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[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation. For by him all things were created . . . all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.¹

What is it meant to be preeminent? It means surpassing all others; very distinguished in some way.² Jesus states, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him, and have seen him.”³ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things . . . making peace by the blood of his cross.⁴

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body the flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproached before him⁵ (Having been made holy, blameless, and above reproach explains why we are called saints⁶—Latin sanctus, meaning holy, sacred, set apart; where we derive the English sanctified⁷), if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven and of which I, Paul, became a minister.⁸

Recall, the moment you acknowledged the call of God through the gospel, you were made new positionally (although experientially a work in progress). Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.⁹ Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught (through the Scriptures), abounding in thanksgiving.¹⁰

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel; he boldly and openly preached it. He understood that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.¹¹ He readily, responsibly, and conscientiously walked as steward of the gospel, even rejoicing in his suffering, as he undertook to make the word of God fully known.¹² The mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his [living] saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles [the non-Jew] are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.¹³

For those in Christ, just like Paul, we are called to toil and make disciples, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within us.¹⁴