As you can see the word invisible is used five different times in four different books of the New Testament. It does not appear at all in the Old Testament. If we take another related term “unseen,” we come up with a few more examples.
- “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, evenhis eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Rom. 1:20).
- “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:” (Col. 1:15).
- “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whetherthey be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” (Col. 1:16).
- “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Titus 1:17).
- “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:27).
- What quality does this being possess?
- What form is he in?
- Who is being spoken about?
- Is Colossians 1:15-16 speaking about a different being?
- Look at the context of surrounding scriptures to see if he can be identified.
Now consider a related Scripture from 2 Corinthians 4:18. “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).
- What are the two ‘invisible’ things that God reveals about himself to all men in Romans 1:18-21? [His eternal power and godhead]
- If all things that can be seen (with the physical eye) are only temporary, what does that mean concerning God’s form? (John 4:24) [It must be unseen and thus he must have a spirit form]
- What kind of sight did Moses have to be able to ‘see’ the one who is invisible? (Heb. 11:27)
- What invisible things did Jesus create which are not eternal according to Colossians 1:16? [The thrones, dominions, etc. which are on earth are unseen, but necessarily temporal because the kings and heads are men in a temporary form and the earth itself will not last forever.]
- If Jesus is in the image of the ‘invisible’ God, what image is that necessarily pointing to? [It must refer to something invisible about God that Jesus is already in, which could refer to his spirit body (form) or more than likely refers to the same thing as Hebrews 1:2 refers to, which is his heart and mind.]–Beth JohnsonWomen’s Studies