to hold all things together by power according to the mystery hidden in God who created all things. In order to show you that he is also before all things, it has been said that he was also begotten as firstborn of all creation. and by the following statement he shows this more fully, saying that in him all things were created. But if he were not before all things, how were all things created in him? So "firstborn" is not taken in its primary sense, since it is contrary to "only-begotten"; for by nature "only-begotten" is the only one to a father, while "firstborn" is one who has other brothers of whom he is first. And it is not possible for both to be taken in their primary sense. But he said that all things were created in him, so that, ceasing to hope in angels, we may have our hopes in Christ. And Paul has this reason for his theology and for showing him to be creator of all creation. And "in him" is said instead of "through him." Col 1,18 Just as he called him "firstborn of all creation," he being before creation, so also "firstborn from the dead," having risen to incorruption before the other dead. For no one would say that the risen dead will all be brothers of Christ, and for this reason it is said with respect to the end; for the majority are sinners and impious. so also in the preceding case, time is superfluous as also here. that in all things he might be preeminent. In all things, which ones? Those according to the economy; for first in obedience, first in baptism, first in conduct, first in suffering, first from the dead, so that it is fitting for him to be preeminent in all things, having become a beginning for those who follow. 319,col2 And he is the head of the body, the church. creator of 320,col2 creation, and also creator of our conversion. That he might become himself preeminent in all things. For if he is head of the church and firstborn from the dead, and first in conduct, and first in sufferings, and first in obedience, and first in baptism; he is himself preeminent in all things according to the economy. Col 1,19- This follows from he is the head of the church. And he called the church "fullness," and this has already been well said by him because it has been filled with the Holy Spirit. And he says that Christ was pleased for all the fullness to dwell in him and thus through himself to reconcile and unite all things to himself. In the letter to the Ephesians he showed that the church is called the fullness of God. Therefore God was pleased for his fullness, that is the church which has been filled by him, to dwell in Christ as in its own head, that is to be in line with him and attached to him, but not of angels—for he was pleased through him to reconcile all things, not through angels—for also the achievements for the sake of the world are through Christ. Col 1,21-22 And through such things he teaches them that not angels will reconcile them to God but the Son; for he says: he reconciled us in the body of his flesh. 321 Col 1,23 The gospel has reached not only as far as you but also to the whole world; but no one anywhere has been moved, but all remain steadfast. Therefore also now be secure. Col 1,24 If there is any, he says, lack with respect to suffering, but I fill up what is lacking of the afflictions for Christ, I rejoice in suffering for you. And why for you? Because he was suffering for preaching to them. For if Christ is the head of the body, the church, the afflictions raised against the church by those who rise up against the word of truth, are very fittingly called afflictions of Christ, he who delights and contends in these afflictions would not say without purpose to fill up in turn what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ. Col 1,26-27 a mystery is the economy and the incarnation of Christ, but the glory of the mystery is the resurrection from the dead, and the richness is the great mercy from the forgiveness of baptism, and it grants regeneration to those who are baptized. what is the richness of the glory of this mystery? Do not become poor, he says, by running after the patronage of angels. Richness to us, he says, Christ was given. Let us not become poor by turning to the patronage of angels. Col 2,3 If in Christ are hidden the treasures of knowledge, it is clear that it is not through angels

δυνάμει διακρατεῖν τὰ πάντα κατὰ τὸ μυστήριον τὸ ἀποκεκρυμμένον ἐν τῷ θεῷ τῷ τὰ πάντα κτίσαντι. Ἵνα σοι δείξῃ ὅτι καὶ πρὸ πάντων ἐστίν, εἴρηκεν ὅτι καὶ πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως γεγεννημένος. καὶ τῇ ἐπαγωγῇ πλέον τοῦτο δείκνυσιν, λέγων ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα. εἰ δὲ μὴ ἦν πρὸ πάντων, πῶς ἐν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα ἐκτίζετο; ὥστε τὸ πρωτότοκος οὐ κυρίως εἴληπται, ἐπεὶ ἐναντίον ἐστὶ τῷ μονογενεῖ· φύσει γὰρ μὲν μονογενής ἐστιν ὁ μόνος πατρί, πρωτότοκος δὲ ὁ ἔχων ἄλλους ἀδελφοὺς ὧν ἐστι πρῶτος. καὶ ἑκάτερα λαμβάνεσθαι κυρίως οὐκ ἐγχωρεῖ. ἐν αὐτῷ δὲ εἶπεν ἐκτίσθαι τὰ πάντα, ἵνα ἀποστάντες τοῦ ἐλπίζειν εἰς ἀγγέλους, τὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχωμεν ἐν Χριστῷ. καὶ ταύτην ἔχει τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς θεολογίας ὁ Παῦλος καὶ τοῦ δημιουργὸν αὐτὸν δεῖξαι πάσης κτίσεως. τὸ δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ ἀντὶ τοῦ δι' αὐτοῦ λέγεται. Kol 1,18 Ὥσπερ πρωτότοκον πάσης κτίσεως ἔλεγεν αὐτὸν πρὸ τῆς κτίσεως ὄντα, οὕτως πρωτότοκον ἐκ νεκρῶν πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων νεκρῶν εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν ἀναστάντα. οὐ γὰρ ἄν τις εἴποι ὅτι ἀναστάντες οἱ νεκροὶ ἀδελφοὶ πάντες ἔσονται τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ τέλος εἴρηται· οἱ γὰρ πλείους ἁμαρτωλοὶ καὶ ἀσεβεῖς. ὥστε καὶ ἐν τῷ προκειμένῳ ὁ χρόνος παρέλκει ὡς καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσι πρωτεύων. ἐν πᾶσι, ποίοις; τοῖς κατ' οἰκονομίαν· πρῶτος γὰρ ἐν ὑπακοῇ, πρῶτος ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι, πρῶτος ἐν πολιτείᾳ, πρῶτος 3ἐν πάθει, πρῶτος ἐκ νεκρῶν, ὥστε εἰκότως ἐν πᾶσι πρωτεύειν, τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἀρχὴ γεγονώς. 319,col2 Καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας. δημιουργὸς μὲν τῆς 320,col2 κτίσεως, δημιουργὸς δὲ καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐπιστροφῆς. Ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων. εἰ γὰρ κεφαλὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ ἐν πολιτείᾳ πρῶτος, καὶ ἐν παθήμασι πρῶτος, καὶ ἐν ὑπακοῇ πρῶτος, καὶ ἐν βαπτίσματι πρῶτος· ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύει κατὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν. Kol 1,19- Τοῦτο τὴν ἀKolουθίαν ἔχει πρὸς τὸ αὐτός ἐστι κεφαλὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας. πλήρωμα δὲ εἶπε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καλῶς καὶ ἤδη αὐτῷ εἴρηται διὰ τὸ πεπληρῶσθαι αὐτὴν πνεύματος ἁγίου. φησὶ δὲ ὅτι ηὐδόκησεν ὁ Χριστὸς πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖν καὶ οὕτω δι' ἑαυτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι καὶ ἑνωποιῆσαι τὰ πάντα εἰς ἑαυτόν. Ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἐφεσίους ἐδείκνυεν ὅτι πλήρωμα θεοῦ ἡ ἐκκλησία λέγεται. ηὐδόκησεν οὖν ὁ θεὸς τὸ πλήρωμα ἑαυτοῦ, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τὴν πεπληρωμένην αὐτοῦ, ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ οἷα ἐν κεφαλῇ ἰδίᾳ οἰκῆσαι, τοῦτ' ἔστιν αὐτῷ στοιχεῖν καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐξῆφθαι, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἀγγέλων-ηὐδόκησε γὰρ δι' αὐτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι πάντα, οὐ δι' ἀγγέλων- καὶ γὰρ τὰ ὑπὲρ τοῦ κόσμου κατορθώματα διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Kol 1,21-22 Καὶ διὰ τοιούτου αὐτοὺς διδάσκει ὅτι οὐκ ἄγγελοι αὐτοὺς καταλλάξουσι τῷ θεῷ ἀλλ' ὁ υἱός· φησὶ γάρ· ἀποκατήλλαξεν ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ σώματι τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ. 321 Kol 1,23 Οὐ μέχρις ὑμῶν μόνον ἔφθασε τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην· ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς οὐδαμοῦ μετακεκίνηται, ἀλλὰ μένουσι πάντες ἑδραῖοι. διὸ καὶ τὰ νῦν ἀσφαλίζεσθε. Kol 1,24 Εἴ τι, φησίν, ὑστέρημα πρὸς τὸ παθεῖν, ἀλλ' ἀναπληρῶ τὰ ὑπολειπόμενα τῶν θλίψεων διὰ τὸν Χριστόν, χαίρω πάσχων ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν. διὰ τί δὲ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν; ὅτι διὰ τὸ κηρύττειν αὐτοῖς ἔπασχεν. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας, αἱ διὰ τῶν ἐπανισταμένων τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπεγειρόμεναι θλίψεις τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, Χριστοῦ θλίψεις καὶ μάλα εἰκότως ὀνομάζονται, ὁ ταῖς θλίψεσι ταύταις ἐνευδοκιμῶν καὶ ἐναθλῶν οὐκ ἔξω σκοποῦ φήσειεν ἀνταναπληροῦν τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Kol 1,26-27 Μυστήριον μέν ἐστιν ἡ οἰκονομία καὶ ἡ ἐνανθρώπησις τοῦ Χριστοῦ, δόξα δὲ τοῦ μυστηρίου ἡ ἀνάστασις ἡ ἐκ νεκρῶν, πλοῦτος δὲ ὁ πολὺς ἔλεος ὁ ἐκ τῆς ἀφέσεως τοῦ βαπτίσματος, καὶ δωρεῖται τοῖς βαπτιζομένοις τὴν ἀναγέννησιν. τίς ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου; μὴ πτωχοί, φησί, γένησθε προστασίαις ἀγγέλων ὑποτρέχοντες. Πλοῦτος ἡμῖν, φησί, Χριστὸς ἐδόθη. μὴ γενώμεθα πτωχοὶ εἰς ἀγγέλων προστασίας τραπέντες. Kol 2,3 Εἰ ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ εἰσιν ἀπόκρυφοι τῆς γνώσεως θησαυροί, δῆλον ὡς οὐ δι' ἀγγέλων