Colossians study section
Colossians word studies
A handful of Greek words carry the theology of Colossians. Tap the speaker next to any word to hear it pronounced.
Key words
εἰκών (eikōn) — “Image”
Usage: Colossians 1:15; 3:10
Meaning: Image, likeness, exact representation. The source of the word “icon.”
Theological Significance: Christ is “the image of the invisible God” — the perfect, visible representation of the unseen God, revealing Him fully. And believers, being renewed, are being remade “after the image of its creator,” restored to what humanity was meant to be (Colossians 1:15; 3:10; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
πρωτότοκος (prōtotokos) — “Firstborn”
Usage: Colossians 1:15, 18
Meaning: Firstborn — a title of rank, priority, and supreme honor, not merely of birth order.
Theological Significance: Christ is “firstborn of all creation” (supreme over it as its Creator, not part of it) and “firstborn from the dead” (supreme in the new creation). The title asserts His preeminence, “that in everything he might be preeminent” (Colossians 1:15-18; Psalm 89:27).
πλήρωμα (plērōma) — “Fullness”
Usage: Colossians 1:19; 2:9
Meaning: Fullness, completeness, the sum total. The state of being filled.
Theological Significance: “In him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” — all that God is dwells in Christ. And because He is full, believers “have been filled in him,” complete and needing nothing added. Christ’s fullness is the answer to every claim of deficiency (Colossians 1:19; 2:9-10; John 1:16).
μυστήριον (mystērion) — “Mystery”
Usage: Colossians 1:26-27; 2:2; 4:3
Meaning: A mystery — a truth once hidden but now revealed by God.
Theological Significance: The mystērion now revealed is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” — that the indwelling Christ, and His presence among the Gentiles, is the treasure God had kept hidden. In Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 1:27; 2:2-3).
κεφαλή (kephalē) — “Head”
Usage: Colossians 1:18; 2:10, 19
Meaning: Head — a metaphor for source, authority, and leadership.
Theological Significance: Christ is “the head of the body, the church,” and “the head of all rule and authority.” As head, He is the church’s ruler, source of life and growth, and the supreme authority over every power, so believers must hold fast to Him (Colossians 1:18; 2:10, 19; Ephesians 4:15-16).
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