Article How is Jesus “firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15)

[Lori Jane]

How is Jesus “firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15) – Bible Q

bibleq.net

Old creation or new creation?

Firstly, what Colossians 1 doesn’t mean: Colossians 1:16 doesn’t mean that Christ is the creator of either creation. The three prepositions used : by means of him (Greek en), through him (Greek dia), and for him (Greek eis), are still showing God as creator, not Jesus, but God creating, by means of, through, and for Jesus.

The main question with “firstborn of all creation” is which creation is meant? The old creation – the sun and moon, earth, animals, Adam – or the new creation – new men and women, born again in Christ, not in Adam; what Paul calls the “new man”? Or does Paul mean both creations, counting both creations as one?

Clearly “firsborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:17) means the new creation only. But “all things .. created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,” would naturally mean both the physical old creation and the invisible things of the new creation. So it seems likely that “firstborn of all creation” includes both creations being made “by means of”, “through” and “for” Jesus.

That then creates a time problem for some readers. A literal reading of Colossians 1:15 is one reason why groups like Jehovah’s Witnesses and other churches with ‘Arian’ theology read that Jesus was literally present when God made Adam. Or even that Jesus himself created his own ancestor Adam. A similar reading of Colossians 1:15 is also made by many traditional Trinitarians, although modern Trinitarian writers like Tom Wright (Paul, The Prison Letters 2002 p.152) are better able to separate out Jesus into being the active agent of the new creation on one hand, while also in God’s purpose in the old creation on the other hand.

Perhaps the best aid to understand Colossians here is to go to the almost parallel material in the companion letter, Ephesians:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

This is much simpler. It says that the new man and woman is created in Christ (Greek en again). But it also says that God prepared the new creation beforehand. We know from John and Paul that that was “from the beginning”.So, in conclusion

Colossians 1:15 primarily means firstborn of the new creation; but the implication is that Christ was also in God’s purpose first in the sense of primacy before the old creation. And this makes sense because, remember, Jesus himself, the son of Mary, was physically a part of the old creation as well, which is why he learned, suffered, was tempted and died. Before being raised and glorified by God.

 

[JP Parent]

How is Jesus “firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15) – Bible Q

bibleq.net

Old creation or new creation?

Firstly, what Colossians 1 doesn’t mean: Colossians 1:16 doesn’t mean that Christ is the creator of either creation. The three prepositions used : by means of him (Greek en), through him (Greek dia), and for him (Greek eis), are still showing God as creator, not Jesus, but God creating, by means of, through, and for Jesus.

The main question with “firstborn of all creation” is which creation is meant? The old creation – the sun and moon, earth, animals, Adam – or the new creation – new men and women, born again in Christ, not in Adam; what Paul calls the “new man”? Or does Paul mean both creations, counting both creations as one?

Clearly “firsborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:17) means the new creation only. But “all things .. created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,” would naturally mean both the physical old creation and the invisible things of the new creation. So it seems likely that “firstborn of all creation” includes both creations being made “by means of”, “through” and “for” Jesus.

That then creates a time problem for some readers. A literal reading of Colossians 1:15 is one reason why groups like Jehovah’s Witnesses and other churches with ‘Arian’ theology read that Jesus was literally present when God made Adam. Or even that Jesus himself created his own ancestor Adam. A similar reading of Colossians 1:15 is also made by many traditional Trinitarians, although modern Trinitarian writers like Tom Wright (Paul, The Prison Letters 2002 p.152) are better able to separate out Jesus into being the active agent of the new creation on one hand, while also in God’s purpose in the old creation on the other hand.

Perhaps the best aid to understand Colossians here is to go to the almost parallel material in the companion letter, Ephesians:

This is much simpler. It says that the new man and woman is created in Christ (Greek en again). But it also says that God prepared the new creation beforehand. We know from John and Paul that that was “from the beginning”.So, in conclusion

Colossians 1:15 primarily means firstborn of the new creation; but the implication is that Christ was also in God’s purpose first in the sense of primacy before the old creation. And this makes sense because, remember, Jesus himself, the son of Mary, was physically a part of the old creation as well, which is why he learned, suffered, was tempted and died. Before being raised and glorified by God.

hi just a side note i once wrote an article on how we read the bible and something you said here struck me eye and i quote "means the new creation only. But “all things .. created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,” would naturally mean both the physical old creation and the invisible things of the new creation." and this was the primary goal of my article it was to show us how exactly we read the bible. Now if we just read the bible without analyzing and reflecting with the spirit about what is said, it easy to go into error. Please allow me to show you how i read

now you say all thing s created in heaven and on earth would be the genesis creation and the new, ok so let's analyze what is written

Col 1:16 Because in Him were created all that are in the heavens and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or rulerships or principalities or authorities – all have been created through Him and for Him. (TS98)

so let's ask ourselves questions about what we just read, the first thing that struck as weird language was "all that are in the heavens" so we must ask the question how can they be IN the heavens ? Seeking the truth here if i say IN the heavens then the heavens must already be there, think about Yehovah when he created the heavens he did not create In the heavens. then you have all that are ON the earth, so if it is ON the earth means the earth is already there, or you would not be able to create anything ON it, you would have to create it first. But this is how 99.9% of people read it so you're reading is normal, just me who isn't. Now if we look at thrones rulerships and such we have to ask ourselves were there thrones and rulerships in genesis? well no there was not, it was only Adam and Eve, so thrones and rulerships here are a reference to the new creation, the kingdom which as a kingdom has thrones and rulerships, we now come to the question what is the firstborn of all creation? Now after much debate with myself (ya i'm loopy that way) i was asking what can this be about? So i had to ask who was born in the creation? then my debater told me well no one was born of the creation birth is a human thing, no one was born of the creation they were created. so then i asked, why the creation reference? Then my debater asked me, do you know of anyone else who was born from the dead? well he snagged me there, there was no one else in all creation who was BORN from the dead, many have been resurrected from the dead by elijah, elsisha, peter Paul and Yeshua but not one was ever born from the dead. So with the help of my debater i found what for me is a satisfying answer.

cheers JP