KTISIS

GregStffrd at aol.com GregStffrd at aol.com
Thu Nov 12 19:59:25 EST 1998


In a message dated 11/12/98 12:17:30 PM Pacific Standard Time,
ekrentz at lstc.edu writes:
 
 << Col 1 itself defines KTISIS in v. 16. It is TA PANTA EN TOIS OURANOIS
  KAI EPI THS GHS. This includes both the visible and the invisible
  tehings [reflectding the neuters]. TA AORATOA are then defined as
  QRONOI, KURIOTHTES, ARCAI, EXOUSIAI.  >>
 
 
TA PANTA, not KTISIS, in the first part of vs. 16 is the subject of EKTISQH.
It seems that the following EN-clause is locational, explaining where TA PANTA
was made: EN TOIS OUPANOIS KAI EPI THS GHS. Then further descriptions and
examples of TA PANTA are provided. 
 
TA PANTA is defined at the end of the verse as that which was made "through
him [= Christ]" DI' AUTOU. These are the "through-him" things. TA PANTA is
included in KTISIS, but it does not exhaust KTISIS. TA PANTA exhausts all
those things that were made through Christ, but not every KTISIS was made
through Christ, according to Paul (vss. 15, 19).
 
TA PANTA and PANTA can be shown to be quite dependent on the context. See, for
example, the LXX of Psalm 8:5, which is quoted in the NT, in what is likely a
Pauline source. (Heb. 2:7, 9) TA PANTA is not shown to be the same as KTISEWS
in Col. 1:15. That is why Christ is not said to be PRWTOTOKOS PANTOS TOU
PANTOS. 

On another note, it was pointed out, with reference to Col. 1, that KTISIS can
have reference to political figures. Still, it might be better to look for
other texts that use both PAS and KTISIS (or KTISMA), like Romans 8:22,
Colossians 1:23 and 1 Timothy 4:4 (compare Revelation 5:13), if we are trying
to figure out the meaning of PASHS KTISEWS in Col. 1:15.

Greg Stafford



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