project paper col 1-15-20 primacy christ

Reflection Paper

Pax et BonumVerbum Domini nuntiates in universo mundo

The Christ Hymn of Col 115-20 The Primacy of ChristHarold William Vadney III

St Bernardrsquos School of Theology and Ministry40 North Main Avenue

Albany New York 12203

A301 PAULINE AND DEUTERO-PAULINE WRITINGS

Marcus Gigliotti SSLSpring 2010

A301 Pauline and Deutero-Pauline WritingsChrist Hymn of Colossians 115-20 The Primacy of Christ

IABSTRACT

Paulrsquos letter to the Colossians is a remarkable example of Paulrsquos sensitivity and proactivity in the face of looming heretical speculation in a hypercritical flock His approach to the nascent Gnostic threat to the true faith begins with the insertion of an ancient hymn the Christ Hymn which encapsulates the primacy and centrality of Christ in Christian thought This paper elucidates the likely historical backdrop to the letter then embarks on a brief formal analysis of the hymn engages in a discussion of the hermeneutics of the hymn and its importance to the Scotian principle of the Primacy of Christ the Franciscan Thesis then presents some observations on the musings of contemporary theological writers on the Thesis and ends appropriately with a theological reflection For practical reasons the discussion attempts to limit itself to the Christ Hymn (Col 115-20) proper

IIINTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Epaphras a leader in the Church at Colossae approaches St Paul for advice and assistance

Epaphras is concerned that although his people are zealous in their faith and full of caritas they

were subtle and hypercritical there were undercurrents of heresy Colossae was located in

Phrygia a place filled with demons Thrones Powers Dominions and Principalities1 and the

sublunary realm was filled with lesser spirits2 The higher spirits were called the pleroma

(πλήρωμα)or ldquofillingrdquo the lower spirits kenoma ldquo (kenoma) voidrdquo3 Ionia was the birthplace of

philosophy and in Phrygia all sorts of Gnostic speculation flourished The apostle apparently

recognized that the area and the people in this place a demon-filled place scarred by ravines

caverns in which spirits were supposed to cavort was prone to speculation and errancy

While the exact nature of the threat cannot be discerned from the letter it is reasonably clear that

it took the form of a deviant Hebrew-Hellenistic theosophy an attempt perhaps by the Phrygian

Jews to embellish to color their Judaism with philosophy They worshipped angels and spirits

claimed that Christ was one of the angels therefore he obeyed the law and so Christians too

must obey the law While innocuous at the time it was a toxic brew of Hebrew Platonic

Pythagorean Orphic Zoroastrian elements that persisted well into the first several centuries of

Christianity

1 cf Col 2152 cf Eph 6123 English equivalents

1


The basic thought was that temporal matter was far removed from God Who is too sublime to be

concerned with it it would draw Him away from His self-contemplation And so He consigned

the task of overseeing creation to the aeons (αἰών)4 an order of lesser spirits According to the

Colossian quasi-heresy the human soul is a spark that lost itself in the dark world of matter on

of the higher aeons Christ united himself with the human Jesus by baptism in the Jordan

decided to save that spark of light The crucified Christ is not the redeemer but the aeon Christ

who returned to the pleroma before the Crucifixion These enlighted ones called themselves

Gnostics the uninitiated they called Pistics

Paul the keen thinker that he was immediately recognized this movement and its doctrine and

its danger to the orthodox faith Paul had profound insights into the mysteries of the Christ the

inner Trinitarian life he knew that creation was the divine act of God and that redemption

emanated together with creation from a good and loving God The Son the Word the Logos the

Christ was the ultimate fundamental final cause of all of creation the universe the cosmos all

things are in him for him by him ndash he is the center of the universe

ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες εἴτε ἄρχαι εἴτε ἐξουσίαιmiddot τὰ πάντα διrsquo αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισταιmiddot5

The Colossian nascent heresy eliminated the mediatorship of Christ and essentially deprived him

of his central position in the universe it made Christ a creature among creatures in other words6

Paul eloquently proclaims defends and defines the primacy of Christ

ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ εὐδόκησεν πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα κατοικῆσαι7

God poured out his fullness to dwell in Christ the fullness of divine love is concentrated in the

divine Son Christ is no mere vicar of the Father he is the beloved divine Word Paul is paving

the way for entry and reception of Johnrsquos concept of the Logos into Christian thought

4 This term has a rather colorful history Plato used αἰών to to denote the eternal world of ideas The Gnostics use the term to denote the emanations of God Aeons bear a number of similarities to Judaeo-Christian angels including their roles as servants and emanations of God and their existence as beings of light5 ldquoFor by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for himrdquo(Col 116)6 St John characterized the notions of Gnosticism as ldquodissolvingrdquo Christ these speculations ultimately led to the Arian and Nestorian heresies which attacked the Christ as the high priest of the universe his kingship his primacy7 ldquoFor it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwellrdquo(Col 119)

2


Initiation into the life that is ldquohid[den] with Christ in Godrdquo (ἀπεθάνετε γὰρ καὶ ἡ

ζωὴ ὑμῶν κέκρυπται σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐν τῷ θεῷ)8

is not to be achieved through the strict regimen of mortification abstinence a hypocritical

regimen of asceticism as advocated by the Colossian heretics but Paul pointed out that Christian

unity was more valuable than station or social position even more valuable than a kinship

relation Thus Paul preserved the Church from an aceticism that scorned the world and creation

an exclusive secret cult for only the elect but a unified body concerned with sacred things than

with the prohibitions of the Old Law one that forgives9 offers peace and love united in the

creative image of the Father in the fullness of the Trinity Light of Light but still a man among

men and with whose blood the gap between God and Man was closed10

Ian Smith in his revision of his dissertation submitted to the University of Sidney provides

alternative proposals for the Colossian heresy

In his Heavenly Perspective11 Smith suggests that it is ldquopossible to determine the nature of an

error by the response that is givenrdquo Accordingly he suggests that the Colossian letter provides

us with some clues References in Colossians to Sabbath (216) circumcision (211) and food

laws (221) would indicate that the heresy arose from Judaism12 With the references to the

activities of angels (218) powers and authorities (215) and things above (32) we have some

indication that the heresy had to do with the supernatural This would certainly suggest that the

heresy arose within a system of Jewish mysticism perhaps with the Merkabah mystics with its

interest in heavenly ascents and other worldly beings and activities13

The letter to the Colossians makes an explicit claim to be authored by St Paul In Col11 thetext

reads ldquoFrom Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of Godhelliprdquo and again at 123 the

writer refers to himself as ldquoPaulrdquo a ldquoservant of the gospelrdquo again at 418 the letter alleges to

have been written by the apostle Paul

8 ldquoFor ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in Godrdquo (Col 33)9 Bear with one another forgive one anotherrdquo (Col 313)10 For an elegant treatment of Paul see Holzner (1946) esp pp 440-44611 Smithrsquos treatment of this subject is interesting and noteworthy and offers fresh perspective on this much speculated topic I found the paper very informative and recommend it to the serious student of the subject matter12 Smith (2006) p 213 The nature of Merkabah mysticism is extremely vague it isnrsquot even known if the movement actually existed in the first century in Paulrsquos time Nevertheless whether Merkabah or another form one cannot discount the likelihood of a Jewish mystic base to the heresy

3


Nineteenth and twentieth century scholarship surrounding the Pauline authorship however

questioned it on several grounds including the numerous hapax legomena found in Colossians

and the unusual groupings of synonyms (19 316) that are uncharacteristic of Paul

Edouard Lohse however argues that the ldquolanguage and style of Collosians demonstrate

numerous similarities to the other Pauline lettersrdquo and he notes particularly phrases and clauses

the formal structure of the letter such as the introduction and conclusion the beginning of the

thanksgiving prayer connecting phrases and the list goes on14 Moreover Lohse lists 34 hapax

legomena that appear in Colossians but occur nowhere else in the [Pauline] New Testament

writings15 Lohse lists twenty-eight words which do reappear in the New Testament but not in

the other Pauline letters16 There are ten words that Colossians has in common only with

Ephesians17 Finally Eleven words appear only in Col and in the other Pauline letters and

nowhere else in the New Testament These statistics are not merely anecdotal they do support

the notion that Colossians is of Pauline authorship or at least was dictated by him

Whereas the previous vv 13-14 preserve the pattern of the confession (ldquowerdquo ldquousrdquo) the hymnic

unit makes no mention of a confessing community but only emphasizes the universal validity of

the Christ-event Lohse asserts that the hymnic unit was inserted and was appropriated from

tradition18 There are a vast number of observations made by Lohse to support the notion that the

author of the corpus of the letter probably did not write the hymnic unit but appropriated it from

a primitive Christian hymn celebrating the unique dignity of the Lord inserting certain

alterations and interpretive additions

Lohse citing Ernst Kaumlsemann notes that if the two presumed additions the formally problematic

τῆς ἐκκλησίας(the church) and διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ (through the

blood of his cross) were removed the remaining hymn would no longer exhibit specifically

Christian features In fact it could be viewed as a pre-Christian Gnostic text These observations

notwithstanding we have the hymn in Colossians as it now stands

In Margaret MacDonaldrsquos view Lohse moreover believes that the phrase ldquofirstborn before all

creationrdquo characterizes the pre-existent Christ who is the ldquofirstbornrdquo before creation in the

14 Lohse (1972) pp 8515 Ibid pp 8516 Ibidpp 85-86 Lohse does not include here the disputed letters (2 Thess and the Pastorals)17 Ibid 8618 Ibid41

4


manner of the Judaic speculation about Wisdom19 Despite this Lohse does appear to argue that

the phrase is not about time but about rank

ldquoThe description of the pre-existent Christ as the ldquofirstborn before all creationrdquo (πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως) is not intended to mean that he was created first and thereby began the succession of created beings Rather it refers instead to his uniqueness by which he is distinguisted from all creation (cf Heb 16) The point is not a temporal advantage but rather the superiority which is due to him as the agent of creation who is before all creation As the firstborn of creation he stands over creation as Lordrdquo20

The hymn establishes the point that the Gnostics emphatically wanted to deny that creation and

redemption are can be traced to the same loving origin Gnosticism viewed creation as evil and

looked to being rescued from it not reconciled with it the hymn clearly celebrates the goodness

of creation

The poem presents the overall pattern of Hebrew monotheistic confessions21 known from the

Psalms22 There is even a convincing suggestion that Col 115-20 is a midrash of the book of

Genesis (Gen 1-11 12-50) which reads that Israelrsquos God is the creator of the universe

According to Manus

First of all the hymn speaks of the redemption ldquoWho hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sinsrdquo (113)

Paul evokes redemption in terms very close to those that the Jewish theologians used to describe the flight out of Egypt Thus the Targum of s 1829 reads ldquoFor you will light the lamp of Israel that was extinguished in the exile for you are the lord of the light of Israel The LORD my God will bring me out of darkness into lightrdquo23

Manus cites a second motif relating to a Pascal hymn

A second motif that makes us think that it is a Pesach hymn is the fact that in the hymn the them of creation is connected to that of the resurrection of the dead Jewish theology also brought the creation them into a connection with Pesach

19 cf Sir 249 Wis 94920 Lohse (1972) pp 48-4921 Wright (1990) p 45222 Pss 955 1465-6 cf Is 4012-3123 ldquoTout drsquoabord le contexte antecedent de lrsquohymne parle de redemption Il nous a arraceacutes des teacuteegravebres et nous a transfeacutereacutes dans le royaume de son fils bien-aimeacute wn qui nous avons la redemption et la remission des pecheacutesrdquo (1 13)ldquoPaul evoke la redemption en des termes tregraves proched de ceux que les theacuteologiaens juifs employaient pour designer la sortie drsquoEgypte Ainsi le Targum du Ps 1829 disait ldquoTu es lrsquoauteur de la lumi`re drsquoIsraeumll Le Seigneur me conduira des teacutenegravebres agrave la lumiegravererdquo Manus (1979) p 106

5


Moreover the Pesach feast was presented very early as being the creation of Israel the firstborn of God (fn) This emerges from texts like 2 Ezra 658 (But we thy people whom thou hast called thy firstborn) the Song of Solomon 184 which uses the term protokos and the Targum of Exodus422 which translates ldquoSince Egypt I called them my sonsrdquo We recall that the link between creation and deliverance from Egypt is made also in the poem of the four nights contained in the Targum of Exodus 13(13)

But the Pesach is not only associated with the first creation it is brought into relation with the eschatological creation According to 1 Enoch 9114-15 the new creation will follow the judgment of men and angels According to Jubilees 129 ldquothe day of creation until the day of the new creation when the heaven and earth and all of their creatures shall be renewed according to the powers of heaven and according to the whole nature of earth and all of the lights will be renewed for healing and peace and blessing for all of the elect And likewise that Israel was called the firstborn at the time of the exodus from Egypt likewise the Messiah will be called the firstborn at the time of the new creation (Ex R 197 Pesiqta Rabati 342)

These examples suffice to make the point that the hymn wants to be read not only in the light of

the Hebrew Wisdom tradition but in the light of the entire Hebrew worldview with its most

characteristic feature of monotheism Manus cites other motifs and the reader is referred to his

paper Col 115-20 A Christian Midrash

The whole of the hymn properly expanded to include the set of verses 12-23 moves from

redemption to creation and back again and so emphasizes the cosmic significance of redemption

through its organic connection with creation itself24 Isa 40-55 provides many good examples of

this pattern with the emphasis on the proclamation that Israelrsquos God is none other than God the

creator of the universe the covenant God

Modifying our scheme based on the Wisdom tradition we can set up the table shown below to

assist us in interpreting the hymn on the backdrop of traditional Hebrew theology

1 15a He is the image (like Wisdom cf Gen 126

15a He is the image (ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν) the firstborn

2 14c He is the firstborn (like Wisdom Brsquoreshith (Proverbs 82225)

3 17ab He is supreme (πρo πάντων) (reshith as the sum-total)

A He is the image firstborn

4 18a He is the head (reshith) B He is supreme5 18c He is the beginning (reshith) B He is the head

24 Wright (1990) p 45425 ldquoThe Lord begot me the firstborn of his waysrdquo (Proverbs 822) Wisdom existed before all things

6


6 18d He is the firstborn (like Wisdom this time from the dead)

A He is the beginning (ἀρχή reshith)

Robert Karris agrees with Wright that reading the hymn against the backdrop of the Wisdom

literature is not the whole answer And I too agree with Wright when he writes

ldquoFor this worldview there is one God he made the world and is neither identified with it (as in pantheism and its various pagan cousins) nor detached from it (as in dualism) he is in covenant with Israel and he will in fulfilling the covenant reclaim and redeem his whole creation from that which at present corrupts and threatens ithellipFrom this point of view the important thing about the analysis of the poem is not how long its lines are but the fact that although written in Greek and with some possible verbal echoes of ideas current in other worldviews its overall emphasis belongs within the broad and rich tradition of Jewish psalmodyrdquo

Although I have little use for anything that sports the word ldquofeministrdquo anywhere in its title Mary

Rose DrsquoAngelo26 does present a challenging albeit ldquofeministrdquo critique of the theology of

Colossians But notwithstanding her ldquofeministrdquo bias she presents a convincing list of parallels

Wisdom and Colossians Col 115 Wis 726 Col 115 Pro 822 Sir 249 Col 116 Wis 722

Prov 319-20 Prov 823 3027 These pericopes are worth further analysis and discussion

IIITHE CHRIST HYMN

ndash A Brief Formal Analysis ndash

The suggestion that Colossians 115-20 presents a clear poetic structure is hardly a novel

statement by any means But interestingly there does not seem to be a great deal of agreement

on the actual structure of the lsquopoemrsquo Moreover there is also the suggestion that the Christ Hymn

is actually an insertion of a Christian hymn that predates the actual letter Inserting an older

perhaps familiar hymn into the letter may have proved problematic but it does not make an

interpolation impossible In view of the various methodological structural provenance etc

questions posed by myriad authors it is probably wisest to treat the passage as it stands So Irsquoll

deal with what I have

26 DrsquoAngelo (1994) pp 313-32427 Karris (1996) p 77

7


An obvious and natural starting point will be the parallelisms between words and phrases in the

different stanzas

Wright notes that taking the parallels one of the most obvious being

15 ὅς ἐστιν16 ὅτι ἐν αὐτῶ

δι᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν17 καὶ αὐτός18 καὶ αὐτός

ὅς ἐστιν19 ὅτι ἐν αὐτῶ20 δι᾽ αὐτοῦhellipεἰς αὐτόν

and is even further strengthened by the repeated πρωτότοκος of 15 18

15 ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως

16 καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχή πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων

and the parallels in 16 and 2016 ὰ πάντα

ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς20 ὰ πάντα hellip

εἴτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἴτε τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς

These features suggest the pattern of a parallel between two halves of a poetic text28

Wright suggests that the lines be taken as pairs of couplets

A 15-16B 17B 18(ab)A 18(c)-20

When this is done the crucial middle pair (Brsquos) would look something like17 καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων

καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῶ συνέστηκεν18 καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ

τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας

28 Wright notes that the τῆς ἐκκλησίας of verse 18 destroys the pattern there is something to be said for

the contentions that the τῆς ἐκκλησίαςdoes nothing to establish a ldquocoherent patternrdquo but I feel that the theological question which is the core of this paper is not affected by this apparent incoherence

8


preserving the parallelism between 15-16 and 18(c)-20 and is not excessively remote from a

chiastic scheme in the verses29

Burneyrsquos emphasis on the key theological elements of the hymn supports the above analysis

A 15a ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν()

15b τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου15c πρωτότοκος() πάσης κτίσεως16a ὅτι() ἐν αὐτῶ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα16b ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς16c τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα16d εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες16e εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι16f τὰ πάντα δι᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται

B 17a καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων17b καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῶ συνέστηκεν

B 18a καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ18b τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας

A 18c ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχή()

18d πρωτότοκος() ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν18e ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων19a ὅτι() ἐν αὐτῶ εὐδόκησεν19b πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα κατοικῆσαι20a καὶ δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι

τὰ πάντα εἰς αὐτόν20b εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος

τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ [δι᾽ αὐτοῦ]20c εἴτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

εἴτε τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς

Here the connecting words and pronouns dictate the basic structure of the hymn and allows the

parallels (πρωτότοκος) to assume relative prominence The two A sections are thematically

parallel both beginning with a Christ statement and the amplification of πρωτότοκος()

ldquofirstbornrdquo and explaining it with the ὅτι() phrases relating Christ to the created order

(16a19a) No problem so far30

The ant at the picnic is the fact of the imbalanced A sections εἰκὼν() is qualified by an

interposed phrase but ἀρχή() is not There is no parallel at the end of v 15 to the ἵνα

29 As Wright notes the syllable counts in these lines is acceptably close too supporting a rhythmic reading in the native Greek ndash despite the obvious fact that we are comparatively ignorant of how a Hellenistic Greek would read or pronounce it30 Despite the fact that the parallelism between the A sections is not perfect

9


clause of 18e Similarly in v 16 three lines (16cde) amplify the ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ

τῆς γῆς (16a) but such a qualification is absent in v 20

There is no parallel in the first A section to 20b Similarly according to Wrightrsquos analysis τοῦ

θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου (15b) (of the invisible God the firstborn of every creature) explains

εἰκὼν ([who is the] image) while the ἵνα-clause of 18e (that in all things he might have

preeminence) does not explain 18c-d (who is the beginning the firstborn from the dead) but sums

them up31

Smith notes that several scholars divide Col 115-20 into two strophes each of which begins

with ὅς ἐστιν hellip πρωτότοκος (vv 15 and 18) and includes E Lohse among the proponents

of this scheme32

Smith also points out yet another scheme where he places within the

ldquocenterpiecerdquo of vv 17-18 the repetition of καὶ αὐτός at the beginning of vv

17 and 18 to show parallelism This ldquocenterpiecerdquo serves to sum up the two

major hymnic themes the priority of Christ in creation (v 17) and the

priority of Christ in the Church (v 18) He proposes a structure of two

strophes with a middle stanza suggesting a chiastic structure of the form

A 15 ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως

B 16 ὅτι ἐν αὐτῶ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα C ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὰ ὁρατὰ

καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι τὰ πάντα δι᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται

D 17 καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῶ συνέστηκεν

D1 18 καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίαςA1 ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχή πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν ἵνα γένηται

ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύωνB1 19 ὅτι ἐν αὐτῶ εὐδόκησεν πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα

κατοικῆσαι

31 The result according to Wright is in each case a three-line introduction (lines of five and eight syllables followed by a longer third line) followed by a clause (ὅτι ἐν αὐτῶhellip)32 Smith (2006) p 154

10


C1 20 καὶ δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ πάντα εἰς αὐτόν εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ [δι᾽ αὐτοῦ] εἴτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἴτε τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς

The above scheme reflects a Hebrew literary genre in its chiastic structure

Smith notes that Wright33 noting that the ABBA structure reflects Hebrew monotheistic

confessions (vide supra) wherein the God of Israel is both redeemer and creator34

Taking the chiastic structure of the hymn we no longer need to quibble over speculations of

omissions or addtions This presentation of the hymn as a chiasm would most likely find its

origin in a midrashic interpretation of Genesis 11 as proposed by Manns

ldquoSi lrsquohymne de Col 115-20 est construit selon les techniques du midrash et si sa diffusion parmi les juifs a provoqueacute une reaction negative il est fort probable que sone auteur soit un judeacuteo-chreacutetien (fn) formeacute agrave la mentaliteacute juive qui pour faire admettre la Reacutesurrection de Jeacutesus agrave ses fregraveres a repris le midrash de Gen 11 pour le chistianiserrdquo [If the hymn of Col 115-20 is constructed according to midrashic techniques and if its distribution among the Jews evoked a negative reaction it is quite probable that its author was a Jewish-Christian [fn omitted] formed in the Jewish mentality who in order to admit the Resurrection of Jesus to his brethren took of the Gen 11 midrash to Christianize themrdquo]35

It is thus a play on the first words of the Hebrew scripture ית gאש jר lב (brsquoreshith in the beginning)

The b prefix is represented in the ἐν (αὐτῶ) (v 16) δι᾽ (αὐτοῦ) (v 1920) and εἰς

(αὐτὸν) (v 1920)36 The fact that the first A section 16d-e (repeated εἴτε) has links in the

second A section (20c parallels 16b) We can also find an equivalence of ית gאש jר (reshith

beginning) in the sections of the chiastic structure of the hymn ית gאש jר can be rendered by

analogy as πρωτότοκος (firstborn v 15) πρὸ πάντων (before all things v 17) as ἡ

κεφαλὴ (head v 18) and likewise as ἀρχή (beginning v 18) each describing in the

Rabinnic midrashic fashion the εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ the image of God in four ways

A v 15 Christ is the firstborn ית gאש jר B v 17 Christ is before all things ית gאש jרB v 18 Christ is the head ית gאש jר A v 18 Christ is the beginning ית gאש jר

(Modified after Smith (2006))

33 Wright (1990) p 45234 cf Ps 1464-5 see also Wright This dual role is also reflected in Revelation 4 and 5 where in God is worshipped as creator in 4 and as the Lamb redeemer in 535 Manns (1978) p 11036 Wright (1990) p 456

11


Moreover 20c at a point comparable to16c-e explains how the reconciliation of 20a was

effected and so maintains the theology of the whole

16b and 20c and 16f and 20a are parallel in content but not in placement 16b (in heaven and

that are in earth) qualifies 16a (because by him were all things created) 16f sums it all up (all

things were created by him and for him)

20a (to reconcile all things unto himself) clarified by 20b (having made peace through the blood

of his cross) rounds off the whole hymn by again emphasizing Christrsquos universal saving

kingship while 19 (For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell) and 20c

(whether they be things in earth or things in heaven) containing different thoughts to 20a-b

One of the recognized problems with the balance between the two As is that while the second A

is in direct parallelism with the first A the author appears to have gotten wordier thus adversely

affecting the stricter discipline expected for such a parallelism Nevertheless 20a (him to

reconcile all things unto himself by him) remains close to 16f (all things were created by him and

for him) and 20c (whether they be things in earth or things in heaven) picks up 16b (that are in

heaven and that are in earth)

Without belaboring the formal aspects of the hymn the above discussion should provide a

feeling for its basic structure and internal relationships More detailed discussions and analyses

can be found in the works cited here and in the commentaries particularly Lohse (1972) and

MacDonald (2000)

IVDISCUSSION

Karris sums up the Christ Hymn in terms of Wisdom theology when he writes

By means of a Jewish wisdom theology the composer of Colossians 115-20 created one of Christianityrsquos first and loftiest ChristologieshellipThis is not the narrative of Christology of the four gospels although Johnrsquos Gospel especially through its hymnic prologue about Godrsquos Logos provides some parallels to the Christology of Colossians 115-20 We are viewing protology at work as the composer takes us behind the scenes before creation manifested Godrsquos wisdom and plan for all of creation Just as wisdom represents God to the outside that is Godrsquos image so too does Jesus Christ as Godrsquos image And Jesus Christ has manifested that wisdom not just at the beginning of his earthly life not just through his death and resurrection but indeed from the very beginningrdquo37

37 Karris (1996) pp 77-78

12


Indeed if my interpretation is correct καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος

τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχή πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν ἵνα

γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων (And he is the head of the body the church who

is the beginning the firstborn from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence)

(Col 118)

The absolute primacy of Jesus Christ builds upon the point made in Col 118 the lordship of

Christ This notion was fully articulated by Bl John Duns Scotus and insists on the absolute

priority of Godrsquos will and grace and on the secondary role of human sin In other words even if

humankind had not sinned God would have still expressed his love for creation through his self-

communication in the Incarnation

It is indeed gratifying to note that the Jesuit New Testament Scholar Jean-Noeumll Aletti SJ

posits six ways in which Colossians 115-20 articulates the primacy of Jesus Christ38

Firstly Aletti emphasizes eminence found in the expressions ldquofirstbornrdquo (115) and ldquoimagerdquo

(115) 118c supports this proposition ldquohe himself might be preeminentrdquo

Secondly Aletti argues universality and the reference to ldquoall thingsrdquo ldquoall creationrdquo (115) ldquoall

thingsrdquo (116 17) before all things (117 116) 120 (and ldquowhether those o earth or those in

heaven)

Thirdly uniqueness meaning that it is solely and uniquely Jesus Christ who is the actor in the

hymn Phrases like ldquoin himrdquo (116 119) ldquothrough himrdquo and ldquofor himrdquo (117 120) ldquohe

himselfrdquo (118)39

The fourth way is more subtle and is totality (in all ways at all levels) For example on the level

of creation ldquowere createdrdquo (116) On the level of modality expressed in prepositions ldquoinrdquo (116

and 117) ldquothroughrdquo (116) ldquoforrdquo (116) The glue or sustainer of creation is subsumed in this

notion of totality (117) ldquoIn all thingsrdquo expresses Christrsquos primacy at all levels totally and 120

is explicit when it sings of the reconciliation of all through and for Christ

38 Aletti argues for an integral non-redacted nature of the Christ Hymn of Colossians 115-20 and for its Wisdom geneology For a more detailed discussion please see Aletti (1981) pp 93ff39 Grammatically for example in 117 and 118 αὐτός makes clear that it is only Christ who is the subject of the verb

13


The fifth way is that of priority ldquoFirstbornrdquo (115) and ldquobefore all thingsrdquo proclaim Christrsquos

primacy ldquoThe beginningrdquo and ldquofirstborn of the deadrdquo (118) sing clearly of this aspect of

Christrsquos primacy

Definitive accomplishment is the sixth way The hymnic unit of Colossians 1 is a proclamation of

celebration of things accomplished Christ is already the ldquoimage of the invisible Godrdquo (115) He

is already the ldquofirstborn of all creationrdquo (115) He is already ldquothe beginningrdquo and the ldquofirstborn

of the deadrdquo (118) Christ is already the ldquohead of the body of the churchrdquo (118) and is the one

in whom reconciliation and peace have been attained (120) It is interesting to note how these

definitive accomplishments link together the two stanzas of the hymnic unit

Colossians 115-20 celebrates in poetic hymnic form the absolute primacy of Jesus Christ

Indeed Christ in his person and work is the actual presence and activity of the living self-

communicating God and the center of the universe40

The Christ Hymn therefore establishes Christrsquos supremacy over all things (Col 115-20)

because He is God (115) He is the heir (115) He is the Creator (116) He is the Sustainer

(117) He is the Head of the Church (118) He is the Firstborn from among the dead (118) He

is Supreme in all things (118) He is the divine human Redeemer (119-20) the Divine Fullness

resides in Him (119) He redeemed all things through the Cross (120)

VCONTEMPORARY THOUGHTS

VIREFLECTION

The Christ Hymn of Colossians 115-20 encourages us to retreat into our religious imaginations

to the beginning the absolute beginning even before creation where we find the Principal and

the Word creating and longing to become part of creation through the perichoresis with the

40

14


Spirit the Godhead is self-diffusing and self-communicating in an unconditional perfect love

that strives for expression

Colossians 115-20 reminds us in hymnic poetic form that creation is good and reconciliation is

available The hymn celebrates the Trinityrsquos self-communication and self-diffusing love

Christ is the center of the universe and so it follows that creation is more than simply an

expression of love it is Christic because it bears the imprint of the one in whose image it was

made ndash the Incarnate Word

In his mystical hymn to creation Canticle of the Creatures our Seraphic Father St Francis of

Assisi bridged the gap between the creature and the Creator the Poverello in his canticle sings

of creation and re-creation for which he substitutes ldquopardonrdquo and ldquopeacerdquo St Francis does not

alienate creation but embraces all of it as kin as brother and sister

Again I must take issue with those who attempt to savage Scripture by applying liberal

ideologies specifically the feminists Whereas I have acknowledged DrsquoAngelorsquos finesse in

paralleling the themes of Colossians 115-20 with Hebrew scripture and the Wisdom tradition ndash

while overlooking the feminist agenda in doing so and her insistence that because Sophia is a

feminine noun so then must Wisdom be a feminine element ndash she tends to overstate her feminist

case when she writes that the author of Colossians ldquoaffirms the patriarchal rule of the masters of

the worldrdquo and that the ldquoColossiansrsquo code ishellipthe integral consequence of Christrsquos universal

lordshiprdquo She appears to lose sight of the multiple meanings of Christrsquos universal lordship that

of the author of Colossians and that of the hymnic unit

Wayne Meeks who offers a valuable insight ldquo[t]hat baptism dramatized a cosmic not merely a

human restoration of unity is shown clearly by the liturgical composition of quoted in Col 115-

20rdquo41 Meeks asserts that the household code in Colossians ldquoassures that the basic structure of the

Christian household will resemble that which is insisted upon by society at largerdquo Assuming that

Meeks is on the mark we can respond to DrsquoAngelorsquos critique by proposing to model the basic

structure of the Christian household today so that it will resemble that model which society

would see for its people Not an easy task but it may by analogy help todayrsquos and future

generations from misapprehending Colossians 318-41 as divine dictum DrsquoAngelo needs to

understand that Scripture is not some sort of museum piece nor something from the antique past

41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


to which we pay oral homage at liturgy and worship but imposes awesome responsibilities on us

as theologians scholars teachers and preachers to assist the faithful in vitally assimilating its

meaning for daily life while avoiding distorting it with liberal ideological misinterpretations

Reflecting on Wink Meeks and DrsquoAngelo it becomes evident that Colossians 115-20 has

social justice implications as well The ldquopowersrdquo of Colossiae are not merely those of the

pleroma the kenoma and the aeons but today are the institutions organizations systems

structures hierarchies that are the forces behind good or evil forces that are beyond the powers

of the individual Today we may reflect on Col 120 and find reconciliation through Christ is

also available to those powers and in accord with Colossians that the powers of good are in

need of reconciliation42 If the New Testament Christ is the personified Wisdom of Hebrew

scripture as Wink suggests then Wisdom has been crucified Let us fairly assume that Christ is

Godrsquos Wisdom and that the ldquorulers of this agerdquo43 refer to both human and supernatural powers44

Col 116 proclaims that the powers have been reconciled through Christrsquos blood on the Cross

Todayrsquos Christians may name some of the liberal ideologies (eg feminism) that inform the

socialization process by which we become social beings and relate to one another These

ideologies have become the ldquopowersrdquo today

Acknowledgements

No one fathoms the depths of Scripture theology spirituality without the selfless and generous companionship of spiritual friends and guides It would be ungrateful and arrogant if I were not to acknowledge the wonderful gift of encouragement and support provided by

Fr Regis Gallo OFM and Fr Valerian Faugno OFM

whose support in clarifying questions providing directional guidance sharing a vast armamentarium of knowledge and their intellectual gifts with this humble ignorant servant and disciple have nurtured and enlivened my intellectual development Fr Regis and Fr Valerian have emptied themselves in a Christlike manner to fill me with the desire to perfect my faith seeking understanding

My grateful thanks go also to Shirley Ricker of the University of Rochester who was of immense help in locating and requesting difficult-to-locate primary sources for this paper Shirley was remarkable in her diligence tenacity and overall knowledge a scholar in her own right

42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16


I hold them in my prayers and approach our Seraphic Father and Founder St Francis of Assisi with my personal intention that he always hold them his beloved brothers close that he always accompany and guide them and consistently present their intentions before our Lord Jesus Christ

St Francis of Assisi Pray for UsPax et Bonum

17


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Works Cited or Consulted

Aletti Jean-Noeumll Colossiens 115-20 Genre et exeacutegegravese du texte Fonction de la thegravematique sapientielle Analecta Biblica 91 Rome Biblical Institute Press (1981)

Berkouwer GC The Motive of the Incarnation In The Work of Christ by GC Berkouwer 19-34 Grand Rapids Eerdmans 1965

Berry George R The Classic Greek Dictionary Chicago IL Follett Publishing (1941)

Branick Vincent Understanding Paul and His Letters New York Paulist Press 2009

Brown Raymond An Introduction to the New Testament New York Doubleday 1997

Bruns J Edgar Cosmolatry The Catholic World 191 (1960) 284-287

Calvin John Institutes of the Christian Religion Edited by John T McNeil Translated by Ford Lewis Battles Philadelphia PA Westminster Press 1960

Carol Juniper B Why Jesus Christ Thomistic Scotistic and Conciliatory Perspectives Manassas VA Trinity Communications 1911

DrsquoAngelo Mary Rose Colossians Searching the Scriptures Volume Two A Feminist Commentary Elisabeth Schuumlssler Fiorenza ed New York Crossroad (1994)

Delio Ilia Christ and Extraterrestrial Life Theology and Science 5 no 3 (2007) 249-265

mdash Christ in Evolution Maryknoll NY Orbis Books 2008

mdash Crucified Love Bonaventures Mysticism of the Crucified Christ Quincy IL Franciscan Press 1998

Delio Ilia Is Creation Eternal Theological Studies 66 (2005) 279-303

Delio Ilia Revisiting the Franciscan Doctrine of Christ Theological Studies 64 (2003) 3-23

mdash The Humility of God A Franciscan Perspective Cincinnati OH St Anthony Messenger Press 2005

Dettloff W Die Geistigkeit des hl Franziskus in der Theologie der Franziskaner Wissenschaft und Weisheit 19 (1956) 197-211

Dillard Peter S A Minor Matter The Franciscan Thesis and Philosophical Theology Heythrop Journal 5 (2009) 890-900

Donahue John R Model of Persuasion America 199 no 15 (2008) 12-15

Feyerabend Karl Handy Dictionary of the Greek and English Languages New York David McKay Company Inc 1914

Finlan Steven The Apostle Paul and the Pauline Tradition Collegville MN Liturgical Press 2008

Garvey Colin Book Review Poverty and Joy The Franciscan Tradition Irish Theological Society 2000 383-384

Habets Myk On Getting First Things First Assessing Claims for the Primacy of Christ New Blackfriars 90 no 1027 (2008) 343-364

18


Harrington Daniel Meeting St Paul Today Chicago IL Loyola Press 2008

Hayes Zacchary Christ Word of God and Exemplar of Humanity The roots of Franciscan Christocentrism and the implications for today The Cord 47 no 1 (1996) 3-17

Hays Richard B The God of Mercy Who Rescues Us from the Present Evil Age Romans and Galatians In Forgotten God Perspectives in Biblical Theology by Andrew Das and Frank Mater 123-143 Louisville KY Wesminster John Knox 2002

Herrick Greg The Letter to the Colossians Biblical Studies Foundation 2001 httpwwwbibleorg (accessed February 20 2010)

Holzner Joseph Paul of Tarsus Translated by Frederic C Eckhoff St Louis B Herder Book Co 1946

Horrell David An Introduction to the Study of Paul New York TampT Clark 2006

Husinger G Mysterium Trinitatis Karl Barths Conception of Eternity In Disruptive Grace Studies in the Theology of Karl Barth by G Husinger 186-209 Grand Rapids Eerdmans 2002

Iammarone Giovanni The Timeliness and Limitations of the Christology of John Duns Scotus for the Development of a Contemporary Theology of Christ Miscellanea Francescana 88 (1988) 277-299

Johnson LT The Writings of the New Testament Minneapolis MN Fortress (1999)

Karris Robert J V Movement 2 Colossians 115-20--Christ Jesus as Cosmic Lord and Peacemaker In A Symphony of the New Testament Hymns by A Symphony of the New Testament Hymns 62-93 Collegeville MN Liturgical Press (1996)

Koonten George H van Cosmic Christology in Paul and the Pauline School Colossians and Ephesians inthe Context of the Graeco-Roman Cosmology with a new synopsis of the Greek texts Tuumlbingen Mohr Siebeck 2003

Layton Richard A Recovering Origens Pauline Exegesis Exegesis and Eschatology in the Commentary on Ephesians Journal of Early Christian Studies 8 no 3 (2000) 373-411

Lohse Eduard Thanksgiving amp Hymn Excursus Christ Jesus the Lord Excursus in Colossians and Philemon Augsburg HermeneiaFortress (1972)MacDonald Margaret Y Colossians and Ephesians Sacra Pagina Series Edited by Daniel J Harrington Vol 17 Collegeville MN Liturgical Press 2000

MacDonald Margaret Y Colossians and Ephesians Sacra Pagina Series Vol 17 Daniel J Harrington SJ ed Collegeville Liturgical Press (2000)

Manns F Col 115-20 Midrash Chreacutetien de Gen 11 Revue des sciences reacuteligieuses 53 (1979) 100-110

Matera Frank J Christ in the Theologies of Paul and John A study in the diverse unity of New Testament theology Theological Studies 67 (2006) 237-256

Meeks Wayne A In One Body The Unity of Humankind in Colossians and Ephesians in Godrsquos Christ and His People Studies in Honor of Nils Alsturp Dahl Jacob Jervell and Wayne A Meeks eds Oslo Norway Universitetsforlaget (1979)

19


Mulholland Seacuteamus Christ The Haecceitas of God The Spiritualityof John Duns Scotus Doctrine of Haecceitas and Primacy of Christ Cord A Franciscan Spiritual Review 40 (1990) 165-172

Niccacci Alviero Analyzing Biblical Hebrew Poetry JSOT 74 (1997) 77-93

Osborne Kenan B ed The History of Franciscan Theology St Bonaventure NY Franciscan Institute 1994

Pius XI Pope Quas Primas (On the Feast of Christ the King) Encyclical Rome Eternal Word Television Network December 11 1925

Rahner Karl Christology within an Evolutionary View of the World Vol 508 in Theological Investigations by Karl Rahner 157-192 Baltimore Helicon 1966

Rahner Karl Experiment Man Theology Digest XVI no Sesquicentennial (1968) 57-69

Rahner Karl The Two Basic Types of Christology Vol XIII in Theological Investigations by Karl Rahner translated by Bourke 213-223 New York Seabury Press 1975

Rops Daniel Saint Paul Translated by Jex Martin Chicago IL Fides Publishers Association 1953

Schweitzer Albert The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle Translated by William Montgomery New York Seabury Press 1931

Scoti B Ioannis Duns Scoti Opera Omnia Edited by Studio et Cura Commissionis Scotisticae Vol XXI Vatican City Typis Vaticanis MMIV

Scoti Joannis Duns Opera Omnia Vol IV Paris Apud Ludovicum Vivegraves Bibliopolam Editorem MCCCCXCIV

Short William J Poverty and Joy The Franciscan Tradition London Darton Longman and Todd 1999

Short William J The Changing Face of Christian Spirituality The Franciscan Tradition Spiritus 8 (2008) 129-134

Smith Ian K Heavenly Perspective A study of the apostle Pauls response to a Jewish mystical movement at Colossae Vol Library of New Testament Studies 326 London TampT Clark 2006

Still Todd D Eschatology in Colossians How Realized is It New Testament Studies 50 (2004) 125-138

Trethowan Illtyd and Frank J Sheed The Philosophy of St Bonaventure Translated by Etienne Gilson Paterson NJ St Anthony Guild Press 1965

van Nieuwenhove Rik In the Image of God The Trinitarian Anthropology of St Bonaventure St Thomas Aquinas and the Blessed Jan Van Ruusbroec Irish Theological Quarterly 66 (2001) 227-237

Weinandy Thomas The Cosmic Christ The Cord 51 no 1 (2001) 27-38

White Benjamin L Reclaiming Paul Reconfiguration as Reclamation in 3 Corinthians Journal of Early Christian Studies 17 no 4 (2009) 497-523

20


Wink Walter Naming the Powers The language of Power in the New Testament Philadelphia Fortress (1984)

Wright NT Poetry and Theology in Colossians 115-20 New Testament Studies 36 (1990) 444-468

Yancey Philip Ongoing Incarnation Would Christmas have come even if we had not sinned Christianity Today 2008 72

Yates Phillippe The Primacy of Christ in John Duns Scotus An Assessment FAITH 39 no 7 (2008) 22-29

21

The Christ Hymn of Col 115-20 The Primacy of Christ

Harold William Vadney III

A301 Pauline and Deutero-Pauline Writings


IABSTRACT

Paulrsquos letter to the Colossians is a remarkable example of Paulrsquos sensitivity and proactivity in the face of looming heretical speculation in a hypercritical flock His approach to the nascent Gnostic threat to the true faith begins with the insertion of an ancient hymn the Christ Hymn which encapsulates the primacy and centrality of Christ in Christian thought This paper elucidates the likely historical backdrop to the letter then embarks on a brief formal analysis of the hymn engages in a discussion of the hermeneutics of the hymn and its importance to the Scotian principle of the Primacy of Christ the Franciscan Thesis then presents some observations on the musings of contemporary theological writers on the Thesis and ends appropriately with a theological reflection For practical reasons the discussion attempts to limit itself to the Christ Hymn (Col 115-20) proper

IIINTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Epaphras a leader in the Church at Colossae approaches St Paul for advice and assistance

Epaphras is concerned that although his people are zealous in their faith and full of caritas they

were subtle and hypercritical there were undercurrents of heresy Colossae was located in

Phrygia a place filled with demons Thrones Powers Dominions and Principalities1 and the

sublunary realm was filled with lesser spirits2 The higher spirits were called the pleroma

(πλήρωμα)or ldquofillingrdquo the lower spirits kenoma ldquo (kenoma) voidrdquo3 Ionia was the birthplace of

philosophy and in Phrygia all sorts of Gnostic speculation flourished The apostle apparently

recognized that the area and the people in this place a demon-filled place scarred by ravines

caverns in which spirits were supposed to cavort was prone to speculation and errancy

While the exact nature of the threat cannot be discerned from the letter it is reasonably clear that

it took the form of a deviant Hebrew-Hellenistic theosophy an attempt perhaps by the Phrygian

Jews to embellish to color their Judaism with philosophy They worshipped angels and spirits

claimed that Christ was one of the angels therefore he obeyed the law and so Christians too

must obey the law While innocuous at the time it was a toxic brew of Hebrew Platonic

Pythagorean Orphic Zoroastrian elements that persisted well into the first several centuries of

Christianity

1 cf Col 2152 cf Eph 6123 English equivalents

1

























2



























3






























4








of creation




According to Manus






5






















6












IIITHE CHRIST HYMN











7



different stanzas













A 15-16B 17B 18(ab)A 18(c)-20






8






















9








them up31



of this scheme32















10





















11




















MacDonald (2000)

IVDISCUSSION



37 Karris (1996) pp 77-78

12






(Col 118)












heaven)










13




















VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21




























2



























3






























4








of creation




According to Manus






5






















6












IIITHE CHRIST HYMN











7



different stanzas













A 15-16B 17B 18(ab)A 18(c)-20






8






















9








them up31



of this scheme32















10





















11




















MacDonald (2000)

IVDISCUSSION



37 Karris (1996) pp 77-78

12






(Col 118)












heaven)










13




















VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21






























3






























4








of creation




According to Manus






5






















6












IIITHE CHRIST HYMN











7



different stanzas













A 15-16B 17B 18(ab)A 18(c)-20






8






















9








them up31



of this scheme32















10





















11




















MacDonald (2000)

IVDISCUSSION



37 Karris (1996) pp 77-78

12






(Col 118)












heaven)










13




















VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21

































4








of creation




According to Manus






5






















6












IIITHE CHRIST HYMN











7



different stanzas













A 15-16B 17B 18(ab)A 18(c)-20






8






















9








them up31



of this scheme32















10





















11




















MacDonald (2000)

IVDISCUSSION



37 Karris (1996) pp 77-78

12






(Col 118)












heaven)










13




















VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21











of creation




According to Manus






5






















6












IIITHE CHRIST HYMN











7



different stanzas













A 15-16B 17B 18(ab)A 18(c)-20






8






















9








them up31



of this scheme32















10





















11




















MacDonald (2000)

IVDISCUSSION



37 Karris (1996) pp 77-78

12






(Col 118)












heaven)










13




















VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21

























6












IIITHE CHRIST HYMN











7



different stanzas













A 15-16B 17B 18(ab)A 18(c)-20






8






















9








them up31



of this scheme32















10





















11




















MacDonald (2000)

IVDISCUSSION



37 Karris (1996) pp 77-78

12






(Col 118)












heaven)










13




















VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21















IIITHE CHRIST HYMN











7



different stanzas













A 15-16B 17B 18(ab)A 18(c)-20






8






















9








them up31



of this scheme32















10





















11




















MacDonald (2000)

IVDISCUSSION



37 Karris (1996) pp 77-78

12






(Col 118)












heaven)










13




















VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21






different stanzas













A 15-16B 17B 18(ab)A 18(c)-20






8






















9








them up31



of this scheme32















10





















11




















MacDonald (2000)

IVDISCUSSION



37 Karris (1996) pp 77-78

12






(Col 118)












heaven)










13




















VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21

























9








them up31



of this scheme32















10





















11




















MacDonald (2000)

IVDISCUSSION



37 Karris (1996) pp 77-78

12






(Col 118)












heaven)










13




















VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21











them up31



of this scheme32















10





















11




















MacDonald (2000)

IVDISCUSSION



37 Karris (1996) pp 77-78

12






(Col 118)












heaven)










13




















VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21
























11




















MacDonald (2000)

IVDISCUSSION



37 Karris (1996) pp 77-78

12






(Col 118)












heaven)










13




















VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21























MacDonald (2000)

IVDISCUSSION



37 Karris (1996) pp 77-78

12






(Col 118)












heaven)










13




















VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21









(Col 118)












heaven)










13




















VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21























VIREFLECTION




40

14































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21


































41 Meeks (1979) p 211 (pp 209-221)

15


















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


BIBLIOGRAPHY
























18



















19





















20






21





















Acknowledgements





42 cf Col 29 1543 cf 1 Cor 26-844 Wink (1984) 44-45

16




17


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project paper col 1-15-20 primacy christ

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