What does it mean that in Him all things were created (Colossians 1:16)?

Colossians 1:16 speaks about Christ’s sovereign creative power: “In him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” Here, the apostle Paul provides a comprehensive portrait of Christ’s role in creation. All things were created in Him.

Christ is preeminent in creation: “In him all things were created.” The apostle John describes the same truth: “Through him, all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). Christ was not only present at the beginning of creation but was also the source of all that came to be. He participated in creation and was the agent God used to accomplish His creative purpose.

In Him all things were created means that Christ is sovereign. Paul clearly states that Christ created the “things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.” So, the physical world, including mountains and oceans and forests and animals were created “through him.” Also, the invisible, spiritual world, including the angels, was created through Him. Nothing exists outside of Christ’s creative power and control. He is supreme.

Christ endowed creation with a profound purpose: “By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place” (Proverbs 3:19). Creation is not a random occurrence but a deliberate expression of God’s intent. The world was created through Christ and for Christ. Christ is not only the one through whom all things exist, but He is also the reason for which everything exists. The entire universe, including us, is directed toward His glory and purpose.

“God exalted [Christ] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–11). Jesus’ exaltation means He is supreme over “thrones or powers or rulers or authorities” (Colossians 1:16). Everything is subordinate to Him. The Colossians lived in a world influenced by various philosophical and religious ideas, but Paul assures the church there that Christ is supreme over every entity. In Christ, “all things were created,” and how could His creation be more powerful than He?

Christ created everything and sustains it. Colossians 1:17 says that Christ “is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” This truth should fill us with a sense of security and dependence, knowing that Christ ensures the universe does not fall apart. Paul reinforces the idea that every moment of life and the continued functioning of all that exists depend on Christ’s sustaining power. To affirm that “in Him all things were created” is to acknowledge that Christ is not aloof but actively involved in sustaining creation.

Christ is the source and sustainer of the universe. He created everything and infused purpose into creation. We are designed to glorify Him and give Him praise. He is worthy of praise: “He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves” (Ephesians 1:5–6).