The Christ Hymn of Colossians 1

Many authors have recognized that the Christ Hymn of Colossians 1:15-20 is soaked in the Wisdom tradition of Hellenistic-Judaism. In this work Fr. Leonard Andrie explores how the author of Colossians like a wise scribe trained for the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 13:51-52) masterfully adopted what was previously said of Wisdom in the Hellenistic-Judaic tradition and creatively adapted it to Christ to express both His supremacy and sufficiency. This in turn not only enabled the author to present a cosmic vision of Christ but also helped him ward off a heterodox philosophy that was creeping into the Colossian Church so as to present his children holy and blameless in Christ (Eph. 1:4; Col. 1:22).