible; then a brief overview of the End Times and when the “unique day” will happen; and lastly, what at least part of the unique day will involve. God has shown us a lot about the future He has in store through His Word, but it is not in one place or even in chronological order, which can make it very difficult to grasp. Nevertheless, with prayer and patient scholarship, the pieces do come together to a large extent. We pray this teaching will help bring some of those pieces together in a fulfilling way such that you can envision how life will play out in the future and learn more about the wonderful earth we will live on one day. To view the chart referenced in this teaching, click here. Or if that link doesn't work, go to: https://www.stfonline.org/simple-chart-of-the-future Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev    

Teacher: John Schoenheit Zechariah 14:6-7 speak of a “unique” day known only to Yahweh. Our God has quite a challenge to take on: restore our fallen world, with its many flaws, to the state of “Paradise” as it was in the Garden of Eden. But God is up to the challenge and it will only take Him one “unique” day to do it. In this three-part teaching, John Schoenheit explores that day: first the reasons why this sort of material is often scattered throughout many books of the Bible; then a brief overview of the End Times and when the “unique day” will happen; and lastly, what at least part of the unique day will involve. God has shown us a lot about the future He has in store through His Word, but it is not in one place or even in chronological order, which can make it very difficult to grasp. Nevertheless, with prayer and patient scholarship, the pieces do come together to a large extent. We pray this teaching will help bring some of those pieces together in a fulfilling way such that you can envision how life will play out in the future and learn more about the wonderful earth we will live on one day. To view the chart referenced in this teaching, click here. Or if that link doesn't work, go to: https://www.stfonline.org/simple-chart-of-the-future Find us online at: – http://STFonline.org – http://TruthOrTradition.com – Download our free ministry app – http://www.stfonline.org/app – Listen to our free audio seminars – http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars – Listen to our free Audiobooks – http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks – Revised English Version® & Commentary – http://www.stfonline.org/rev     .pf-button.pf-button-excerpt { display: none; } The post God's Unique Day first appeared on Spirit & Truth.

The Bible tells us it's important to guard our hearts. In this teaching from last year, John Schoenheit teaches on how we need to watch what we say, see, and do. Want to help support Spirit and Truth Fellowship International? You can donate or become a partner here: http://STFonline.org/donate Find us online at:- http://STFonline.org- http://TruthOrTradition.com- Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app- Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars- Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks- Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this teaching from 2016, John Schoenheit explains how it's becoming more and more important for Christians to walk in wisdom and walk by the Spirit. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this 2016 teaching, John Schoenheit looks at what the Bible has to say about making tough decisions. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

Teacher: John Schoenheit It’s important to every Christian’s walk that we understand the meaning of righteousness, especially as it’s used in the New Testament. While the use of “righteousness” was often blended in the Old Testament and Gospels, it has two distinct meanings in the New Testament Epistles: having a right standing in the sight of God, and doing right by God and others. In this teaching on “Righteousness: Doing Right by God and People”, John Schoenheit focuses in on the aspects of righteousness centered around treating God and other people right. Through this teaching, we strive for three particular outcomes: that we will all better understand righteousness and what it is; that we would better understand the Bible and its passages that talk about righteousness; and that we would have a better understanding of what God wants from us. When we are firm in these three things, it will help us to treat both God and people around us in a just, upright, and godly way—which will help us to be better servants of our God and better witnesses for Him and His Son. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev  

Teacher: John Schoenheit It's important to every Christian's walk that we understand the meaning of righteousness, especially as it's used in the New Testament. While the use of “righteousness” was often blended in the Old Testament and Gospels, it has two distinct meanings in the New Testament Epistles: having a right standing in the sight of God, and doing right by God and others. In this teaching on “Righteousness: Doing Right by God and People”, John Schoenheit focuses in on the aspects of righteousness centered around treating God and other people right. Through this teaching, we strive for three particular outcomes: that we will all better understand righteousness and what it is; that we would better understand the Bible and its passages that talk about righteousness; and that we would have a better understanding of what God wants from us. When we are firm in these three things, it will help us to treat both God and people around us in a just, upright, and godly way—which will help us to be better servants of our God and better witnesses for Him and His Son. Find us online at: – http://STFonline.org – http://TruthOrTradition.com – Download our free ministry app – http://www.stfonline.org/app – Listen to our free audio seminars – http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars – Listen to our free Audiobooks – http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks – Revised English Version® & Commentary – http://www.stfonline.org/rev   .pf-button.pf-button-excerpt { display: none; } The post Righteousness: Doing Right by God and People first appeared on Spirit & Truth.

Life is tough, but in this 2016 teaching, John Schoenheit talks about how we can do well in difficult times. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev  

In this 2015 teaching, John Schoenheit talks about weather patterns and how they directly relate to our godliness and obedience. To listen to a longer audio teaching on this subject, click below: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-vrk3p-6c108f Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev  

In this teaching from 2016, John Schoenheit talks about the importance of considering how what we say and do will affect others. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev    

Suffering is something that every person has to deal with at some point in their life. In this 2012 teaching John Schoenheit explains what the Bible says about it and how we need to stay strong as we endure it. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev  

The Bible is full of different figures of speech but in this 2017 teaching, John Schoenheit talks about the figure of speech "personification". Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev  

Teacher: John Schoenheit On the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, God started the Christian Church. Peter taught about who Jesus Christ was and what had happened to him, and everyone who believed God had raised Jesus from the dead and made him Lord was born again and added to the brand new Christian Church. On Pentecost, the gift of holy spirit was poured out from heaven in a brand new way, and everyone who believed received the holy spirit and the power that came with it. In this teaching, John Schoenheit examines the Day of Pentecost from different angles, both historical and practical, including the names of Pentecost in the Old Testament, the offerings and what they signified, and presents clear evidence that on the Day of Pentecost the Apostles were not in an upper room, but in the Temple itself. In conclusion, this teaching covers the significance of Pentecost in the life of believers today, especially in light of the manifestations of the gift of holy spirit. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org  - http://TruthOrTradition.com       - Download our free Ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Download our free REV Bible app - https://www.stfonline.org/rev-app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks      - Join our free Academy - http://www.stfacademy.com - Donate to our Ministry - https://raisedonors.com/stfi/donate  

Teacher: John Schoenheit On the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, God started the Christian Church. Peter taught about who Jesus Christ was and what had happened to him, and everyone who believed God had raised Jesus from the dead and made him Lord was born again and added to the brand new Christian Church. On Pentecost, the gift of holy spirit was poured out from heaven in a brand new way, and everyone who believed received the holy spirit and the power that came with it. In this teaching, John Schoenheit examines the Day of Pentecost from different angles, both historical and practical, including the names of Pentecost in the Old Testament, the offerings and what they signified, and presents clear evidence that on the Day of Pentecost the Apostles were not in an upper room, but in the Temple itself. In conclusion, this teaching covers the significance of Pentecost in the life of believers today, especially in light of the manifestations of the gift of holy spirit. Find us online at: – http://STFonline.org  – http://TruthOrTradition.com       – Download our free Ministry app – http://www.stfonline.org/app – Download our free REV Bible app – https://www.stfonline.org/rev-app – Listen to our free audio seminars – http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars – Listen to our free Audiobooks – http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks      – Join our free Academy – http://www.stfacademy.com – Donate to our Ministry – https://raisedonors.com/stfi/donate   .pf-button.pf-button-excerpt { display: none; } The post The Day of Pentecost first appeared on Spirit & Truth.

In this teaching from 2018, John Schoenheit talks about Romans 8 and how as believers in Christ, there is no condemnation. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev  

In this teaching from 2012, John Schoenheit talks about pleasing God with our obedience. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev  

In this teaching from 2012, John Schoenheit talks about whether everything that happens is God's will or not. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev  

In this 2016 teaching, John Schoenheit looks at Proverbs 1:6 and talks about some of the wisdom we can learn from the book of Proverbs. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this teaching from 2010, John Schoenheit talks Pslam 126:5-6 which talks about sowing in tears and reaping in joy.  Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev  

In this teaching from 2012, John Schoenheit discusses what the Bible has to say about ghosts. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In this teaching from 2016, John Schoenheit uses scripture to explain who the Bride of Christ is. For more on this subject, you can go to the REV commentary (Appendix 13) by visiting http://www.revisedenglishversion.com/ or by using the STF mobile app http://www.stfonline.org/app Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev  

A common question many people have is how can God be love and still destroy people in the Lake of Fire, commonly miscalled "hell." In this teaching John Schoenheit offers a biblical response to this prevalent question concerning God's love. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev