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Does Firstborn of Every Creature Mean PRE- HUMAN EXISTENCE?
***What Does Colossians 1:15 TRULY mean?
Here is Colossians 1:15 from the KJV. “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:”
Does Colossians 1:15-18 teach that the Son of God PRE-EXISTED in the eternity past?
Does Colossians 1:15-23 teach PRE-HUMAN EXISTENCE of the Son of God BEFORE his Virgin BIRTH?
Was Jesus born in the eternity past?
Was Jesus created in the eternity past?
Did the Son of God have a BEGINNING?
WHEN did the Son of God BECOME the FIRSTBORN of every CREATURE?
Were all THINGS CREATED BY the Son of God?
What does Colossians 1:15-17 TRULY mean in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God?
For the SOUND Biblical answers to these questions, please read this Verse Study with an open heart and mind desiring to know the TRUTH!
To read the CONTEXT, please click the BLUE links.
To read the STUDY and the context, please scroll down.
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Did the PRE-HUMAN Son of God CREATE All Things?
In other words, does Colossians 1:15 teach that Jesus PRE-EXISTED in the eternity past as a Spirit being called the Word?
Let us begin this Verse Study by reading it out of its context first.
For you see, that is how FALSE or INCORRECT teachings come to be.
When the leaders of church denominations INTERPRET verses OUT of their CONTEXT, then the ENEMY can DECEIVE them to write and teach what the Bible calls “doctrines of DEVILS”, according to 1 Timothy 4:1,2.
Now, please understand that I am taking it out of context in order to SHOW you HOW the enemy deceives Christians to interpret verses of Scripture INCORRECTLY.
Then we will read the WHOLE CONTEXT at the end of this series of studies to learn its TRUE SOUND Biblical meaning in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
I am taking ONE verse at a time to explain what each verse in Colossians 1:15-23 TRULY means in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
Thus, there are NINE verses, so this Verse Study is part 1 of a 7-part series of SOUND Biblical Bible studies that you can us to witness to Trinitarian Christians, Oneness Pentecostal Christians and Jehovah’s Witnesses to show them HOW they have MISUNDERSTOOD this passage of Scripture.
Here is Colossians 1:15 OUT of its CONTEXT for the time being.
Colossians 1:15.
“Who is the image of the invisible God, the FIRSTBORN of every CREATURE:”
All Chrisians AGREE that the pronoun “WHO” or “HE” in some other translations is referring to Jesus.
So, the controversy among Christians is over how different Christians INTERPRET this verse of Scripture to mean DIFFERENT things.
Here are the interpretations that I am aware of. I will list them in no particular order.
Interpretation #1 is the Trinitarian understanding.
Here is a quote from a Trinitarian article. The emphasis is mine.
“Paul also described Christ as "the firstborn of every creature. "Firstborn" (prototokos) does not imply that Jesus is part of creation, but rather indicates His priority and sovereignty over all creation."
Colossians 1:16 backs this up. "For (or because) by or through Him were all things created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created by Him and through Him."
Not only did Jesus always exist (John 1:1; John 8:58), but He holds all creation together. (Colossians 1:17).
So, just as Jesus is supreme over the natural creation, He is sovereign over the new creation, the New Testament Church of which He is head.”
Interpretation #2 is the Oneness Pentecostal understanding.
Here is a quote from a Oneness Pentecostal article. The emphasis is mine.
“The Doctrine of Jesus Christ
Colossians 1:15. He is the image of the invisible God,] Some translations render who instead of He here. Either way, it is still talking about the same person, Jesus Christ.
Image here is translated from eikon (eikwn), which we get our word icon from.
Now this may be misleading because in our language icon means only a mere representation of something and not the actual substance.
But Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus is "the express image of His person" (person, hupostasis - substance). Vine explains:
'the image of the invisible God' gives the additional thought suggested by the word 'invisible,' that Christ is the visible representation and manifestation of God to created beings,
the firstborn over all creation.] Firstborn here does not suggest that Jesus was born before anyone else in creation. He was born at least 4,000 years after the first man.
This is referring more to his priority to and preeminence over all creation. Barclay explains:
In Hebrew and Greek thought the word firstborn (prototokos) has only very indirectly a time significance . . . . Firstborn is very commonly a title of honour.
Interpretation #3 is the Jehovah’s Witnesses understanding.
Here is a quote from the article on the official Jehovah’s Witness website called “When Was Jesus Created?” The emphasis is mine.
When was Jesus created?
“God created Jesus before creating Adam. In fact, God created Jesus and then used him to make everything else, including the angels. That is why the Bible calls Jesus “the firstborn of all creation” by God.—Read Colossians 1:15,16.
Before he was born in Bethlehem, Jesus lived as a spirit creature in heaven. When the time came, God transferred Jesus’ life from heaven to Mary’s womb so that he could be born as a human.—Read Luke 1:30-32; John 6:38; 8:23.”
Interpretation #4 is the Biblical Unitarian understanding.
And here is my understanding of Colossians 1:15.
The Greek word translated as “firstborn” means exactly what it sounds like. It means the first one BORN.
The root word from which it comes carries the meaning of first in POSITION, but it ALSO means first in TIME as well.
Here is how the concordance in E-Sword defines the Greek word “prototokos”.
G4416
πρωτοτόκος
prōtotokos
pro-tot-ok'-os
From G4413 and the alternate of G5088; first born (usually as noun, literally or figuratively): - firstbegotten (-born).
Total KJV occurrences: 9.
In ALL nine times that this Greek word “prototokos”, Strong’s number G4416, is found in the New Testament, the meaning of the word according to the CONTEXT is always FIRST in TIME.
In Revelation 1:5 this SAME Greek word is translated as FIRST BEGOTTEN from the DEAD.
Revelation 1:5.
“And from Jesus Christ, WHO is the FAITHFUL WITNESS, and the FIRST BEGOTTEN of the DEAD, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood,”
Notice that Jesus is called the FIRSTBORN and the FIRST BEGOTTEN after the cross and resurrection.
Also, notice that Jesus is called the FAITHFUL WITNESS AFTER He washed us from our sins in His own blood.
Why would the Son of God need to be a FAITHFUL WITNESS in the eternity past if the Son of God was born or created as the BEGINNING of the CREATION of God.
Let us go ahead and read Revelation 3:14 so you can see that the Son of God is called the FAITHFUL and TRUE WITNESS, the BEGINNING of the creation of God.
Revelation 3:14.
“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things says the Amen, the FAITHFUL and TRUE WITNESS, the beginning of the creation of God;”
And WHEN does Revelation 1:5 teach us that the Son of God BECAME the FIRSTBORN to be the FAITHFUL WITNESS?
Revelation 1:5.
“And from Jesus Christ, WHO is the FAITHFUL WITNESS, and the FIRST BEGOTTEN of the DEAD, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood,”
It was when the Son of MAN, Jesus, was BEGOTTEN from the DEAD.
Jesus was the FIRST human being to be resurrected from the dead and GIVEN the Divine nature of IMMORTALITY.
Romans 8:29 teaches us that Jesus is the FIRSTBORN among many BRETHREN.
Let us go ahead and read that verse of Scripture as well so you can see that God is conforming us into the IMAGE of His dear Son.
Romans 8:29.
“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the IMAGE of His Son, that He might be the FIRSTBORN among many BRETHREN.”
Now, if the word IMAGE in Colossians 1:15 MUST mean that the Son of God was made in the IMAGE of God in a SPECIAL or GREATER way than we will be made in the IMAGE of God, then that CONTRADICTS Romans 8:29.
For you see, God is conforming us in the IMAGE of Jesus who is the IMAGE of the invisible God.
According to John 17:20-26, the SAME GLORY that God GAVE to Jesus will be given to us and we will be ONE with the Father even as Jesus is ONE with the Father.
Jesus BECAME the FIRSTFRUITS of God WHEN God raised him from the dead and GAVE Him eternal life and we will ALSO become the FIRSTFRUITS of God at the COMING of Jesus, according to 1 Corinthians 15:20-28.
Let us read one more of the FIRSTBEGOTTEN verses and then you can read the other 6 of the nine verses on your own.
As you read the CONTEXT, I want you to pay close attention to WHEN the Son of God was MADE in the EXPRESS IMAGE of the PERSON of Almighty God the Father.
Hebrews 1:3-6.
“Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, SAT down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Hebrew 1:4. Being MADE so much better than the angels, as He has by INHERITANCE OBTAINED a more excellent name than they. (Now, according to Hebrews 2:1-10, the word made FLESH was made a little LOWER or inferior to the angels.
Thus, it was AFTER the cross and resurrection that God GLORIFIED the Son of MAN, Jesus to be MADE in the EXPRESS IMAGE of His PERSON.
And by INHERITANCE, the Son of God OBTAINED a more excellent NAME than the angels to RULE over the earth in the world to come, according to Hebrews 2:1-10 and 1 Peter 3:22)
Hebrews 1:5. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, You are my Son, this DAY have I BEGOTTEN you? (And according to Acts 13:30-37, the Son of MAN, the HUMAN Son of God BECAME God’s ETERNAL Son by being the FIRSTBORN from the DEAD) And again, I WILL be to Him a Father, and He SHALL be to me a Son?
Hebrews 1:6. And again, WHEN He BRINGS in the FIRSTBEGOTTEN into the world, He said, And let all the angels of God worship Him.”
So then, Hebrews 1:6 teaches us that WHEN God brings His now GLORIFIED Son into the world at the COMING of Jesus to RULE over the earth during the world to come, ALL of the angels, including the FALLEN angels, will WORSHIP Jesus to the GLORY of Almighty God the Father, according to Phipippians 2:8-11.
This verse also proves that Colossians 1:15 does NOT mean that the Son was BORN in the eternity past as the Jehovah’s Witnesses CLAIM.
For you see, the angels ALREADY existed when Jesus became the firstborn of EVERY CREATURE.
Thus, Jesus being the BEGINNING of the CREATION of God means that Jesus is the FIRST human to become a NEW CREATION of God.
Therefore, Colossians 1:15-20 cannot POSSIBILITY mean that the Son of God created all THINGS in the entire universe.
And I will PROVE this to you as you continue reading this series of studies Colossians 1:15-23.
To read part 2, please click on the study called Z-14. Verse Study of Colossians 1:16.
You can also find this series of studies on Colossians 1:15-23 along with all of the studies on the subject of the errors of interpretation made by the GOVERNING BODY of the Jehovah’s Witnesses under the **Z-0. WHY the Jehovah’s Witnesses Are NOT Biblical! **
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
Once Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even atheists understand the REASON that Yahweh CREATED the Son of MAN, Jesus, was to have DOMINION over the work of Yahweh’s hands.
And after you understand that the REASON that Yahweh did that is to STILL His ENEMIES, Satan and the fallen angels.
Then you can understand that God made His human Son to become “a” Lord, “a” King, and “a” God, under and subject to his God and Father in order to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels.
For a deeper understanding of this WAR that Lucifer and one third of the angels waged against the throne of Almighty God, please read the studies under the subject category called ** Q-0 Why Are We Here? Is God at WAR? **.
More studies are coming in this SHORTER Biblical Unitarian view of who Jesus is according to the WHOLE word of God.
If you have a PARTICULAR verse of Scripture that you would like to know the sound Biblical Unitarian meaning, then please email me at MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail.com and let me know.
For further and more in-depth studies on this subject of Jesus being created to STILL the enemies of Yahweh, please read the studies called D-25. A NEW LOOK at JOHN 1:1, In the BEGINNING!
And also read the study called D-28. The PRE-ADAMIC LUCIFERIAN FLOOD!
At the top of my homepage, there are subjects or categories which contain compiled lists of ** ALL Studies! ** I have written on that particular subject. So, if a link within a study is broken, then click on ** ALL Studies! ** to find the suggested study.
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Thanks again for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
And again, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading ** D-0 The BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of Jesus! **
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Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century.
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