Robert Bowman in his Putting Jesus in His Place (1st Ed.) admits:
“It’s true that the NT never says that all things are ‘from’ (ek) the Son [dia].” In a footnote Bowman adds “the New Testament does not provide compelling evidence for hard and fast distinctions in the roles of the Father and the Son in creation."
The few passages Bowman and other preexistence proponents use as proof texts undermine their view that the Son was involved at all. For example, the writer to the Hebrews opens his letter saying:
“1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in many ways, 2 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.”
The clear implication here is that there was no Son "In the past," i.e., during OT times. The one God spoke through the ancestors (i.e., Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) and prophets (i.e., Moses, David, etc.) "at many times and in many ways"! God never spoke or acted through the Son. Yet, the Hebrews writer goes on to say all things, including the Genesis Creation, were created through (not “by”) the Son.
These Jewish 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).”
Thus, Berkhof was right to say:
“We confess our belief in creation with an eye to Christ. From him we learn the final purpose of creation.” (Christian Faith, pp 166-68)
In Col 1.16 Paul similarly says that in Christ “All things were created”. The noted British scholar Bishop NT 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., apart from the Son there would have been no creation. Hence, Paul's final claim of Col 1.16c all things were created for him.
The Dictionary of Paul and His Letters notes that this phrase may also echo elements of Jewish traidtions where Israel or the elect are referred to as the ones for whom God created the world (e.g., 4 Ezra 6:55; T. Moses 1.12-13).
“It’s true that the NT never says that all things are ‘from’ (ek) the Son [dia].” In a footnote Bowman adds “the New Testament does not provide compelling evidence for hard and fast distinctions in the roles of the Father and the Son in creation."
The few passages Bowman and other preexistence proponents use as proof texts undermine their view that the Son was involved at all. For example, the writer to the Hebrews opens his letter saying:
“1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in many ways, 2 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.”
The clear implication here is that there was no Son "In the past," i.e., during OT times. The one God spoke through the ancestors (i.e., Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) and prophets (i.e., Moses, David, etc.) "at many times and in many ways"! God never spoke or acted through the Son. Yet, the Hebrews writer goes on to say all things, including the Genesis Creation, were created through (not “by”) the Son.
These Jewish 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).”
Thus, Berkhof was right to say:
“We confess our belief in creation with an eye to Christ. From him we learn the final purpose of creation.” (Christian Faith, pp 166-68)
In Col 1.16 Paul similarly says that in Christ “All things were created”. The noted British scholar Bishop NT 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., apart from the Son there would have been no creation. Hence, Paul's final claim of Col 1.16c all things were created for him.
The Dictionary of Paul and His Letters notes that this phrase may also echo elements of Jewish traidtions where Israel or the elect are referred to as the ones for whom God created the world (e.g., 4 Ezra 6:55; T. Moses 1.12-13).