by carlos@thehumanjesus.org
Robert Bowman in his book Putting Jesus in His Place says: “It’s true that the New Testament never says that all things are from (ek) the Son.” And in a footnote Bowman admits "the New Testament does not provide compelling evidence for hard and fast distinctions in the roles of the Father and the Son in creation."
But the few passages Bowman and other preexistence proponents use as proof texts undermine the view that the Son was involved at all at Creation. For example, the writer to the Hebrews opens his letter saying "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in many ways, in these last days God has spoken to us in a Son, whom God has appointed heir of all things, through whom also God made the ages."
In other words, there was no Son "In the past," i.e., during Old Testament times. The one God, the Father alone, spoke through the ancestors (i.e., Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) and prophets (i.e., Moses, David, etc.) "at many times and in many ways"! And all things, including the Genesis Creation, were created "in" or "through" (not "by") the Son.
The New Testament writers understood the Old Testament principle that the one "God created the world for the Son," as the Abingdon NT Commentary notes. For example, "Rabbi Jochanan [3rd AD] said the world was created for the sake of the Messiah (b. Sanh. 98b).”
In the book Christian Faith Berkhof says: “We confess our belief in creation with an eye to Christ. From him we learn the final purpose of creation.” (pp 166-68)
Similarly, in Colossians 1.16 Paul says that in Christ "All things were created," i.e., by God the Father. The noted British scholar Bishop N.T. Wright notes in the Tyndale Commentary on Colossians & Philemon: "The passive were created [in Col 1.16a] indicates, in a typically Jewish fashion, the activity of God the Father, working in the Son. To say 'by' [at the beginning of Col 1.16 and at the end], could imply, not that Christ is the Father's agent, but that he was alone responsible for creation." In other words, God's original act of creation depended causally on the Son, i.e., "all things were created for him," as Paul concludes in Col 1.16.
The Dictionary of Paul and His Letters notes that this way of speaking echoes ancient Jewish traditions where Israel or the elect are said to be the ones "for whom" God created the world (e.g., 4 Ezra 6:55; T. Moses 1.12-13).
Robert Bowman in his book Putting Jesus in His Place says: “It’s true that the New Testament never says that all things are from (ek) the Son.” And in a footnote Bowman admits "the New Testament does not provide compelling evidence for hard and fast distinctions in the roles of the Father and the Son in creation."
But the few passages Bowman and other preexistence proponents use as proof texts undermine the view that the Son was involved at all at Creation. For example, the writer to the Hebrews opens his letter saying "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in many ways, in these last days God has spoken to us in a Son, whom God has appointed heir of all things, through whom also God made the ages."
In other words, there was no Son "In the past," i.e., during Old Testament times. The one God, the Father alone, spoke through the ancestors (i.e., Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) and prophets (i.e., Moses, David, etc.) "at many times and in many ways"! And all things, including the Genesis Creation, were created "in" or "through" (not "by") the Son.
The New Testament writers understood the Old Testament principle that the one "God created the world for the Son," as the Abingdon NT Commentary notes. For example, "Rabbi Jochanan [3rd AD] said the world was created for the sake of the Messiah (b. Sanh. 98b).”
In the book Christian Faith Berkhof says: “We confess our belief in creation with an eye to Christ. From him we learn the final purpose of creation.” (pp 166-68)
Similarly, in Colossians 1.16 Paul says that in Christ "All things were created," i.e., by God the Father. The noted British scholar Bishop N.T. Wright notes in the Tyndale Commentary on Colossians & Philemon: "The passive were created [in Col 1.16a] indicates, in a typically Jewish fashion, the activity of God the Father, working in the Son. To say 'by' [at the beginning of Col 1.16 and at the end], could imply, not that Christ is the Father's agent, but that he was alone responsible for creation." In other words, God's original act of creation depended causally on the Son, i.e., "all things were created for him," as Paul concludes in Col 1.16.
The Dictionary of Paul and His Letters notes that this way of speaking echoes ancient Jewish traditions where Israel or the elect are said to be the ones "for whom" God created the world (e.g., 4 Ezra 6:55; T. Moses 1.12-13).
