Colossians 1:14-17

Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 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:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

in whom we have redemption, or apolutrōsis:
1) a releasing effected by payment of ransom
1b) liberation procured by the payment of a ransom

where as our eternal life was being held ransom by the fall of mankind Christ paid for (or) redeemed it with the price of his own blood, the just for the unjust!!
the forgiveness of sin was necessary for it was sin its self that held us in derision from God. whereas sin entered the world and death by sin.

the image of the invisible God:

not invisible to Christ but to us, man having no way of seeing God in his lost state. for unless a man be born again he cannot see even the kingdom of God and hence shall not see God.

the first born of every creature:

first-born points to eternal preexistence. we must be very careful not to misread this as the first of all created beings - this is cleared up right away with the following verses

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:

the first book of our bible tell us; in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. john expounds upon this in the start of his gospel, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God, all things where made by him! if any man wants to point to this passage as a proof text that Jesus was the first created being, they are sorely misled and blinded by their own fallin nature. this passage can only be used to prove that Jesus Christ is God himself, that he is deity. it can only be used to show how God came to earth and paid the sin debt of man with his own blood, setting striate that which man made crooked. note that all things where made by him and for him, proof text of God's sovereignty. he created all things and hence has ownership rights over his creation. whereas we think all things to be ours and to be created for us; God is very clear in his purpose of creation of "all things" that they are for him and his good pleasure!

And he is before all things, and by him all things consist:

before all, all, all things!! not the things just metioned here. Jesus is before everything. he has no start, there was nothing before him and there will be nothing after him to speak of. he is from everlasting to everlasting. this again just makes me ponder how JW'S can read this and say "look he is the first born", implying that Jesus was made. if only they would put the text into it's context the mistery would solve it's self. he is before all things and by him all things consist. not only is there nothing that ever was before Christ but by him all things consist. i take this not as a repeat of verse 16 but as a new statment alltogehter. not only did he make all things but by him they contunue to consist. he his the very fabric that holds all things together in the universe. i once heard a man say that as the roman solders where whipping him, he was holding the whip together in time and space, and not only so but the men using it to rip the flesh from his back. should he have willed it so he could have let go and they would have fallen into nothingness before the crowd. he did not let go from holding them together though. he maintained them as matter and life so they could carry out his will, so they could preform the task for which they where made.