Colossians 1:18

Bible in Basic English (1941)

And he is the head of the body, the church: the starting point of all things, the first to come again from the dead; so that in all things he might have the chief place.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας: ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν· ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων.

Transliteration

And he estin the kephalē of the sōmatos, of the ekklēsias: who estin archē, prōtotokos from the nekrōn; so that he might genētai in all things himself prōteuōn.

Grammar Details

• *estin*: present, active, indicative, 3rd person singular - is
• *kephalē*: nominative, feminine, singular - head
• *sōmatos*: genitive, neuter, singular - of body, possessive
• *ekklēsias*: genitive, feminine, singular - of church/assembly, apposition
• *archē*: nominative, feminine, singular - beginning/ruler
• *prōtotokos*: nominative, masculine, singular - firstborn
• *nekrōn*: genitive, masculine, plural - dead ones, source
• *genētai*: aorist, middle, subjunctive, 3rd person singular - might become
• *prōteuōn*: present, active, participle, nominative, masculine, singular - having first place

Word Meanings

• *kephalē*: head/ruler/source
• *sōmatos*: body/physical form
• *ekklēsias*: church/assembly/congregation
• *archē*: beginning/origin/ruler/first principle
• *prōtotokos*: firstborn/preeminent one
• *nekrōn*: dead ones/corpses
• *genētai*: might become/be/come to be
• *prōteuōn*: having first place/preeminent/holding supremacy

Referenced Verses

• Rev 1:5 : 5 And from Jesus Christ, the true witness, the first to come back from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who had love for us and has made us clean from our sins by his blood;
• Eph 1:22-23 : 22 And he has put all things under his feet, and has made him to be head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the full measure of him in whom all things are made complete.
• Acts 26:23 : 23 That the Christ would go through pain, and being the first to come back from the dead, would give light to the people and to the Gentiles.
• 1 Cor 15:20-23 : 20 But now Christ has truly come back from the dead, the first-fruits of those who are sleeping. 21 For as by man came death, so by man there is a coming back from the dead. 22 For as in Adam death comes to all, so in Christ will all come back to life. 23 But every man in his right order: Christ the first-fruits; then those who are Christ's at his coming.
• 1 Cor 11:3 : 3 But it is important for you to keep this fact in mind, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.
• Eph 4:15-16 : 15 But saying true words in love, may come to full growth in him, who is the head, even Christ; 16 Through whom all the body, being rightly formed and united together, by the full working of every part, is increased to the building up of itself in love.
• Matt 28:18 : 18 And Jesus came to them and said, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
• John 1:27 : 27 It is he who is coming after me; I am not good enough to undo his shoes.
• John 3:29-31 : 29 He who has the bride is the husband: but the husband's friend, whose place is by his side and whose ears are open to him, is full of joy because of the husband's voice: such is my joy, and it is complete. 30 He has to become greater while I become less. 31 He who comes from heaven is greater than all others: he who comes from earth is of the earth, and of the earth are his words: he who comes from heaven is over all.
• Ps 89:27 : 27 And I will make him the first of my sons, most high over the kings of the earth.
• Eph 5:23 : 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.
• Col 1:24 : 24 Now I have joy in my pain because of you, and in my flesh I undergo whatever is still needed to make the sorrows of Christ complete, for the salvation of his body, the church;
• John 11:25-26 : 25 Jesus said to her, I am myself that day and that life; he who has faith in me will have life even if he is dead; 26 And no one who is living and has faith in me will ever see death. Is this your faith?
• Rev 22:13 : 13 I am the First and the Last, the start and the end.
• 1 Cor 15:25 : 25 For his rule will go on till he has put all those who are against him under his feet.
• Heb 1:5-6 : 5 To which of the angels did God say at any time, You are my Son, this day I have given you being? or, I will be his Father, and he will be my Son? 6 And again, when he is sending his only Son into the world, he says, Let all the angels of God give him worship.
• Rev 1:8 : 8 I am the First and the Last, says the Lord God who is and was and is to come, the Ruler of all.
• Rev 1:18 : 18 And I was dead, and see, I am living for ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hell.
• Rev 3:14 : 14 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea say: These things says the true and certain witness, the head of God's new order:
• Rev 5:9-9 : 9 And their voices are sounding in a new song, saying, It is right for you to take the book and to make it open: for you were put to death and have made an offering to God of your blood for men of every tribe, and language, and people, and nation, 10 And have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are ruling on the earth. 11 And I saw, and there came to my ears the sound of a great number of angels round about the high seat and the beasts and the rulers; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a great voice, It is right to give to the Lamb who was put to death, power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing. 13 And to my ears came the voice of everything in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and of all things which are in them, saying, To him who is seated on the high seat, and to the Lamb, may blessing and honour and glory and power be given for ever and ever.
• Rev 11:15 : 15 And at the sounding of the seventh angel there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he will have rule for ever and ever.
• Rev 21:6 : 6 And he said to me, It is done. I am the First and the Last, the start and the end. I will freely give of the fountain of the water of life to him who is in need.
• Rev 21:23-24 : 23 And the town has no need of the sun, or of the moon, to give it light: for the glory of God did make it light, and the light of it is the Lamb. 24 And the nations will go in its light: and the kings of the earth will take their glory into it.
• 1 John 1:1 : 1 That which was from the first, which has come to our ears, and which we have seen with our eyes, looking on it and touching it with our hands, about the Word of life
• Eph 1:10 : 10 The ordering of the times when they are complete, so that all things might come to a head in Christ, the things in heaven and the things on the earth; in him, I say,
• Rom 8:29 : 29 Because those of whom he had knowledge before they came into existence, were marked out by him to be made like his Son, so that he might be the first among a band of brothers:
• Col 2:10-14 : 10 And you are complete in him, who is the head of all rule and authority: 11 In whom you had a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; 12 Having been put to death with him in baptism, by which you came to life again with him, through faith in the working of God, who made him come back from the dead. 13 And you, being dead through your sins and the evil condition of your flesh, to you, I say, he gave life together with him, and forgiveness of all our sins; 14 Having put an end to the handwriting of the law which was against us, taking it out of the way by nailing it to his cross;
• Isa 52:13 : 13 See, my servant will do well in his undertakings, he will be honoured, and lifted up, and be very high.
• Matt 23:8 : 8 But you may not be named Teacher: for one is your teacher, and you are all brothers.
• John 3:34-35 : 34 For he whom God has sent says God's words; and God does not give him the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father has love for the Son and has put all things into his hands.
• John 1:1 : 1 From the first he was the Word, and the Word was in relation with God and was God.
• John 1:16 : 16 From his full measure we have all been given grace on grace.
• Song 5:10 : 10 My loved one is white and red, the chief among ten thousand.
• Ps 45:2-5 : 2 You are fairer than the children of men; grace is flowing through your lips; for this cause the blessing of God is with you for ever. 3 Put on your sword, make it ready at your side, O strong chief, with your glory and power. 4 And go nobly on in your power, because you are good and true and without pride; and your right hand will be teaching you things of fear. 5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's haters; because of them the peoples are falling under you.