ACC ~ Colossians 1 v16

“ALL THINGS” REFERS PRIMARILY TO THE ENTIRE COSMOS. IRENAEUS: “All things were made through him and without him was made not a thing.” From this “all” nothing is exempt. Now, it is the Father who made all things through him, whether visible or invisible, whether sensible or intelligible, whether temporal for the sake of some dispensation or eternal. These he did not make through angels or some powers that were separated from his thought. AGAINST THE HERESIES 1.22.1.

ORIGEN: Now that we have briefly repeated our account of the Trinity, we must go on in the same way to remind the reader that through the Son “all things” are said to be “created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers—all things were created through him and in him he is before all things; in him who is the head all things hold together.” The “all things” includes the various supernatural powers that are specified in the remainder of the verse. Paul insists these are subordinate to Christ’s power and authority. ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 4.4.3.

CYRIL OF JERUSALEM: Therefore Christ is the Only-begotten Son of God and Maker of the World, for “he was in the world, and the world was made through him,”and “he came unto his own,” as the Gospel teaches us. But Christ is the Maker, at the bidding of the Father, not only of things visible but also things invisible. For, according to the apostle: “In him were created all things in the heavens or on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers. All things have been created through him and unto him, and he is before all creatures, and in him all things hold together.” Though you mention the worlds, Jesus Christ, at the bidding of the Father, is Maker of these too. CATECHETICAL LECTURES 12.24.

ATHANASIUS: For the Word of God was not made for us but rather we for him, and “in him all things were created.” For even if it had seemed good to God not to make things of determinate origin, still the Word would have been no less with God, and the Father in him. At the same time, things of determinate origin could not without the Word be brought to be; hence they were made through him—and with meaning and purpose. For since the Word is the Son of God by nature proper to his essence and is from him, as he said himself, the creatures could not have come to be, except through him. DISCOURSES AGAINST THE ARIANS 2.18.31.

CHRYSOSTOM: “All things,” he says, “have been created through him, and to him.” Indeed, “in him” is “through him,” for having said “in him,” Paul added, “through him.” But what does “to him” mean? It is this: the subsistence of all things depends on him. HOMILIES ON COLOSSIANS 3.

AMBROSE: So then, he himself who calls the Son of God the maker even of heavenly things has also plainly said that all things were made in the Son, that in the renewal of his works he might by no means separate the Son from the Father but unite him to the Father. Paul, too, says: “For in him were all things created in the heavens and in the earth, visible and invisible.” OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 3.11.83-84.

AMBROSE: If the Son, then, is not begotten within limits of time, we are free to judge that nothing can have existed before the Son, whose being is not confined by time. If, indeed, there was anything in existence before the Son, then it instantly follows that all things in heaven and earth were not created in him, and the apostle is shown to have erred in so setting it down in his epistle. However, if nothing existed before he was begotten, I fail to see how he—who was begotten before all things—should be said to be after any other thing. OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 4.9.99.

HILARY OF POITIERS: There is no doubt that all things are through the Son, since, according to the apostle, “All things are through him and in him.” If all things are through him, and all things are from nothing, and nothing is except through him, I ask in what way does he lack the true nature of God, since he is not lacking either in the nature or the power of God? For he used the power of his nature that these things should exist which had no existence, and that these things should exist which pleased him. ON THE TRINITY 5.4.

AUGUSTINE: “Before Abraham I am”; that’s what he said himself, the Gospel speaks. Listen to it, or read it. But that’s little enough, being the creator before Abraham; he’s the creator before Adam, creator before heaven and earth, before all the angels, and the whole spiritual creation, “thrones, dominions, principalities and powers,” creator before all things whatsoever. SERMONS 290.2.

THE NEW CREATION IN CHRIST. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: He did not say, “through him,” but “in him.” Thus Paul is not speaking of the first creation but rather of the repair of the creation in him, according to which what was once dissolved is now brought back into a harmonious whole. COMMENTARY ON COLOSSIANS.

THEODORET OF CYR: “Created through him” refers to the first creation, while “created in him” refers to what has been accomplished through his incarnation. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS.

AMBROSIASTER: Before all things came to be, he was born. But Paul also says that all things were created “in him.” He is saying that the potency of all things may be believed to be in him, and since in fact all things came into existence through him. This last means that he is the head of every creature, since they began to exist only by virtue of existing with respect to him. COMMENTARY ON THE LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS.

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