He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him.
Colossians 1:17 NET
Most scholars consider Colossians 1:15-20 to be a hymn of the early church. This hymn magnifies the Lord Jesus as both creator and redeemer. He is the creator of all things. And he is reconciling all things to himself through the cross.
Here in Colossians 1:17, the hymn makes two statements about Jesus. First, he is before all things. This has a time-based component—he existed before the creation. And it also refers to priority—nothing in all the creation is held in greater honor or esteem than Jesus.
The Ongoing Cause of Existence
The second part of this verse claims that all things are held together in Christ. The previous verse claimed that Jesus was the cause of creation. The claim in this verse is different, but no less significant. Christ is the reason that creation continues to exist. Moment by moment, he is holding it together. If he were to let go, the creation would cease to exist.
I am not a physicist, but I enjoy reading lay-level books on the topic, especially cosmology (the science of the origin and development of the universe). Physicists have identified four fundamental forces responsible for shaping and holding the universe together: gravity, electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. Each of these plays a different but vital role in shaping the creation.
If these forces were to disappear, the universe would dissolve into nothing but subatomic particles. And if their strength were to vary even by a small amount, the universe we know today would be dramatically different, and life as we know it would not be possible.
But these four fundamental forces of nature are upheld by something even more fundamental. They are a part of the creation produced by the Son. He set their relative strengths. And he maintains them each moment. It is by his power that the universe was formed. And it is by his power that the universe continues to exist. He is truly before all things.
