Colossians 1:17 (WEB)
He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.
Catechism · 2
In the Age of the Church
“In the newness of the Spirit, they also composed hymns and canticles in the light of the unheard - of event that God accomplished in his Son: his Incarnation, his death which conquered death, his Resurrection, and Ascension to the right hand of the Father.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Phil 2:6-11; Col 1:15-20; Eph 5:14; 1 Tim 3:16; 6:15-16; 2 Tim 2:11-13.
The Creator
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."” — Catechism footnote: Col 1:16-17.
Fathers and councils · 27
Gregory of Nyssa
“This is the Being in which, to use the words of the Apostle, all things are formed; and we, with our individual share in existence, live and move, and have our being.” — editor's note: Acts xvii. 28; Col. i. 17.
Read the whole comment“…power (for “He spake the word and they were made, He commanded and they were created”), He Who made all things by Himself, and made them consist in Himself, without Whom no existing thing either came into being or remains in being,—He it is Who waits to obtain His power by some process of allotment!” — editor's note: Cf. Col. i. 16 and 17.
Read the whole comment“…as though he were making some great concessions to Him Who holds in His hand the ends of the world, in Whom, as the Apostle says, “all things consist,” as though he were not aware that to Him Who encompasses all things, and guides and sways according to His good pleasure all that hath already been and all…” — editor's note: Col. i. 17.
Read the whole comment“…“I go,” indicates local change, while He who contains all things, “in Whom,” as the Apostle says, “all things were created, and in Whom all things consist,” has nothing in existent things external to Himself to which removal could take place by any kind of motion, (for motion cannot otherwise be effected than by…” — editor's note: Col. i. 16, 17.
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Athanasius of Alexandria
“But if through the Son it has come to be, and ‘in Him all things consist,’ it must follow that he who contemplates the creation rightly, is contemplating also the Word who framed it, and through Him begins to apprehend the Father.” — editor's note: Col. i. 17.
Read the whole comment“…and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created through Him, and for Him, and He is before all.’” — editor's note: Col. i. 15–17
Read the whole comment“…after Him; and ‘First-born of the whole creation,’ because of the Father’s love to man, which brought it to pass that in His Word not only ‘all things consist,’ but the creation itself, of which the Apostle speaks, ‘waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, shall be delivered’ one time ‘from the bondage of…” — editor's note: Ib. i. 17.
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John Damascene
“…“invisible”: not that God is inferior to anything or lacking in anything (for all things are His and have become from Him and through Him and endure in Him), but that He is pre-eminently separated from all that is.” — editor's note: Coloss. i. 17.
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Cyril of Jerusalem
“For in Him, according to the Apostle, were all things created that are in the heavens, and that are upon the earth, things visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things have been created by Him and for Him; and He is before all, and in Him all things consist.” — editor's note: Col. i. 16, 17.
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Origen
“…whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and in Him: and He is before all, and He is the head.”” — editor's note: Col. i. 16–18.
Read the whole comment- Origen, De Principiis II.6Book II
“…thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things were created by Him, and in Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist,” who is the head of all things, alone having as head God the Father; for it is written, “The head of Christ is God;” seeing clearly also that it is written, “No…” — editor's note: Col. i. 16, 17.
Read the whole comment - Origen, De Principiis IV.3Book IV
“…or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him; and He is before all, and all things consist by Him, who is the Head.”” — editor's note: Cf. Col. i. 16–18.
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Theodoret of Cyrus
“…from place to place, while He that comprehends all things and ‘by Whom,’ as says the Apostle, ‘all things were created and by Whom all things consist,’ had among all existing things nothing without and beyond Himself which can stand to Him in the relation of motion or removal.”” — editor's note: Coloss. i. 16, 17
Read the whole comment“…and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him: and He is before all things ’ Since the hypothesis implied in the phrase ‘out of the non-existent’ is manifestly impious, it follows that the Father is always Father.” — editor's note: Col. i. 16, 17
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Ambrose of Milan
“…to the tradition of men, and after the rudiments of this world, not according to Christ; for in Him dwelleth all the fulness of Godhead in bodily shape.”” — editor's note: It would, I think, be unfair to construe this passage into an absolute condemnation of all the results of human activity, arrived at without any conscious…
Read the whole comment“Nor is the Son reckoned “amongst” all things, for “all things were made by Him,” and “all things exist together in Him, and He is above all the heavens.”” — editor's note: Col. i. 17.
Read the whole comment“For who should help Him in Whom all things were created and by Whom all things consist?” — editor's note: Col. i. 17.
Read the whole comment“But that no one should be ignorant of this he added those of whom he was speaking: “Whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by Him and in Him, and He is before all, and in Him all things consist.”” — editor's note: Col. i. 16, 17.
Read the whole comment“So, too, elsewhere you read, “For in Him all things consist,” that is, in His power.” — editor's note: Col. i. 17.
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John Chrysostom
“So that what is asserted of the Father might be asserted absolutely of Him (Christ) also, that “In Him we live and move and have our being.” ( Col. i. 16, 17.)” — the author cites it
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Basil the Great
“…Holy Ghost, the Originator and Cause is the Only-begotten God; for we are taught by Holy Scripture that “All things were made by Him,” and “by Him consist.”” — editor's note: Col. i. 17.
Read the whole comment“Through Him all things have their continuance and constitution, for He created all things, and metes out to each severally what is necessary for its health and preservation.” — editor's note: cf. Col. i. 16, 17.
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Augustine of Hippo
“According to the form of God, “He is the first-born of every creature, and He is before all things and by him all things consist;” according to the form of a servant, “He is the head of the body, the Church.”” — editor's note: Col. i. 15, 17, 18
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John Cassian
“Because it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell; and through Him to reconcile all things unto Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross, both as to the things on earth, and the things that are in heaven.”” — editor's note: Col. i. 12–20.
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Hilary of Poitiers
“For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in Him should all the fulness dwell, and through Him all things should be reconciled to Him.” — editor's note: Col. i. 15–20.
Read the whole comment“Thus we shall make Christ as God Himself conditioned, whereas He is the final cause of all conditions; and what becomes then of the Apostle’s words, All things are through Him and in Him, and He is before all, and in Him all things consist?” — editor's note: Col. i. 16, 17.
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Gregory of Nazianzus
“And with good reason, for they would not be strengthened according to Christ, nor make that laudable increase, which the Word produces in one who is rightly fed, by making him a perfect man, and bringing him to the measure of spiritual stature.” — editor's note: Col. i. 11, 16, 17.
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Cross-references · 13
Cited together in Letters Letter 38.
Cited together in Letters Letter 38.
Cited together in Letters Letter 38.
Cited together in Letters Letter 38.
Cited together in Letters Letter 38.
Cited together in Catechism §291.
Cited together in Catechism §291.
Cited together in Catechism §291 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Letters Letter 38.
Cited together in Letters Letter 38.
Cited together in Letters Letter 38.
Cited together in Letters Letter 38.
Cited together in Letters Letter 38.