And he is the head of the body, the church: having spoken of Christ in reference to the creatures in general, or old creation, showing how he is the Creator, Preserver, and Governor thereof, the apostle doth here speak of him with a special reference to his church, or the new creation, whereof he shows here, (as elsewhere: See Poole on "Ephesians 1:22,23", with Ephesians 4:15, and Ephesians 5:23), that he is the Head and Governor, his chosen and called being the proper subjects of his special kingdom, the choice body, unto which he doth more peculiarly relate, Colossians 1:24, for the guiding and governing of it, he being that to it which the head is to the natural body, and more especially in the two former respects:
1. Of their union to God, which was chiefly designed and expressed in those words, who is the beginning, i.e. the first foundation or principle of their union to God, whereupon the first corner-stone of the church's happiness is laid, he being the beginning of the second creation, as of the first, Revelation 3:14. And:
2. Of their restoration from sin and death, being brought into that first-designed happiness, which is the great intention of that union, as appears from the following expression, the firstborn from the dead, in a special distinction from the dead, here too of the creature, Colossians 1:15. The apostle doth not tautologize, but what he spoke of Christ there with respect to the creature, he doth here speak of him with respect to his church, as 1 Corinthians 15:20,23 Re 1:5. By the particle from is implied not only that he was before the dead, but that he was numbered amongst the dead in respect of that nature wherein he was once dead; from which he was demonstrated to be first-born; his resurrection with a glorious body \Philippians 3:21\ being a kind of new birth, whereby upon the reunion of his holy soul and body he was born from the womb of the grave, the Head in regard of the members: resurrection is called a regeneration, Matthew 19:28; and as there is a gracious resurrection of the soul upon effectual calling in conversion, so there is a glorious regeneration of the body in the resurrection, Luke 20:36, in contradistinction to Luke 20:34. Christ is the first-born of these, in reference to God, Acts 26:23 1 Corinthians 15:20,23; as the first-fruits, or first ear of this blessed harvest, that was carried up into the sanctuary, and offered in due season to the eternal Father, until the rest do become ripe: and in reference to the dead, i.e. in the Lord, 1 Corinthians 15:18 1 Thessalonians 4:14 Revelation 14:13; from whom he first rose in regard of time fully and perfectly; and of whom, in regard of dignity and dominion, Psalms 89:27 Galatians 4:1, he is chief, and Lord, (hath the pre-eminence, as it follows), and is first in regard of causality of those dead in him, standing in relation to him their Head, Romans 11:15, with 1 Corinthians 15:20, who shall be perfectly raised by virtue of his resurrection. And however it be said, both in the Old and New Testament, some were before raised; yet he was the cause of his own resurrection, as none others were, or can be. He properly rose, and that by his own power, Psalms 110:7 1 Thessalonians 10:17,18; others were and will be raised by his. In regard of the sort and kind of resurrection, he it was first which was not imperfect, as others, or Lazarus, who was raised but to return to his former state of mortality; but perfect, Christ rose to die no more, Romans 6:9 Hebrews 9:28. He was the first that rose as a public person, Head of his Church, the Second Adam, representing all his members, 1 Corinthians 15:21,22, who are raised together with him spiritually, virtually, and representatively, Ephesians 2:6 1 Peter 3:21: those actually raised before in another sort were like singular ears of corn, by occasion more timely gathered for a special instance of Divine power, but Christ was the first that ever rose in the nature and quality of the first-fruits duly gathered, to sanctify and consecrate the whole harvest of the dead in him, who shall one day be raised to a conformity unto him, Philippians 3:21. The Socinians, from this metaphorical expression of Christ's being the first-born from the dead, and fetching in that passage where it is said: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, Acts 13:33, do oppose Christ's natural and eternal Sonship, but very inconsequently and absurdly; for:
1. Christ was properly the Son of God before his resurrection from the dead, he did not then receive that relation by it, as other texts clearly prove, Psalms 2:7 Proverbs 30:4 Micah 5:2 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Thessalonians 17:5.
2. If his resurrection had been a begetting of him, then would he have begotten himself, so been Father and Son to himself, because he raised himself. As to that other text they allege, things are sometimes said to be done then, when only manifested and doclared to be done: then was Christ the first of all the dead that was born, and raised again in incorruption, declared to be the Son of God with power, Romans 1:4, according to the prophecy: q.d. This day I have manifested thee by raising of thyself to be my natural Son, whom I begat from everlasting. Be sure he hath the primacy and pre-eminence, as it follows. That in all things he might have the pre-eminence; which some expound as the end and intention of Christ the agent, that he might obtain the primacy, Romans 14:9 2 Corinthians 5:15, or hold the first place in all things; whether more generally, according with the common scope of the apostle in the precedent verses, compared with Colossians 2:10 1 Thessalonians 5:25,29 Eph 1:22; or more specially, amongst his brethren and all the members of his mystical body, Romans 8:29, with 2 Corinthians 5:17,18; but this is not material, because all things are brought under his empire. Others, because the primacy doth belong to him by undoubted right, and that he, being Head of his church, did ultimalely design to save it, and so to glorify his Father, do expound it rather as the event, consequent, and conclusion from the antecedent, which is the end of the work, so as that, or in such a sort as, he actually is declared to be the first, or he holds the primacy in the old and new creation. According to the agreement with his Father, he is such a one as not only hath all manner of privileges, that any in this or the other world do, or may be supposed to, excel in; but also with a pre-eminence, a primacy in all, above what any one hath in any thing he may glory of.