God manifested Himself in the flesh so that the invisible God could become visible, tangible, and touchable in the Person of the Son.
The triune God is Spirit and invisible, but out of that invisible Godhead the Son stepped out and took on human flesh at Bethlehem. Paul writes that Christ is the image of the invisible God, meaning a visible manifestation that can be seen and touched. The Son is the same God who created all things, now manifested in human flesh.
Colossians 1:15 — This verse directly identifies the Son as the image of the invisible God, showing why God took on visible form.
Colossians 1:16 — This verse confirms the Son as the Creator of all things, linking the visible manifestation to the God of creation.
Scripture identifies the Son as the visible revelation of the invisible God. Colossians 1:15 says, 'Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.' In 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul calls Christ 'the image of God' and speaks of 'the light of the glorious gospel of Christ.' The same chapter in Colossians declares that by the Son 'were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible' (Colossians 1:16). The Old Testament also points to a bodily form: Zechariah 13:6 speaks of one with 'wounds in thine hands' who answers, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.'
Les Feldick repeatedly emphasizes that the triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit—is invisible and Spirit. Out of that invisible Godhead, the Son stepped out and took on human flesh, making Himself visible, tangible, and touchable. He is the image of the invisible God. Les stresses that this was not a new God appearing at Bethlehem; the Son is the same God who created all things in Genesis 1. The visible manifestation of God came through the Person of Jesus of Nazareth.
An image is a visible manifestation—that which can be seen and touched. Les explains that God is Spirit and invisible, but the Son stepped out of the invisible Godhead and became the visible manifestation of the whole. This is why Paul writes that Christ is the image of the invisible God.
Les teaches that many people do not realize Jesus of Nazareth was the manifestation in the flesh of the Creator God of Genesis 1. Paul attributes creation to the Son in Colossians 1:16—all things visible and invisible were created by Him. Therefore, the God who became flesh is the same God who created the universe.
God is invisible, but the Son became visible, tangible, and touchable in human flesh. Les shows that this visible manifestation is what Scripture means by the 'image of the invisible God.' The incarnation made the invisible God visible in the Person of Christ.
Old Testament Wounds in His Hands
Les points to Zechariah 13:6 as an Old Testament example of a physical, visible manifestation, showing that God revealed Himself in bodily form.
The Son as Visible, Tangible Evidence of the Invisible God
Les teaches that out of the invisible triune God stepped the Son, who became visible, tangible, and touchable—God manifested in the flesh by virtue of Bethlehem.
Christ Is the Image of the Invisible God
Les defines an image as a visible manifestation and says Christ is the visible manifestation/image of the invisible God, to be taken by faith.
The Son Stepped Out of the Invisible Godhead
God the Son stepped out of the invisible Godhead and became the visible manifestation, taking on human flesh, while still being the same God who created all things.
The Son's Flesh as the Visible Appearance of the Invisible God
Paul shows the Son took on flesh and became visible; the Lord Jesus is the visible appearance of the invisible God and is before all creation.
Jesus Is the Creator God Manifest in the Flesh
Les stresses that Jesus of Nazareth is not someone who emerged at Bethlehem; He is the manifestation in the flesh of the Creator God of Genesis 1.
God the Son Became the Visible Manifestation
At the appropriate time, one member of the Godhead took on visibility and became the image of the invisible God, and by Him all things were created.
Christ Is the Visible Image of the Invisible God
Les ties Colossians 1:15-16 to Genesis 1, showing that the Son, the visible image of the invisible God, created all things—visible and invisible.
Colossians 1:15: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
The central verse describing the Son as the visible image of the invisible God.
Colossians 1:16: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Confirms the Son was the Creator of all things, tying the visible manifestation to creation.
2 Corinthians 4:4: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Shows Christ is the image of God and the subject of the gospel.
Zechariah 13:6: And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
Provides an Old Testament picture of a physical manifestation with wounds in the hands.
God the Son stepped out of the invisible Godhead and took on human flesh so that the invisible God could be seen and touched. He became the image of the invisible God. This is what Les Feldick teaches from Colossians 1:15.
Yes, according to Les and Scripture. Paul writes that by the Son all things were created (Colossians 1:16). Les emphasizes that Jesus of Nazareth is the manifestation in the flesh of the Creator God of Genesis 1.
An image is a visible manifestation—that which can be seen and touched. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, meaning He reveals God in a tangible way.
Watch the Teaching: Christ's Resurrection Body: What Yours Will Look Like