第二週 ‧ 週六
晨興餧養
西一15『愛子是那不能看見之神的像，是一切受造之物的首生者。』
18『祂也是召會身體的頭；祂是元始，是從死人中復活的首生者，使祂可以在萬有中居首位。』
基督主觀的與創造有關。基督不是僅僅作為客觀的創造者，客觀的創造宇宙。我們可以說，祂不是站
在一旁，稱一切為有。相反的，創造的過程是在祂裏面，就是在祂人位的能力裏進行的。基督是宇宙中獨
一的能力。祂的人位就是這個能力。所以，創造是在祂裏面進行的。這意思是說，祂不僅僅是客觀的創造
者，也是創造藉以依次完成的主觀憑藉。因這緣故，創造帶有基督內在能力的特徵。聖經不是說基督創造
了宇宙，乃是說萬物是藉着祂成的〔約一3〕，或說萬有都是在祂裏面造的〔西一16〕。『由祂』這辭是客觀的，但『藉着祂』和『在祂裏面』這些辭是主觀的（歌羅西書生命讀經，九八至九九頁）。
信息選讀
欽定英文譯本歌羅西一章十六節說，萬有都是為着祂造的。『為着祂』也可譯作『歸於祂』。『為着祂』是客觀的，而『歸於祂』是主觀的。萬有都是在基督裏面，藉着基督而造的，最終還要歸於基督。這些說法都指明基督與創造有主觀的關聯。受造之物不僅是為着祂，也是歸於祂。這意思是說，受造之物歸結在祂裏面。保羅使用『在…裏面』、『藉着』並『為着（歸於）』這三個介係詞，都指明基督與創造有主觀的關聯。創造是在基督人位的能力裏，以祂為主動的憑藉而發生的，並且還要歸於祂，作受造之物的歸結。這種關係全然是主觀的。因着基督與創造有主觀的關聯，祂便在創造裏彰顯神。創造彰顯了基督的特徵；而基督是那不能看見之神的像（歌羅西書生命讀經，九九至一○○頁）。
按新約看，『維繫』一辭包括或含示三件事：存在、存活並同活。萬有不僅存在基督裏面，也存活或繼續存在祂裏面。不僅如此，萬有也一同存活或一同存在祂裏面。整個宇宙是在基督裏面得以維繫，一同存在。祂是萬有得以維繫的中心。萬有不僅存在祂裏面；萬有也存活在祂裏面，並且集體的同活在祂裏面（新約總論第二冊，六六至六七頁）。
保羅在歌羅西一章十五節繼續說，基督是一切受造之物的首生者。這意思是說，在創造裏，基督是首先的。基督是神，祂是創造者；然而，基督是人，有分於受造的血肉之體（來二14 上），所以祂是受造之物的一部分。一切受造之物的首生者，是指基督在一切受造之物中居首位，因為從歌羅西一章十五節到十八節，使徒着重基督在萬有中的首位。十五節啓示基督不僅是創造者，也是一切受造之物的首生者，在一切受造之物中居首位。
有些人不明白，既然基督是在不到二千年前出生，而不是在創造開始時出生，祂怎能成為一切受造之物的首生者。我們若要正確的領會這事，就必須知道，在神沒有時間的元素。
所以，根據神在永遠裏的眼光，基督在已過的永遠裏就出生了。這就是為甚麼按着神的觀點，基督始終是一切受造之物的首生者。神豫知基督要生在伯利恆馬槽裏的日子。因為基督在受造之物中居首位，我們就能說，作為包羅萬有者，祂是創造者，也是受造之物的一部分（歌羅西書生命讀經，七九至八二頁）。
參讀：歌羅西書生命讀經，第八、十篇。
‹‹ WEEK 2 — DAY 6 ››
Morning Nourishment
Col. 1:15 "Who is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation."
18 "And He is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead,
that He Himself might have the first place in all things."
Christ is related to creation in a subjective way. Christ did not create the universe merely in an objective way as an objective Creator. He did not, so to speak, stand apart and call everything into being.
On the contrary, the process of creation took place in Him, that is, in the power of His person. Christ is
the unique power in the universe. His very person is this power. Therefore, creation was processed in
Him. This means that He was not simply an objective Creator, but also the subjective instrument through which creation was processed. For this reason, creation bears the characteristics of Christ's intrinsic power. Instead of saying that Christ created the universe, the Bible says that all things came into being through Him or were created in Him. The words by Him are objective, whereas the words through Him and in Him are subjective. (Life-study of Colossians, p. 81)
Today's Reading
The King James Version of Colossians 1:16 says that all things have been created for Him. It is better
to render the Greek “unto Him.” For Him is objective, but unto Him is subjective. All things have been
created in Christ, through Christ, and, ultimately, unto Christ. These expressions indicate that Christ has
a subjective relationship to creation. Creation is not simply for Him; it is also unto Him. This means that
it consummates in Him. The three prepositions in, through, and unto were used by Paul to point out the
subjective relationship of Christ to creation. Creation took place in the power of Christ's person, through
Him as the active instrument, and unto Him as its consummation. Such a relationship is altogether
subjective. Because of His subjective relationship to creation, Christ expresses God in creation. Creation
expresses the characteristics of Christ who is the image of the invisible God. (Life-study of Colossians, pp.81-82)
According to the New Testament, the word subsist includes, or implies, three things: to exist, to live,
and to live together. All things not only exist in Christ but also live, or continue in existence, in Him.
Furthermore, all things live together, or exist together, in Him. The entire universe subsists, exists
together, in Christ. He is the center in which all things subsist. All things not only exist in Him; all things
also live in Him and live together corporately in Him. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 279)
In Colossians 1:15 Paul goes on to say that Christ is the Firstborn of all creation. This means that in creation Christ is the first. Christ as God is the Creator. However, as man, sharing the created blood and flesh (Heb. 2:14), He is part of the creation. “Firstborn of all creation” [Col. 1:15] refers to Christ's
preeminence in all creation, since from this verse through verse 18 the apostle stresses the first place
of Christ in all things. This verse reveals that Christ is not only the Creator, but also the first among all
created things, the first among all creatures.
Some may wonder how Christ could be the Firstborn of all creation since He was born less than two
thousand years ago, not at the very beginning of creation. If we would understand this properly, we need
to realize that with God there is no time element.
Therefore, according to God's perspective in eternity, Christ was born in eternity past. This is the
reason that, according to God's viewpoint, Christ has always been the first of all creatures. God foresaw
the day that Christ would be born in a manger in Bethlehem. Because Christ is the first among the
creatures, we can say that as the all-inclusive One He is both the Creator and part of creation. (Life-study
of Colossians, pp. 66-68)
Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msgs. 8, 10
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