“[Christ] is . . . the first-born of all creation” ( Colossians 1:15 15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; ).

Christ is the preeminent inheritor over all creation.

Puritan minister Thomas Manton once said, “Heresies revolve as fashions, and in the course of a few years antiquated errors revive again, and that by their means who did not so much as know them by name.” He was right: false doctrines keep repeating themselves through the ages, only to reappear under different names. From the Arians of the early church to the Jehovah’s Witnesses of our own day, cultists have sought to deny our Lord’s deity. One of the favorite verses of such cultists is Colossians 1:15 15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; , which refers to Christ as the “first-born.” They argue that it speaks of Christ as a created being and hence He could not be the eternal God. Such an interpretation completely misunderstands the sense of prototokos (“first-born”) and ignores the context.

Although prototokos can mean first-born chronologically ( Luke 2:7 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. ), it refers primarily to position or rank. In both Greek and Jewish culture, the firstborn was the son who had the right of inheritance. He was not necessarily the first one born. Although Esau was born first chronologically, it was Jacob who was the first-born and received the inheritance. Jesus is the One with the right to the inheritance of all creation (cf. Heb. 1:2).

The context of Colossians 1:15 15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; also refutes the idea that “first-born” describes Jesus as a created being. If Paul were here teaching that Christ is a created being, he would be agreeing with the central point of the Colossian false teachers. That would run counter to his purpose in writing Colossians, which was to refute them. Moreover, Paul had just finished describing Christ as the perfect and complete image of God (v. 15). In the following verses he refers to Christ as the Creator of all things (v. 16) and the One who “is before all things” (v. 17). Far from being an emanation descending from God, Christ is the preeminent inheritor over all creation. He existed before the creation and is exalted in rank above it.

Suggestions for Prayer

Use Psalms 93 Chapter 93 1 Jehovah reigneth; he is clothed with majesty; Jehovah is clothed with strength; he hath girded himself therewith: The world also is established, that it cannot be moved. 2 Thy throne is established of old: Thou art from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O Jehovah, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. 4 Above the voices of many waters, The mighty breakers of the sea, Jehovah on high is mighty. 5 Thy testimonies are very sure: Holiness becometh thy house, O Jehovah, for evermore. as the basis of your prayer to worship Christ, who is preeminent in rank over all creation.

For Further Study

Read Revelation 4:8-11 8 and the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, `is' the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come. 9 And when the living creatures shall give glory and honor and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne, to him that liveth for ever and ever, 10 the four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that sitteth on the throne, and shall worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were created. . According to verse 11, what is Christ worthy to receive? Why?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

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