God the Son: Agent and Mediator of All Things

Previously, in considering how Scripture frames the doctrine of the Trinity, we focused on the Father as the source and goal of all things. First Corinthians 8:6 describes the Father as the one “from whom are all things and for whom we exist.” But Paul does not end there. He immediately turns his attention to God the Son, whom he describes as the one “through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”

These words are central to the Christian understanding of who Jesus is. Paul reveals Christ as both the agent of creation and the mediator of salvation—the one through whom all things came into being and through whom believers live.

Paul introduces the Son with the title “one Lord, Jesus Christ.” As we have explored, “Lord” is not a lesser designation than “God.” The title carries the weight of divine identity, echoing the language used for God in the Old Testament.

To confess Jesus as Lord is to recognise him as sovereign, the one who possesses authority over all things, and the one worthy of worship. It is not merely a statement about his role; it is a declaration of who he is.

Paul first says that all creation is “through” Christ. If the Father is the ultimate source from whom all things came, the Son was the agent through whom all things were made. This does not mean that the Son is secondary or less important. Instead, it reveals an ordered relationship within the Godhead.

Creation is from the Father, through the Son. This truth is confirmed elsewhere in Scripture. In John 1:3, we read, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Similarly, Colossians 1:16 teaches that “by him all things were created…. All things were created through him and for him.”

The implication is unmistakable. If all things were made through Christ, then he cannot be part of the created order. He is not one of the “things” that came into being. He is the one through whom all things came into being. He, therefore, is eternal. He is God.

Paul adds a second phrase: “and through whom we exist.” Interpreters disagree whether this speaks of our physical, embodied existence or of the new life we receive through the gospel. I tend to think that it is the latter.

While the first phrase speaks of the Son’s role in bringing the world into existence, this second phrase highlights his role in bringing believers into new life. We do not merely exist because of Christ—we exist through him in an ongoing, saving sense. This includes the whole work of salvation: reconciliation with God, new birth, ongoing spiritual life, and future glory. As Paul writes elsewhere, God “made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5). He calls Christ “the beginning, the firstborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:18), which points to his role in new creation. Christ is not only the one through whom the world was made—he is the one through whom the church is made alive.

Taken together, these two phrases together—“through whom are all things” and “through whom we exist”—present a unified vision of Christ’s work. Through him, the original creation came into being. Through him, the new creation is brought to life.

Christ stands at the centre of God’s purposes. From the beginning of creation to the fulfilment of redemption, everything is accomplished through him. There is no aspect of God’s work that bypasses Christ. He is the agent of creation and the mediator of salvation.

This raises an important question: How can Christ do these things? Creation and redemption are divine works. No creature, however exalted, could bring the universe into existence. No creature, however exalted, could reconcile sinners to God.

If Christ were anything less than divine, he could not do what Scripture attributes to him. This is why Paul’s language is so significant. By placing Christ at the centre of both creation and salvation, he affirms that Christ shares fully in the divine identity. He is not a helper to God. He is God—God the Son, who acts in perfect unity with God the Father.

To say that we exist through Christ is also to recognise his role as mediator. A mediator stands between two parties, bringing them into relationship. When it comes to salvation, Christ stands between God and humanity—not as a third party, separate from God, but as the one who is both truly God and truly man.

Because he is truly God, he reveals God to us. Because he is truly man, he represents us before God. This is why salvation must come through him. There is no other way to be reconciled to God. As Scripture makes clear, Christ is the only mediator.

Paul’s words are not merely doctrinal—they are deeply practical. To say that we exist through Christ is to say that our entire life, and our entire discipleship, is dependent on him.

We do not come to God apart from Christ. We do not grow apart from Christ. We do not persevere apart from Christ. Every aspect of our relationship with God is mediated through the Son. The Christian life is not about self-effort or self-reliance. It is about abiding in Christ, trusting in him, and drawing life from him.

This truth confronts our natural tendency toward independence.

We tend to live as though we can sustain ourselves spiritually—as though growth in holiness and faithfulness depends on our own strength. But Paul reminds us that we exist through Christ. Apart from him, we have no life. As Jesus himself said in, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). To live rightly is to live in constant dependence upon him.

If all things are through Christ, and if we exist through him, then he is worthy of our worship. This is not optional. If Christ is the agent of creation and the mediator of salvation, then he is deserving of the honour, trust, and devotion that belong to God alone.

To withhold worship from Christ is to fail to recognise who he truly is. To give him partial allegiance is to misunderstand his lordship. He is not one influence among many. He is the one through whom all things exist.

The truth of this passage calls us to re-centre our lives. Christ is not an addition to life—he is the foundation of life. He is not merely a guide; he is the source of our spiritual life. He is not optional; he is essential.

To exist through Christ is to find our life, identity, and hope in him. It is to trust in his finished work, to depend on his ongoing grace, and to look to him as the one in whom all of God’s purposes are fulfilled.

In these few words, Paul lifts our eyes to see the glory of Christ. He is the one through whom the universe was made. He is the one through whom sinners are saved. He is the one through whom we now live.

This is the Son we confess. This is the Lord we worship. And as we come to know him more deeply, we come to see that all of life—both now and forever—is found in him.