(Col. 1: 15) : "He is the image of the invisible God

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III


(Col. 1: 15)
: "He is the image of the invisible God', and in (Phil.2:5-7): "Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal to God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. " This means that if Christ appeared to be equal with God, He did not consider that robbery because He is verily so. But while being equal with the Father, He gave up all His glory, was Incarnate, taking the form of a servant and coming in the likeness of man... and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Phil.2:8).
St. Paul the Apostle said about the Lord Jesus Christ in his Epistle to the Hebrews: "...through whom also He made the worlds, who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels" (Heb. 1:2-4). The phrase 'the express image of His person' means the image in which God manifested Himself in the Incarnation, and thus we could see Him; in the Person of Christ,
That is why Christ the Lord said: "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (Jn. 14:9). He was Incarnate for our redemption to purge our sins. He gave up all His glory although He is the brightness of God's glory and the image of God (2 Cor.4:4) and had made the worlds. Here the Apostle presents one of the Divine attributes of Christ, of His being the Creator. He created the world because He is the Logos: the Reason and Wisdom of God.